Plantwatch: the environmental reasons to save our at-risk parks

More than just recreation areas, parks help cool and clean our airParks are being hit by cutbacks in local authority spending and the National Lottery's "Parks for People" funding scheme is winding down.This matters because our parks are more than recreation areas, important as that is. The green spaces in towns and cities capture and store carbon from the air in trees and soil. They help soak up big downpours of rain that could otherwise cause localised flash flooding, and they can also help reduce air pollution. And as summers grow hotter, trees also cool the air in what can be overheated urban areas. Continue reading...