It's the Brian Laird Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. New York is famous for its built environment, right? Skyscraper, Subways, bridges. But beneath and around it all, there's a rich

natural world. We talk about it on the show from time to time. Forests in the Bronx, pollinators in

Brooklyn, dunes in Queens, wildflowers on Staten Island. And now for the first time, there's a citywide

blueprint to preserve and expand that biodiversity. A new report,

Oaks, Our City, and Us, marks a milestone, the most comprehensive assessment to date of New York's

wild ecosystems, one that centers local expertise, indigenous knowledge, and community voices.

It calls biodiversity a justice issue,

warns of habitat losses and climate threats, and insists that nature isn't just a luxury,

it's essential infrastructure. Joining us now are two of the people behind that blueprint.

Mariel Anzalone, urban botanist, ecologist, and founder of New York City

Wildflower Week, who co-chaired the New York City Biodiversity Task Force, and Kelly Villar,

CEO of the Staten Island Urban Center, who contributed to the report's community vision.

We'll talk about what biodiversity really looks like in New York City, why, and to what degree

it's disappearing, how we might protect it, and what do it mean to treat nature not as a backdrop,

but as a fundamental part of city life infrastructure, as they say. Kelly, welcome to WNYC,

and Mariel, welcome back to the show. Thank you. Good morning.

And listeners, you can participate in this too.

Do you have a favorite example of wild nature in New York City, a bird, a park, a street tree, something else?

212, 433, WNYC, and help us report the story, help our guests report the story.

Have you noticed changes in your neighborhood's ecology?

More raccoons, fewer butterflies or fireflies.

You can also ask our guests a question or tell us your ideas for how New York City should protect its natural biodiversity.

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