City Parks: A Poor Representation of The Natural World Pen Hallowell Science, Technology, and Society, Colby College, Waterville, ME Biodiversity Subterranean Systems Urban Heat Islands In many city parks, there are complex structures and utility pipelines beneath the grass. In the Boston Common, for example, there is a parking lot underground. This required the land to be dug up and replaced with materials that do not naturally occur in nature. Once in place, these underground structures prevent the movement of nutrients and organisms in this space. While there are many city parks that try to have a strong presence of biodiversity in plants, the majority do not accurately represent any biodiversity when compared to their natural counterparts. An opening in the forest does not have a single type of grass. A forest does not have perfectly aligned trees. It is not uncommon for a beehive in a city park to be destroyed because of the potential harm it presents. Bees are one example of an important organism in nature that could thrive in city parks but is prevented from doing so. Taken By Pen Hallowell Taken By Pen Hallowell In the urban islands of cities, it is not uncommon to have a city park that breaks up the area of buildings. In many cases, city parks have been designed to alleviate the urban heat islands of some stale air or to create the feeling of walking in nature. While there is proof that city parks do reduce the heat island effect, they falsely portray the image of anything natural. It is in the best interest of people that live in the city for city parks to be as efficient as possible in reducing the urban heat island effect. Sarah Luria, college.holycross.edu/faculty/sluria/underworld_garage.html.  LDN_gov. “Parks and Green Spaces.” London City Hall, 20 Mar. 2018, www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/parks-and-green-spaces.  Taken By Pen Hallowell “Today.” London.carpediem.cd, london.carpediem.cd/events/6391448-early-spring-tree-walk-at-friends-of-alexandra-park/. National Geographic Society. “Manhattan Before Development.” National Geographic Society, 19 Sept. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/photo/island-oldny-990-60961/.