Parks and amenity grassland
Parks and amenity areas in towns and cities are often intensively managed as amenity grassland and have a low value for nature conservation because of their limited variety of plant species and structure. However, urban green spaces are becoming a significant habitat for species which were once common in the wider countryside but which have suffered a dramatic decline in rural areas such as song thrush, sparrow species and hedgehogs. For most people the most regular experience of wildlife and the natural environment comes from public open spaces and there is increasing recognition of the wildlife value of parks and for management that incorporates practices that promote wildlife to make these areas more attractive for wildlife and people.
In the Tees Valley there are many urban parks which are sympathetically managed for wildlife. Stewart Park, Middlesbrough, is an example of a parkland landscape with many mature trees and family woodlands as well as ponds, lakes and marshland.
