Changning’s largest habitat garden opens, creating a harmony of nature and community

The Lotus Habitat Garden at Hongqiao Airport New Village in Chengjiaqiao Subdistrict, the largest habitat garden in Changning, officially opened on Wednesday.

Covering a total area of about 7,100 square meters, this habitat garden, along with the newly upgraded community participatory museum, redefines the community benchmark for a "beautiful airport living circle."

A year ago, the lotus pond in Hongqiao Airport New Village underwent comprehensive biological management. Various aquatic plants such as eelgrass, lotus, and water lilies were planted, and algae-eating microorganisms, fish, shrimp, and shellfish were introduced to establish a complete ecological chain that maintains water ecological balance, creating a perfect aquatic ecosystem. The newly transformed lotus pond successfully became "living water," laying a strong ecological foundation for the Lotus Habitat Garden.

A year later, with the 2,200-square-meter water area as the central axis, the Lotus Habitat Garden is divided into five sections: children's garden, tranquil garden, secret garden, fragrant garden, and areas for elderly activities and habitat science education, integrating culture, nature, and aesthetics.

Compared to other habitat gardens in Changning District, the Lotus Habitat Garden is notably large. According to Mao Qin, director of the District Urban Renewal and Low-Carbon Project Management Center, the garden is highly distinctive, with a rich diversity of plants and ample growth space.

"With ample space, we can adopt a 'minimal intervention, strong natural' approach, leaving the habitat garden to nature," a staff member from the Chengjiaqiao Habitat Workstation said. "This winter, a seed carried by a bird might sprout into a seedling by next spring." This is the best way to foster biodiversity through nature.

About 90 percent of the plants in the habitat garden are native to Shanghai. In the process of "minimal intervention, strong natural" development, nature and human efforts blend and complement each other.

In the northwest corner of the Lotus Habitat Garden, a robust elm tree stands as an "original resident," next to which a new artificial dry pond has been added. After the water improvement, the lotus pond attracted egrets and other water birds, but the steep pond walls were not conducive to their perching. Therefore,water was diverted into the dry pond, using the existing ecosystem of the lotus pond to create better conditions for birds and other small animals to drink.