The Future and Fate of Times Beach Nature Preserve

September 2013

Published  ArtVoice 9/19/13

http://artvoice.com/issues/v12n38/greenwatch

Jay Burney

   

Times Beach is a 50 acres shoreline nature preserve in downtown Buffalo. It is situated on a historic, narrow strip of land and water at the convergence of Lake Erie, the Niagara River strait, and the Buffalo River. Its location is of great consequence, and unique in the Great Lakes.

From its trails, boardwalks and overlooks, you can see the splendid cacophony that our new downtown has become. You can absorb the wilderness of the waters. From here you can see, smell, and hear Buffalo’s history and future. Most importantly, it is part of a critical migration corridor and breeding area for an extremely wide variety of birds, pollinators, and other wildlife that make up the biodiversity the Great Lakes region.  Over 240 species of birds have been observed here. That is more than almost any other place in the Great Lakes.

Times Beach serves as the western gateway to the Niagara River Corridor “globally significant” Important Bird Area (IBA). This internationally recognized designation was created in 1996 by conservation organizations and governments in order to provide protections for migratory and breeding birds. Annual migrants can travel from the boreal forests and arctic coastlines of Alaska, the center of the North American continent, through this IBA, and on to the Mississippi, the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and into Central America.  Songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, gulls, and shorebirds depend on the natural resources of this region. Of the almost 300 species of birds found in our region, over 30 species of endangered, threatened, or birds of special concern depend on the IBA.  Some, such as the Bonaparte’s gull, abundant during fall migrations here, represent large portions of the global population. Our area, including Times Beach, is an important anchor of global biodiversity. The “globally significant” IBA designation positively compares us to places such as the Galapagos, the Everglades, Yellowstone, and the Hawaiian Islands.

Sadly, the ecological productivity of Times Beach has been in great decline in recent years. This is partly due to invasive species.  The Army Corps of Engineers has now undertaken an important project to restore the nature preserve.   Another cause has been outer harbor development that has included construction and schedules that pay no heed to avian risk. For instance construction of, Wilkeson Pointe Park, a beautiful public park next to the Times Beach, included dawn till dusk activity- big tractors, unabated noise, and 24/7 light intrusions which we think totally compromised the autumn shorebird migration at Times Beach, a usually highly reliable and ornithological notable event. Beyond that construction of a bike trail and a lawn right up to the Nature Preserves property line without attention to our long-standing request for an appropriate buffer went unheeded by the ECHDC. This is shameful disregard of an important nature preserve. We need, at least, to have “bird smart” planning and design on the waterfront.

The biodiversity protected by the Niagara River IBA, and Times Beach goes beyond birds. Many species of pollinators including migrating and breeding butterflies, bees, dragonflies, and amphibians, fish, mammals and more are supported by the local ecosystems that need protection and stewardship. This is important because biodiversity is the foundation of life on earth, and the quality of life of humans is wholly dependent upon a healthy environment.

Today we are witnessing new challenges to our regions biodiversity.  There are great and important plans that promote shoreline development in Buffalo, and will characterize our future for generations to come.  Much of the recent work on the outer harbor, the trails and the new parks has been tremendous boosts to our confidence and our opportunities to move proudly ahead.

Over the past few years’ public and private meetings have been held to help characterize how the outer harbor will be developed.  This exciting process has included public engagement that has focused on the importance of public access and open space on the waterfront, -as opposed to private development and limited access.  Much has been said about “ecological sustainability” and the importance of supporting the foundation of what is inarguably our most valuable resource- the freshwaters and the ecosystems that support it. One fifth of the earths remaining fresh surface water are located in the Great Lakes. The future of life on earth depends on the quality and quantity of these waters. Our region, and Buffalo’s waterfront play critical roles. We, the local humans that make the decisions about our relationships with these resources have a great responsibility to the future.

One of the significant strategies advocated by many including Riverkeeper has been a focus on what is referred to as “Blue Economy”. The origins of this concept stretches back to work by the developers of the Niagara Corridor IBA.  We recognized then that we could promote economic development by focusing on true conservation strategies promote our regions natural resources with conservation strategies and develop ecotourism strategies -the largest and fastest growing sector of the tourism market.  We have demonstrated that we can capture an enormous bird watching market, as well as the recreational sector that includes boating, camping, hiking, and touring.  Add to this the concepts of aggressive land conservancy, an Erie Niagara Marine Sanctuary, A National Shoreline, educational and research investments such as a Niagara Bird Observatory, A Great Lakes “Woods Hole” Institute promoting sustainable waters, and connect to ongoing educational and research investments, cultural and heritage tourism strategies, and we will be engaging in conservation as a central part of our economic development strategy. This is a vision of a long-term sustainable future that will help to float everyone’s boat.

