Advocates for conservation projects on the land have urged the council to commit to ecological restoration. Years of local consultation has been necessary to determine what should happen to the land, but native tree planting should begin soon, she said. A native forest would be “a respectful way to acknowledge people who have given up sometimes their lifelong home,” she added. For now, anyone who wants to walk in the red zone can park at the end of blocked-off roads and, as the sounds of the city fall away, feel like the only person on earth. A patch along the Avon River on the recent Sunday felt like a bustling, untidy park — noisy with cyclists, joggers, dogs and children.

Source: New York Times February 22, 2021 01:29 UTC