Students from a pair of UNBC classes were given the opportunity to give a presentation on the importance of green spaces in front of City Council on Monday.
In the first presentation, students in the ENVS 230 class presented on the City of Prince George’s Tree Protection Bylaw with recommendations for updates.
“We worked closely with the city planner and faculty at UNBC for this project,” said Julie Forrest, one of the students in the class.
“We’re here offering a youth perspective, we recognize the work plan that has been adopted, and we understand the OCP review process will be starting soon. A key feature of the OCP review should be tree protection.”
In their presentation, the class provided the following recommendations:
- Acknowledge the impact of green space and green infrastructure on residents
- Recognize Prince George as an urban heat island
- Revise Tree Protection Bylaw to expand protected areas
- Update the Recommended Tree List with certified arborists and City planners
- Include tree protection provisions in other municipal legislation
Following their presentation, Councillor Kyle Sampson moved to include the feedback given by the students as well as the Tree Protection Bylaw in the process for the OCP review.
The motion was carried.
Councillor Brian Skakun also questioned what could be done to incentivize developers to leave trees in development areas.
Director of Planning and Development Deanna Wasnik added that would take further research, consulting with the development community, but it could be considered.
Students from ENVS 210 then presented on understanding the values of green and natural space in the city.
“We surveyed students, staff, and faculty at UNBC, and found the vast majority of respondents often use the green space near the campus for recreation purposes,” said Jerek Postuk, a presenting student.
“We found that 92 per cent of respondents found a green space to positively impact their education and work life. Our survey also showed the importance of green space to the UNBC population as when asked about their comfort with green space near campus being developed, 76 per cent responded they would be uncomfortable with said development.”
This presentation also noted the negative effects of feeding wildlife in greenspaces, namely a flock of ducks in Cottonwood Park.
“It has been documented that there has been city members who are feeding the ducks every day throughout the winter, and now there’s hundreds of ducks that are staying in Prince George throughout the entire winter instead of migrating,” explained presenting student Drew Gilchrist.
“Having general impacts is also significant. We worry that, at a certain point, if the ducks are no longer fed, there could be a mass die-off event, as well as the unnatural congregation of ducks makes it a lot easier for disease to be spread.”
“Green space is one of those things that is not really valued, until it actually is gone, and then you can’t get it back, when it’s under houses or shopping developments, it’s no longer green space,” added ENVS 210 Professor Dr. Annie Booth.
“I think what the classes have attempted to indicate to the council, is that green space is something that is valued by young people, by old people, it’s something that distinguishes Prince George as a community and makes it a more desirable place to live.”
Booth added her ask was that council consider not just putting green space into the OCP, but to add a policy on the continuation of green space preservation.
Councillor Trudy Klassen questioned if they had some ideas on which areas are identified as “prime green spaces that we need to keep,” to form a ‘grand plan.’
“You certainly could identify what’s been lost,” Booth replied.
“In terms of identification of appropriate green space, that’s a slightly bigger project, and it’s something that could be referred to researchers, or could probably scrape up a class to do it, or a couple of graduate students.”
Councillor Garth Frizzell also moved to have the full report be referred to staff for analysis and recommendations.
That motion was also carried.