Today, I am sad to say that Times Beach Nature Preserve is threatened.

This past summer the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation and the City of Buffalo released a segmented Outer Harbor Brownfield Opportunity Area plan (The development plan for the outer harbor) that includes most of the outer harbor water front in one section (South) , and a downtown oriented entertainment and commercial district (North).  This segmentation was advocated by many public commenter’s during the scoping process that was begun over two years ago. The idea was to promote downtown density, and to help focus public access and open space as opposed to private development in the outer harbor areas.  Unfortunately for Times Beach, the end of Fuhrmann Blvd that includes Times Beach, and the new Wilkeson Pointe Park have been included in the North Zone- aka-commercial and entertainment district. This plan includes residential development around Times Beach.

Recent announcements and actions by governor Cuomo include new state parks on the outer harbor. This can be a good thing. But less reported in the governors announcement include two high rise condo’s at Wilkeson Pointe Park adjacent to Times Beach, and up to 400 acres of shovel ready property for mixed use (commercial and residential) stretching from the Seaway Pier, to Dougs Dive at the small boat harbor.  The Friends of Times Beach is advocating what can more or less be described as “bird smart” development strategies, but these ideas have not gained much traction with the decision makers.

We applaud the idea of open space, and think appropriate investments of the Buffalo Billion, encouraging ecological sustainability for instance, is a best investment for the economic future of our region. Why not filter some of this money into improved infrastructure for the Buffalo Sewer Authority, which according to Artvoice partner, the Investigative Posts dumps up to FOUR BILLION gallons of untreated sewerage into local waterway each year. Local EPA administrator Judith Enck, says that this degrades the waters, makes fish inedible, and smells bad. Western Lake Erie is already a dead zone because of algae mats fostered by poor planning and inadequate water treatment strategies.  This dead zone is creeping our way.

We must better learn the deep connections between places like Times Beach, the Buffalo and Niagara Rivers, healthy Great Lakes, a healthy planet and a thriving human population. Our urban experiences, plans, and strategies characterize the present and future of these assets. If the dead zone gets here we can say goodbye to our most profound asset for generations or longer.

Conservation is a valuable tool that may make or break our economic future and capacity. Learning about this kind of fundamental sustainability teaches us that we must become the best stewards. This is an emergency.

Jay Burney is the founder of the learning sustainability campaign, GreenWatch, and  a founding member of the Friends of Times Beach Nature Preserve, and served as the chair of the Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area Coalition.

Thinking like a Region in a Globalized World.

Thinking like a Region in a Globalized World.

September 13, 2013

www.learningsustainability.com/economy.html

Economic decisions and strategies are all based in political contexts, and are programs designed and characterized by human initiatives.  

Regional and local economies strengthen communities by keeping more dollars local; by promoting participation in the economy by individuals and organized business interests that care about local quality of life including the environment; and by promoting the well-being of the humans that live in the region. A local economy is the most sustainable economy. A strong local economy makes for a strong, livable,  and thriving region. This is a fundamental issue of local and regional security.

The politics of economics often determine the strength of local economies. Globalized interests such as multi-nationals often have little interest in the quality of life of the communities in which they extract profits. Those profits allow for large scale political control which tend to focus almost exclusively on wealth building for the global interests and not for the communities effected or the people that live there. You may have heard of statistics that say that in the United States the top 1% owns as much wealth as the bottom 90%, or that as few as 500 individuals control as much wealth as 50% of the American population, or more than 150 million people. Those are staggering figures that point to a widening divide between the rich and the poor. This reality does little to solve cultural problems such as poverty and social unrest.  Working toward creating strong local economies as opposed to allowing local wealth to be extracted by global interests is a sustainable political strategy. 

A Sustainable Economy recognizes the importance of environment and society and understands that the environment is the bottom line. The environment and social costs are not externalized. It is connected to a variety of social, political, historic, cultural, and environmental contexts. A sustainable economy promotes the best case human quality of life strategies by defending the environment and bringing the best value to communities by stressing equity, justice, and participation.

Economic Security is a fundamental context of a sustainable future. How to create a strong platform for that security is challenging to local economies. This is due in great part to globalization strategies that use local economic extraction formula's to bolster growth.

