Natura Urbana: The Brachen of Berlin Urban Ecology Panel Discussion

NATURA URBANA | THE BRACHEN OF BERLIN tells the post-war history of Berlin through its plants. The film takes us from the Trümmerlandschaften and their unique ecologies to the abandoned roofs of the Friedrichshagen Waterworks on the edge of the city. Encountering an extraordinary variety of spontaneous vegetation from all over the world that has sprouted along railway lines, street corners, and in the distinctive Brachen of Berlin. In Natura Urbana, the changing vegetation of Berlin serves as a parallel history to war-time destruction, geo-political division, and the newest phase of urban transformation. Natura Urbana takes us on a unique journey through Berlin ranging from the botanical microcosm of cracked paving stones to elaborate attempts to map the entire city in terms of its distinctive ecological zones.

An estimated 80% of the US population lives in cities, and that proportion is growing. As an urban Botanical Garden, the value of nature in the city seems obvious, and yet it is not often protected. Though urbanization is at odds with habitat destruction, there is an opportunity that with thoughtful planning and design, we can weave natural spaces into our cities to support a variety of critical public health benefits and ecosystem services. As we approach the 50th celebration of Earth Day this April, we recognize that an incredible amount has changed since 1970, and yet, today there is even more environmental conservation work to do. We come together in this time of physical distancing to discuss a case study of the evolution of some unique wild green spaces in Berlin, and how the concerns around development there today reflect similar issues in our home of Los Angeles. We will explore questions around the language we assign to plants, the value of wild versus manicured green spaces, and the importance of land planning in cities.

Panelists:

• Jules Cooch, Manager of Public Outreach & Education at the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden (Discussion Moderator)

• Sandra Jasper, Film Co-author and Junior Professor of Geography + Gender in Human Environment-Systems at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

• Kat Superfisky, Urban Ecologist at City of Los Angeles + Director of Grown in LA

• Evan Meyer, Executive Director at Theodore Payne Foundation + Street Plants author

• Lila Higgins, Senior Manager of Community Science at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County + Co-founder of City Nature Challenge + Author of Wild LA