Opinion: Take a Walk, Denver
Updating The Concept Of Being In The Wilderness
By Katie Kurtz
For the GPHN
What is “nature?” For a word that was tossed around all of Earth Day, I don’t know if we truly know what it means.
I have always equated nature with my school camping trips to Estes Park or the bison herd at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, but recently this definition seems to be problematic as I think more about how to design sustainable cities and address climate change. The official Merriam Webster definition of nature might be “the external world in its entirety,” but there is a historical sub-context that alters how we think about it.
The American idea of nature is rooted in the vision of early settler-colonists as they came to the Americas in the 1600 and 1700s. The expanse of open space managed according to scientific practices long held by the Indigenous peoples was shocking and exciting to the founders of colonies like Williamsburg or later Boston.
As industrialization boomed in the 1800s, the first wave of preservationists emerged, including John Muir. They visited destinations now known as Yosemite National Park and viewed the wilderness as the ideal nature, removed from the industrialized society and “pristine,” untouched.
This concept of “pristine wilderness,” however, was flawed from the start; this land was not uninhabited, it had been lived in and changed by Indigenous groups for decades.
The American perspective defines nature with such a specific image in mind – the National Park. But the reality is, how much time does the average American spend in National Parks, staring at those remarkable, postcard quality vistas? It is significantly less time than is spent in an urban area surrounded by equally as important natural landscapes.
This concept of nature as wilderness needs to become outdated as humans are confronted with the battle against climate change. No longer can “pristine wilderness” be the dominating image of nature in our heads. Urban nature is fundamental to both a healthy experience of living in a city and the continual work to adapt to climate change.
The lack of emphasis on nature in cities has significant health consequences. Cities are only projected to continue growing in size, according to the United Nations, and with more than 68 percent of the world’s population expected to live in urban areas in 2050, natural spaces will likely be eaten up by development.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide each year. Studies suggest that increasing the number of trees and other greenery in cities “can provide localized but meaningful improvements in air quality,” writes Johan Robinson for Mongabay. Beyond respiratory illnesses, the Environmental Protection Agency explains that green spaces in cities can help reduce the heat island effect: rising city temperatures due to dense concentrations of pavement or buildings.
Climate change and green city development are massive issues, but addressing them starts at a local, small, and simple level.
Local efforts to engage in urban “nature” are happening in Denver, especially around the South Platte River. The Greenway Foundation, a Denver-based, non-profit organization, works in tandem with the City of Denver’s South Platte Initiative to revitalize the watershed.
Recently, Colorado received $350 million in federal funds to invest in the South Platte River to improve the ecosystem and manage flood control. The plan for the new River Mile Development, a project spanning the next 25 years and transforming Elitch Gardens into a pedestrian-friendly, riverside development, demonstrates a similar growing interest in the South Platte River area.
Climate change is a large-scale problem and won’t be solved only by you or me. However, thinking about nature differently, especially the nature within our cities, is the first step. We cannot create greener cities if we don’t even consider our local park nature worth visiting and fighting for.
As Denver residents, we can appreciate the landscape we live in and incorporate it into our daily lives. There are natural landscapes worth investing in throughout the city, and the only way to appreciate and develop them is by using them – as simple as that is.
So go outside and walk to the nearest park. Visit the South Platte River Trail downtown or bike the Sand Creek Regional Greenway. If you enjoy gardening, reach out to the Denver Urban Garden in your neighborhood. Take the chance to appreciate the beautiful landscape we live in.
Change in Denver starts simple, and it starts with us.
It all starts with taking a walk.
Katie Kurtz just finished her sophomore year at Bowdoin College in Maine as an Environmental Studies and Italian Studies double major. She grew up in Park Hill, and her family has been involved with the newspaper for several years, including delivering the Greater Park Hill News to neighbors.