Economic Globalization is a political strategy promoted by fundamental free market capitalism.  This form of capitalism believes that the marketplace will correct all errors, including environmental and social collapse. This political strategy embraces the hidden hand that eliminates regulation and promotes profit at the expense of environment and social issues. These issues, which have a tremendous economic impact, are considered "external costs" that are not recognized as part of the free market system.

Economic Globalization promotes a non-local concentration of wealth and power that does not always respect  the best interests of the environment and society, two of the three pillars of sustainability. Environmental and cultural costs of economic development -the "externalities",   are not factored into the real costs of economic development. These external costs including environmental degradation and social costs such as degraded human health costs that are often associated with economic practices (such as man made toxics released into the environment, and habitat loss which effects clean air and water)  are costs that are born by the overall society. These costs include subsidies such as taxation, unequal access to health care, low wages, and crumbling communities.    This is not a sustainable economic model. 

A sustainable locally based Economy brings the most benefit to the most people. It helps to narrow the divide between the rich and the poor. It is at the heart of an economic strategy that represents a path to a future that works. 

The Urban Habitat Project at the Central Terminal

July 10 2013

Understanding The Urban Landscape-

The Urban Habitat Project at the Central Terminal

Published in ArtVoice 7/18/13 http://artvoice.com/issues/v12n29/news_briefs/urban_habitat

By Jay Burney

One of the most profoundly important projects in the city of Buffalo in 2013 is not on the waterfront, not downtown, not affiliated with UB, and probably is not even on your radar screen.  It is a big part of the Central Terminal Restoration Project (CTRP).  Although the actual restoration of that magnificent building, imprinted richly with the fabric of WNY history is very significant in how our city thinks about itself and our future, it is how they are dealing with the property outside and adjacent to that building that is new, innovative, and exciting. It is transforming how we look at urban landscaping.

It is called the Urban Habitat Project (UHP).  David Majewski began several years ago to look at ecosystem services and habitat restoration strategies in an urban setting and engaged the not for profit board of the CTRP and the City of Buffalo in this reclamation project.  Majewski, who runs his own landscaping and construction business Premescape, began earnestly thinking about Buffalo’s urban landscape from a more naturalistic perspective in the aftermath of the October 2006 Arborgedden snowstorm.  This expensive disaster proved an opportunity to rethink how we use and develop urban spaces with an emphasis on RED (Regenerative and Ecological Design) Principles. “We need to work with nature, protect nature, nurture nature, and learn from nature,” Majewski told us.  We can take urban spaces, make them beautiful, and at the same time help with storm water runoff, protect pollinators and other valuable urban wildlife.” 

Essentially RED principles encourage finding ways to engage natural strategies to promote ecological services. These include composting, storm water runoff, and the promotion of biodiversity. Majewski calls this “low impact development” in that you don’t create expensive high maintenance landscaping that resists the way nature works and looks. We can help nature to help us.

This promotes a fundamental approach to climate change in that we restore soils and services though composting, create a biodiverse environment that supports ecosystem services such as air and water filtration, is low maintenance, creates a green urban zone that helps to sequester carbon and moderates heat and cold in the middle of an intense urban place.

Majewski and the CTRC together have created a beautiful natural landscape at one of our most important urban sites. The UHP landscape includes plantings of native species that encourage pollinators and a diversity of other wildlife species including dragonflies, butterflies, and songbirds. The space has designed ecosystems including a small cattail marsh (used for storm water runoff), meadow and upland, and a growing canopy of native trees and shrubs.

Majewski uses the project as a classroom and as a demonstration project to show that important “green” landscaping techniques can be created cost effectively and can create functional, educational, and beautiful places. This year the National Garden Festival and the Garden Walk Buffalo will include the UHP as a stop on the “Beyond Flowers Tour.”

Majewski and the CTRC collaboration have been tireless in the pursuit of making the Urban Habitat Project work. Today, a couple of years after the first shovel turned earth, the promise of this site is becoming profoundly evident.

If you get a chance, go and take a look at its summer beauty and magnificence, in the setting of one of Buffalo’s most important sites, the Central Terminal.

