The City of Maple Ridge has been asking for public input about biodiversity and the city’s natural spaces, and an online survey closes on Friday, July 31.
The city is asking individuals what places, ecosystems, and species matter most to them in the community, with an intention of better understanding, protecting, and monitoring biodiversity across Maple Ridge.
The city is developing a biodiversity framework, and wants to better understand local biodiversity and identify the places, species, and ecosystems that are important to the livability and sustainability of Maple Ridge.
Biodiversity exists in parks, farms, natural areas, wetlands, and forests, as well as just in backyards.
The biodiversity framework will combine ecological information and community input to identify the places, species, ecosystems, and priorities that matter most in Maple Ridge, to help guide future stewardship and decision-making.
This project supports the city’s climate action and environmental stewardship priorities, recognizing that biodiversity is important not only for healthy ecosystems, but also for community health and wellbeing, access to nature, and quality of life.
The survey is available at engage.mapleridge.ca.
A final recommendation about the framework, and presentation to city council, will take place in October.