It’s no stranger to anyone that Turlock and many other towns in the Central Valley, despite being surrounded by greenery, very much lack a lot of that same vibe within the city itself. Even with places such as parks and pathways to give a sense of peace and a connection with nature, these places still lack suitable spaces for smaller animals and insects to thrive and create ecosystems that don’t need human involvement. With parks not accommodating most plant life and ecosystems besides what is most likely in the ponds it has, there is also the thought of acres of land scattered within each city that has had little to no development done on it, leaving perfectly good land to sit around without being able to be changed into a better environment for its surroundings.

Because these places don’t accommodate plant life or ecosystems very adamantly, there should be a change in care for these parks and possible future parks with how they can be maintained to help ecosystems thrive while also giving space for people to pass through. A good source of pivotal spaces for parks to intertwine is shrubby, ranging from bushes, to flower fields, longer grass, and smaller trees if possible. Each of these aspects can help give shade for animals, a source of renewable food, and protection from the elements that come through each year. Not only do these aspects help the animals, but it can very much help people too! Plant life is able to cover and give shade to hot spaces like concrete or sidewalks, help reduce carbon emissions, and give a sense of nature without going too far from the home, not everyone likes to travel!

But, obviously this change into more eco-friendly environments can’t be done overnight and even with helping the environment, it doesn’t bring a lot of physical value besides sightseeing. The main point is not that the parks that already exist are made into anything more, but just able to create a safer environment for more than just catfish and ducks! With how the temperatures increase around Turlock and other cities from the lack of greenery, it’s best to put the best foot forward and shift the parks, and other empty plots of land if possible, into more eco-friendly landscapes for not only humans but animals as well to thrive like they should.

— Hunter Gill, Turlock