Our Future is Our Waterfront

Our Future is Our Waterfront

Buffalo News Sunday Viewpoints Cover 6/23/13

http://www.buffalonews.com/20130623/waterfront_is_key_to_our_future.html

By Jay Burney

In the almost 200 years since the opening of the Erie Canal, Buffalo has undergone many paroxysms of transition, development, and growth. The opening of the canal on that auspicious October day in 1825 was a decisive moment. It transformed a small settlement along Buffalo Creek into a thundertown that in its golden age rivaled the wealthiest and most important cities not only on the Great Lakes, but on the entire earth. The rhythms of humanity have always been on display here. Cycles of boom and bust, war and peace, power and poverty along one of the great international borders makes up our cultural DNA.

It has always been the “big idea,” the precocious gift of the human mind that has characterized our ability to survive and thrive, often in the face of unimaginable adversity. Today is no different. We are a few years into a substantial process that will characterize our regions resilience, security, and thrivability for generations to come. This brings us inevitably and unavoidably to our waterfront where our past and future intersect.

Our region is situated on one of the earth’s greatest freshwater resources.  Nearly 20% of Earth’s fresh surface water is located in the Great Lakes.  It is all at risk. Can we target economic development that protects our water resources?  Can cleanup and conservation be the centerpiece of economic development or will they be sacrificed on the altar of externalities? Can we find a sustainable pathway to a thriving future? Can we lead?

Big thinkers foster big ideas. We have more than a few helping us to chart our course. Recently Cameron Davis, the Obama Administration’s EPA point person on Great Lakes issues was in Buffalo to promote the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.  The GLRI has delivered money locally to help clean up both the Buffalo River and to remove damaging invasive species from the Times Beach Nature Preserve on the downtown side of the Outer Harbor.

Davis says, “Investing in ecological restoration is an investment in the economy and the future.”

Congressman Brian Higgins agrees. His leadership and vision has fostered and shaped tools including the Greenway Commission and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC).  They have helped to bring diverse elements of the community together to work out our future. From this writers perspective the future is resurgent.

Public or Private?

This summer the ongoing waterfront discussions continue to focus on cleanups and development strategies. There is much at stake. The sharp focus is on the outer harbor. Proposals, plans, and projects are jelling, and decisions are being made.

Our historic legacy indicates that previous generations made decisions with consequences that present generations are paying for.  Look no further than the Buffalo Lackawanna waterfronts to be aware that much of the lands and waters have been heavily contaminated by the legacy of private industry.  The bad news is that brownfield remediation to preserve the health and quality of life for future generations will cost taxpayers billions. Other threats to the Great Lakes, documented in a recent Buffalo News series, are nearly overwhelming. Cumulative threats include urban and agricultural runoff, raw sewerage, invasive species, habitat loss, and climate change. If we are to have a future we must act now to clean our region up and stop the insanity of pollution.

The big development questions contrast private use versus public access. Should we allow private development that limits public access and public scrutiny, or promote open space and public access?  Can we feed a mixture of the seemingly polar opposites? One way or another, taxpayers will bear the costs.

Many argue that privatization is an unrivaled economic engine, represents the highest purpose and value for the waterfront and that a rising tide lifts all boats.  Others argue that privatization is a transfer of public investment away from the public trust, access, and use. In public hearing after public hearing citizens are arguing for equal, public access, pointing out that not all people have access to floatable boats.

The good news is that we are engaged.  Governments are working on sustainable solutions.  They are making social, economic, and environmental investments that are change makers.  These agencies have partnered with the private and pubic sectors, individuals, and public benefit organizations in discussions and projects that are moving us forward.

Money

It is no secret, public investment attracts economic development.  On the outer harbor, public investments decontaminate brownfields and prepare infrastructure for development.  Public money creates tremendous value.  

Higgins advocates for beaches, parks, public amenities, and the restoration of ecological productivity. He says that we should focus urban development in areas such as the inner harbor.  “We don’t need to recreate a city on the outer harbor ‘ he says.   Better access infrastructure is critical. He is working with the ECHDC to transform Ohio Street into a tree-lined bike friendly Boulevard from downtown to the outer harbor. “This will be our land bridge”, he told us. Construction will begin later this year.

Many individuals and businesses that call the Buffalo Waterfront home support the progress.

Captain Bill Zimmermann of Seven Seas Sailing School, established in 1970 says that the future of his business and the newly developing waterfront is better than ever. He credits the work of Higgins and Tom Dee of ECHDC. "They have brought the process to the people.”  “Vision and money are creating a world class waterfront."

