Makakalikasang Nayon: Insights from International Cases in Citizen led Biodiversity Conservation Umpukan sa Nayon

The Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF), in partnership with Philippine Parks and Biodiversity (PPB) organized an Umpukan sa Nayon last October 10, 2020 via Zoom.  Titled “Umpukan sa Nayon: Makakalikasang Nayon,” the goal of the consultation was to engage experts in a discussion that will aid NPF in promoting and amplifying citizen-led biodiversity conservation in the future Nayong Pilipino Cultural Park and Creative Hub to be located in Entertainment City in Parañaque.  The discussion was anchored to the three main questions of: What is the importance of urban parks? What policies are needed to ensure that the public can have more urban parks? How should the NPF property be transformed as a space for citizen-led biodiversity conservation?

The Umpukan ran from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, divided into three episodes with one hour intervals each. 

For the third and final session of this Umpukan, international resource people from Australia, England, and Germany were invited to speak. Titled “Episode 3: Insights from International Cases in Citizen-led Biodiversity Conservation,” and facilitated by PPB Co-founder Marinella Lomotan, the speakers from different overseas organizations enthusiastically shared their insights on how NPF can jumpstart building and planning its future park. The invited speakers were Dr. Mary Worral from the Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, Ignace Schops from the Eurparc Federation, and Neil McCarthy from the World Urban Parks Association.