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An urban ‘butterfly experience' in Sri Lanka

Dilrukshi Handunnetti

May 15, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sri Lanka, Moratuwa, Colombo

What was once the garbage dump of a clothing company in Sri Lanka is now the site of an urban butterfly garden. Dilmah Conservation and naturalist Rajika Gamage created the open air garden in 2011 to conserve endangered butterflies without actually keeping any species in captivity. Over 90 native plants were planted, and the garden now receives visits from over 50 different butterfly species. The sanctuary also serves as an educational resource to help stress the importance of the diversity of these insects as an indicator of the health of the habitat.

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From Fatal Shots to Farm Plots: These Guns Are Given New Meaning

Monica Humphries

April 23, 2019 |

NationSwell |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

For people wanting to dispose of their firearms, RAWtools offers a unique opportunity. Understanding that the process can be challenging and emotional, they recycle weapons into gardening tools through their Swords to Plowshares initiative. By offering this, the faith-based organization seeks to shift the narrative around gun ownership and find new ways to address conflict.

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How Norway designed a more humane prison

Gina Barton Christophe Haubursin

April 12, 2019 |

Vox |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Norway, Halden

Halden Prison in Norway has re-designed itself so that the look and feel of prison life isn’t an added punishment to restricted freedom. Designers took into consideration the role campus design plays in promoting or disrupting guard-inmate relations and created a campus that promotes community rather than violence and isolation. Also included was landscaping, more natural light, and the use of softer materials, like glass and wood, instead of metal and brick.

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In rural Alabama, community gardens help address obesity and poverty

Andrew Yawn

March 29, 2019 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Geiger, Alabama

In rural Alabama, where the nearest grocery store can be more than 20 miles, residents are finding that robust community gardens are helping to improve general wellness. Even beyond offering free and healthy meals to community members, the garden has also had impacts on mental health and physical fitness.

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Heal Me With Plants

Ellie Shechet

March 25, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Horticulture therapy uses relaxation and mindfulness to reduce stress, and even assist in recovery. While the application of horticultural activities and gardening in clinical therapy has existed for over a century, more recent recognition of the health benefits of being in nature has brought the practice into use in more hospitals, recovery programs, prisons, and other applications.

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'If everybody just cleaned up a little bit': City workers fan out, clean up in East Camden

Phaedra Trethan

March 22, 2019 |

Courier Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Camden, New Jersey

In East Camden, New Jersey, neighbors encouraged each other as well as city officials to take ownership over the cleanliness - or lack their of - of the streets and homes in their community. In response, neighbors and city workers worked together to clean up trash in a two-block radius, report pot holes and abandoned cars, and set expectations for the community and relevant government agencies to take care of their surroundings.

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The Viral Hashtag That's Getting People to Clean Up Garbage

Linda Poon

March 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Viral social media trends can be harnessed for social and environmental good. A social media#trashtag challenge that spread from Reddit to Instagram draws upon the satisfying nature of a before-and-after meme. People all over the world who participated in #trashtag challenge went out and beautified green spaces. They then posted photos of themselves surrounded by the trash bags they had collected.

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Fighting climate gentrification with a radical community garden

Maria Esquinca

February 25, 2019 |

Scalawag |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

To cope with and combat gentrification, residents of Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood created a community garden called the Femme Fairy Garden, founded by Fempower. Community members come together every Sunday to tend to their plants and connect with their neighbors.

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How Removing Asphalt Is Softening Our Cities

Lynn Freehill-Maye

February 18, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Cities around the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom are removing asphalt to make space for nature. From creating rain gardens that reduce flooding to planting flowers along the edges of alleyways, residents and public officials reimagine their communities with less asphalt and more grass.

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Revised San Diego Law Allows for More Parklets, Pop-Ups

Rachel Kaufman

February 12, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

San Diego residents may be seeing more placemaking projects, like murals or pedestrian plazas, because of a more streamlined permitting process. The city, notorious for making such projects difficult and expense to install, passed legislation and will be reviewing it to assess whether it should be expanded. San Diego has also created a fund that can help offset the costs of permit fees and other expenses.

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