Struggles remain. Joan Bozer and Joanne Kahn are activists promoting public access though the development of a new Olmsted Park on portions of the outer harbor.  Bozer says that parkland and greenspace improves quality of life and the value of adjacent properties. “Quality of life attracts people and investments”, she told us.  The project was recently turned down for funding by the Niagara Greenway Commission, which was intended to create a linear system of parks and trails linking Lakes Erie and Ontario. The Commission was recently critiqued in a report by UB Professor Sam MaGavern and the Partnership for the Public Good as quickly spending down its money on projects that have no relation to parks and trails. The Greenway Commission needs to improve.

A Water Based Economy?

Clean water is an increasingly rare resource. A majority of humans will face severe shortages within a generation. Our strategically located region makes us a major player and our relationship with the Great Lakes will define our future.

Jill Jedlicka of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper advocates for investment in a “blue economy”.  She points out that nearly 4 million jobs in NYS depend on the Great Lakes, NYS sport fishing supports 12,000 jobs, has a $2.2 billion economic impact, and recreational boating has a $600 million economic impact.  We can improve those numbers with coordinated efforts to promote clean water. Can we better link that to a recreational economy that will draw tourists and investments by people that want to visit, live, and work here?

Riverkeeper strategies include public and private partnerships, healthy water, public access and open space, designing natural systems into community redevelopment, and using the Niagara Greenway as a catalyst for waterfront and economic revitalization.

                                                                                                                                                                    Nature and Environment

Times Beach Nature Preserve is located in downtown Buffalo and next to the Coast Guard Station on Fuhrmann Blvd. It is a demonstration project to remove invasive species and return ecological value with restored native habitat. Both the Buffalo River and Times Beach have received GLRI money. Lieutenant Colonel Owen J. Beaudoin, Commander of the Buffalo District Corp’s of Engineers which is in charge of the project, says that Times Beach is a jewel that supports many species of migrating birds that depend on the Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area (NRIBA).  It is one of many restoration projects that are helping to revitalize regional economy by focusing on conservation.

Big ideas continue to emerge. The U.S. operates 14 National Marine Sanctuaries, 13 of which are ocean based and protect biodiversity. There is only one in the Great Lakes, Thunder Bay in Lake Huron. Shipwrecks, history and heritage are highlighted.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) which oversees the sanctuaries, the economic impact of the Thunder Bay Sanctuary has been substantial. Accommodations, retail operations, marinas, boat, kayak, and canoe liveries, and tour operators garnered over $100 million in sales associated with the Sanctuary, including $39.1 million in personal income for residents.  Thousands of jobs have been created. Buffalo’s waterfront would be perfect for a Marine Sanctuary because we have a world-class biodiversity and nature.  Educational and research institutions can turn our area into the Woods Hole of the Great Lakes. Did we mention that much of the history and heritage of North America can be interpreted along our shorelines and beneath our waters? Spectacular natural attractions such as Niagara Falls already draw tourists our region.  The Erie Niagara Marine Sanctuary can be an economic development tool that is inexpensive low hanging fruit for a region engaged with defining its future.

This summer our region will continue to work toward a resilient “blue economy” that will help to guarantee a thriving and sustainable tomorrow.  Thanks to a lot of dedicated individuals and organizations, we have a real chance for a future that works for all of us!

From Me to We

From Me to We

Janine Benyus at the BALLE Conference

published GROW Blog

http://www.growwny.org/whats-new/14808-from-me-to-we?qh=YTo5OntpOjA7czo0OiJmcm9tIjtpOjE7czoyOiJtZSI7aToyO3M6MjoidG8iO2k6MztzOjI6IndlIjtpOjQ7czo3OiJmcm9tIG1lIjtpOjU7czoxMDoiZnJvbSBtZSB0byI7aTo2O3M6NToibWUgdG8iO2k6NztzOjg6Im1lIHRvIHdlIjtpOjg7czo1OiJ0byB3ZSI7fQ%3D%3D

By Jay Burney

June 13, 2013

Janine Benyus, author of “Biomimicry, Innovations Inspired by Nature” and President of the Biomimicry Institute has an important message for the Business Alliance For a Local Living Economy Conference (BALLE 2013) being held in Buffalo. “Just take care of your place and it will take care of you.”

The message resonated in the crowd of localist economy activists, entrepreneurs, and innovators, gathered for the 11^th Annual Conference which is being held for the first time in Buffalo.

Biomimicry is the science of trying to understand how nature works, how humans are a part of nature, and how humans can better stand a chance to survive and thrive if they adopt important natural principles.  

