Urban tree canopy and citizen participation: results of an extension project in Bahía Blanca

Abstract

Activities conducted outside the classroom allow students to interact directly with reality, fostering meaningful and participatory learning. This work presents the results of the university extension project titled In Search of Green Heritage: Trees with Neighborhood Identity -Semillateca-, approved in December 2023 by the Secretary of Culture and Extension of the Universidad Nacional del Sur. This project is derived from some of the content of the Biogeography Cultural course curriculum. There were two main objectives: to support neighbors by providing them with tools for making decisions regarding interventions in the urban tree canopy, and to promote active community participation in understanding urban forestry. This work presents the results of methodologies applied to study vegetation and neighborhood perceptions of urban trees, taking the Parque Patagonia neighborhood in the city of Bahía Blanca as the starting point. A survey of the tree population was conducted, establishing its diversity and studying the variation in tree cover percentage over the past six years. Additionally, surveys were conducted within the community to understand their valuation of the trees in their neighborhood. The importance of collective organization among neighbors in response to tree removal for public works was recognized. It concludes that citizen actions to protect green spaces strengthen the right to the city and the need for active participation in urban planning.