Biodiversity

One million species are facing extinction according to the 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report, due to habitat destruction, overexploitation of wildlife, climate change, introduction of invasive species and pollution. The loss of biodiversity threatens human, environmental, and wildlife health by reducing ecosystem services such as: zoonotic disease buffering, water filtration, pollination, soil replenishment, provisioning of game species, and recreational opportunities. Biodiversity loss also disproportionately affects people of color, low-income and tribal communities who have been systematically targeted with harmful environmental policies and excluded from conservation efforts.

Over 80% of Americans live in urban areas, where daily encounters with biodiversity such as birds, insects, plants, and other species shape how most people experience nature. This urban biodiversity isn’t just a pleasant feature — it’s vital to public health. Diverse ecosystems in cities help control diseases like West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease, support pollination, reduce heat emergencies, and improve air and water quality. Access to biodiverse green spaces also boosts mental health and fosters a stronger sense of community and well-being. Yet, these benefits are not equitably shared: low-income neighborhoods often lack the biodiversity and green space needed to support healthy, resilient communities.

Nature-based solutions (NbS), sometimes called engineering with nature, build resilience by learning from and designing with natural landscapes and ecosystems. Nature-based solutions often cost less than traditional infrastructure and offer improved disaster resilience, green jobs, increased property values, economic growth, greenspace equity, and improved public health. Environmentally-committed outdoor policy promotes and builds on nature-based solutions.