We're expecting twice as many National Park Cities in 2025
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Hello Reader This year we celebrated the 5th anniversary of London National Park City, and the 3rd anniversary of Adelaide National Park City. Both cities continue to ask their own 'What if?' questions helping people to create places where people and nature are better connected. Based on what we've seen so far it's clear that 2025 is going to be the year when more cities get a little greener, healthier, and wilder! (Or depending where you live, perhaps they'll be cooler, bluer, or cleaner as well.) As 2024 comes to an end we've spent the past couple of months working with the amazing teams in Breda to become the first Dutch National Park City, and Chattanooga the first American National Park City, as they've both now submitted their applications to be peer reviewed and become National Park Cities. We're incredibly grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have given their time freely to lead these campaigns and to support the peer reviews we're carrying out to support each city to become a National Park City. Both cities are making use of the National Park City story to bring together local residents, city governments, community groups, and hundreds of charities, businesses, and local attractions to celebrate all the great things already happening in their city, and to inspire more people to get involved. We're here to helpIn support of the National Park City movement I find myself splitting my own time between supporting our small staff team and volunteer Rangers in London, along with working with each of the movements working to make their own cities into National Park Cities. In London we do this by matching people up with ways to volunteer in the places they live, attracting donations and grants to fund Ranger led projects, share and promote the work of hundreds of local groups making their own neighbourhoods greener, and doing everything we can to show that its possible to protect and enhance the biodiversity of critical urban ecosystems. Around the world it's been exciting to see the teams in Southampton National Park City, and Rotterdam National Park City who are each running deeply creative and community led campaigns to become National Park Cities. I'm hoping to my own home town of Glasgow submit their application soon, along with Cardiff and Galway as well. In the past 3 months alone we've spoken to some wonderful folk in Belfast, Dundee, Dublin, Izmir, Utrecht, Johannesburg, and Freetown, each of whom are starting to shape their own National Park City story. If you would like to get involved with one of these campaigns, or if you'd like to find out more about how to start your own campaign then please reply to this email and we can help you get your own National Park City journey started in 2025. You can get involved directly on our free community site where you can share your own story and connect with other National Park City Makers around the world. In the meantime have a wonderful break over the festive season and a great start to the new year. Thank you Mark
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