Avian urban dwellers: Opportunities to increase bird habitat and to enrich the human - urban birds experience within Winnipeg's urban environment

This practicum is a reaction to the lack of bird habitat within Winnipeg's urban area, specifically the Exchange District. Planning and design decisions have a huge influence on the urban landscape, which in turn has an impact on animal diversity. At certain scales, a connection exists between the scale-dependent decisions of humans and their effect on different species of animals. Human decisions interact across scales to ultimately determine the specific location of a species. This can inform ways in which landscape architects and ecologists collaborate to understand human habitat and its effect on bird communities, especially in urban areas.;The goal of this practicum is to develop an existing non-descript space within Winnipeg's Exchange District into a place that supports a greater breadth of bird life than it does presently. An examination of the bird species that are currently found in the area was conducted. Three species that are not currently present but are potential inhabitants of this urban greenspace was identified and carefully assessed. This place has been designed as a feeding ground and/or resting location for migratory species, it will provide protective cover and nesting habitat for year round species and it will become a place for people to enjoy watching and interacting with birds. Not only can the enhancement of urban biodiversity have a positive influence on the people within the downtown, it can also have a direct economic impact as residential properties adjacent to greenways or urban parks have a higher market value than similar non-adjacent properties.;This investigation will discuss the relationship between the human species and the bird family throughout history. What is it about birds that evoke so much interest, joy and curiosity and how can that be channeled into our everyday lives? This investigation will also examine, two existing urban areas that have made deliberate efforts to encourage bird activity within their urban environments. We are only beginning to understand the benefits of the interaction between humans and the natural environment, creatures included. Humans have an intrinsic need to be connected with living things. An environments' ecological health directly impacts its inhabitants. Urban areas are no exception, and its health intimately affects its citizens, both human and other living beings.