“Organisms and the ecosystems and services that they provide for take care of the place so that 10.000 generations from now, there will still be a place” she told the enthusiastic audience. 10,000 generations? How often do we think about our social, economic, and environmental impacts on the next generation? In business, it’s the next quarter isn’t it? The future? -What a concept!

Many of the BALLE participants are deep into the politics of economics. The contrasting philosophies and on the ground struggles between the concepts of dog eat dog competition v. the cooperative nature of working for the greater good of building communities and economies from the ground up are consistent themes of the BALLE movement. Thinking about how to move the effort away from the “me”, to the “we” is a fundamental concept of both nature and sustainability. Thinking about how our economy will effect future generations is a substantial characterization of localism.  Localists will tell you that if you are a part of a localist movement, you care about the people, the places, and the environment.  You come to think about making sure that as the tide rises, all people have floatable boats. If you have a purely global focus, you work to extract of wealth and ignore the damage to the environment and society, justice issues that become nothing more than “externalities” to the profit taking.

Although it is still considered heretical in many scientific circles, Benyus said, “science is more and more discovering that cooperation, or mutualism, has a strong place in the way that systems, ecosystems survive”.  In other words it is not just about survival of the fittest. Parts of systems work together to create the healthy whole. Biodiversity requires mutualism and cooperation. Biodiversity creates opportunity and sustains life.

As an example she describes Mycorrhizal Fungi. “Living soils have dense networks of this fungi that connects organisms and serves as both a communication system and a support system in terms of helping to share water and nutrients amongst organisms.” “We call it the Common Mycorrhizal Network (CMN) and it connects, defends, and supports the world. It is part of the symbiotic and deeply shared cooperation that characterizes how an organisimistic society knits together.”  This is a profound description of how a cooperative system allows biodiversity to flourish and life to thrive.  It is more than a metaphor about how our economic system is modeled. “This mutualism demonstrates that ecosystems are generous rather than strictly competitive,” Benyus tells us.

She continues. “Humans are mostly oblivious to this. Our factory agricultural system is intent on killing soils and introducing synthetic toxins that destroy biodiversity and destroy life opportunities.”  Development of any sort pays little attention to how nature survives and thrives, which effects how humans survive and thrive. This knowledge is consequential.

Nature is very efficient and natural systems produce no waste. Ubiquitous natural polymers such as cellulose, starch, RNA, keratin, silk, collagen, help to characterize such things as strength, elasticity, and water solubility and help produce the structures of life forms including bones, wood, shells, claws, and spider webs.  Natural polymers are biodegradable and are not waste products. Humans have introduced more than 350 non- biodegradable and toxic polymers including polystyrene and plastics. This toxic waste stream is one of the great tragedies of humanity and are direct results and consequences of the political economic decisions of a consumer society.  Biomimicry can help us move toward the use of natural or natural influenced polymers, help us reduce waste, and help us to detoxify the planet.

A very exciting development is the Biomimicry Institute’s (Biomimicry 3.8-reflecting 3.8 billion years of evolution) new emphasis on urban structures and infrastructure.  Later this month the 7^th annual Biomimicry Education Summit and Global Conference will be held in Boston. Benyus told us that there will be an emphasis on promoting resilient cities, which will include developing and refining metrics on ecological performance standards for development. When we replace an ecosystem with a city, we remove its ecological services. Do we have to do that? We are just learning what that means. As we understand ecological services better including water and air filtration, carbon sequestration, heating and cooling influences of urban trees, and how that effects climate change. Benyus told us that she was in a new building in Manhattan and was told that the air filtration system in the building returns air to the outside that is 3 times more clean than the air that enters the building. “That’s a good starting point to think about this”, she said. “Our cities can find ways to be generous if we learn from ecosystems and how they create opportunities for 10,000 generations. Buffalo could take a great leap forward if you work with us on developing and implementing ecological performance standards.”

Perhaps the fundamental message of the BALLE Conference is about cooperation as opposed to competition. Can human systems including political economic systems find cooperative ways to thrive and help lift all boats. According to Janine Benyus, Lets move from me, to we. Just ask nature. Most people at BALLE2013  would agree.

Links:

Janine Benyus Ted  Talk: The Promise of Biomimicry

http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html

Biomimicry 3.8 Institute

http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry38/institute/

7^th Annual Biomimicry Education Summit and Conference, Boston

http://biomimicry.net/educating/summits-workshops/education-summit/