The opinions of individual P&R Now contributors don't necessarily reflect the editorial position of Parks & Recreation magazine or the National Recreation and Park Association as a whole.
This Month's Issue
Parks & Recreation Magazine
Past Issues
May 08, 2009
May 07, 2009
May 05, 2009
April 29, 2009
April 27, 2009
April 24, 2009
April 16, 2009
April 10, 2009
Parks and Recreation: The Show
By Tom Quash
Last night, NBC unveiled its much publicized 30-minute "mockumentary" Parks and Recreation. If you haven't heard, it follows Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler), a parks and recreation department director in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, in her attempts to transform an open lot into a park while trying to advance her career.
Earlier this week, we offered a few tips on how parks and recreation departments might leverage the publicity of the show for their own needs.
Did you see last night's episode? If not, check out the premier episode here, from Hulu.com.
What were your thoughts? We invite you to share your opinions Right Now Online.
April 09, 2009
April 06, 2009
April 02, 2009
You Want Parks with That?
by John Crosby, CAE
"It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it." Theodore Roosevelt
I was a big fan of Teddy Roosevelt before I ever began to support the cause of advancing parks and recreation in America. The man has proved to be one of the greatest statesmen in American history -- likely more so than some presidents who get credit merely for having presided over momentous periods in American history. (I highly recommend the two-book biography by Edmund Morris, but if you can only read one, go for the first book (see picture above).
Ask most people what significant matters took place around the turn of the century, and you're likely to get blank stares. But it doesn't require a hard look to discover the impact TR had on American business, culture, foreign relations, politics and, yes, recreation and conservation.
Here's a guy who:
- was sick for the better part of his childhood;
- devoured books on topics beyond the comprehension of his peers;
- threw himself at physical activities and outdoor recreation because it helped him ward off his ailments;
- grew up appreciating what he had in life and was taught to help those in need;
- fought for law and order in New York City and beyond;
- took San Juan Hill in Cuba and lived to tell the tale;
- wrote what was then THE seminal work on naval war theory and THEN modernized the American Navy;
- ttook on the railroad monopoly to help improve the plight of workers;
- provided federal protection for 230 million acres of land and water (think Maine to Florida)
- helped to create the National Collegiate Athletic Association;
- seized control of the Panama Canal project from the French and got it going;
- won a Nobel Peace Prize.
And that list just scratches the surface of one of the most interesting people from the 20th Century.
We always talk of the diverse expertise and ability of Thomas Jefferson, but rarely of this man whose actions spoke louder than his words. And no president before or since can match TR's reputation as the "conservationist president."
So what would TR say about the state of recreation and America's public parks? Well, for starters, he would likely be amazed by the depth and breadth of public services and facilities offered by local, state and national agencies today. What began at the turn of the century as a dual need for recreational opportunities for children AND a push to protect open space across America has evolved significantly. The fact that thousands of communities across America have government entities managing local parks and recreation services would sit well with him, I think. And he'd be proud of the thousands of people who choose to make parks and recreation a career so that everyone can benefit from what they offer.
He would likely be surprised and humbled by America's fascination with physical activity but equally shocked and dismayedby the incredible rise of chronic disease and inactivity. He would likely NOT be surprised that we face the challenge of supporting parks and recreation through sufficient public funding, though he would likely join in the fight to turn the tide.
But more than all of this, I think Teddy Roosevelt would not only understand the vital link between recreation, conservation, community engagement, and economic growth; he would use his thunderous oratory skills to advance the case that parks and recreation are vital, essential services in our communities.
So my question of you is this: once you get past feeling like a slacker in comparison to TR, what can you do to become a better advocate for our cause? I'm not talking about letter writing; I'm talking about actually doing something to move the needle. Get back to me after you down that quarter pounder.
March 30, 2009
March 26, 2009
March 23, 2009
March 20, 2009
March 16, 2009
Signed, Sealed, Delivered...I'm Yours!
By Tom Quash
Like clockwork, almost every other week night I can expect a call from some local non profit. Part of this is due to procrastination on my part. Since moving two years ago and gaining a new home phone number, I neglected to re-register on the federal Do Not Call registry. The other part? I'm one of those people that is a sucker for a good cause. The local volunteer fire department? I donated. The police? Ditto. The kid who came by on Saturday with the over-priced chocolate bars? Yup. With all the phone calls and the junk mail, an epiphany came to me: all of the local non profits, car dealers, lawn care companies, realtors, etc. have seemingly found me easily. But the two public depatments that my family frequents the most, have yet to reach out: my local library and the area parks and recreation agency.
Having spent the majority of my professional career in the marketing field, I am puzzled by this. I would welcome a postcard in the mail that touted, even as a reminder, popular library services and since I have two small kids, the storytelling hours. What programs are offered by my local parks and recreation center? I'd have to seek those out. And I realize we're talking list rental and direct mail costs here, but few entities can remain viable without the marketing basics, I believe.
So, my plea is this. I took the time to go online and drive around to find the library closest to me and the parks that best suit my needs, but what of those who did not take the time? To my library and my parks and recreation...I hope you will embrace the power of promotion. It does not have to be glitzy mailings or expensive advertising. But drop me a card, give a call or send an email. I'm here and I promise I'll answer.
March 12, 2009
March 09, 2009
March 05, 2009
March 03, 2009
Of Girl Scouts and Newspapers
Ok, so like many other people I admit that I’ve been so transfixed by all the economic news that I’ve become some kind of econo-junkie. And I think for me and those like me, the reason is threefold. First, how often is it that the front page news items directly affect us personally? We’ve watched helplessly as our personal finances and real estate values took a beating and fretted over job stability and availability. Suddenly, we were paying far more attention to the political pages and pundits. Secondly, in the midst of the ongoing economic forecast, the news unraveled like, well, good drama: a historic Presidential election, the over-the-top villain (Bernard Madoff), the clueless Wall Street masters of the universe, the tragic retailers (Circuit City et. al.) and so on.
Finally, in addition to all the “we’ve-never-faced-this-type-of-downfall” rhetoric, the economy is causing monumental shifts in society’s traditions. We’re in a topsy-turvy state and that is not necessarily all bad. If we follow other examples of success, we can grow creativity out of chaos (think how the public libraries used free web access to capture new users). This week the Associated Press reported on the number of states that are facing park closures to satisfy budget needs. But what can we learn from this? How can we take what appears to be an alarming trend and inject new opportunities into parks and recreation. I cite two examples for some possible solutions.
First, the Girls Scouts is toying with a total makeover, according to this week’s Washington Post. In 10 years, membership in the Girl Scouts has declined by more than 8 percent and the organization’s dated image can be part of the blame (the group hired its first brand manager in 2008 to help reinvent the brand). While the popular Girl Scouts cookies remain, the new Journeys program--more general in scope--replaces the practice of earning badges. And the organization is implementing campaigns to engage the changing demographic, including initiatives geared towards Hispanics.
What does this have to do with parks and recreation? I offer that like the Girl Scouts, the parks and recreation agencies are faced with a brand that is in need of modernization. Certainly there are some agencies that are aggressively pursuing new users and integrating innovative services, but collectively parks and recreation must re-educate their value to the community before apathy spreads among those who need to support their local parks and recreation. I suspect that the average citizen knows but a small fraction of how their local agency is supporting their own community, from rehabilitation services to creating jobs to crime prevention.
The other example I’d cite is the newspaper industry. The industry’s initial avoidance of integrating the Internet into traditional business practices is today, a grim reminder of that misstep, as newspapers, including the 150-year-old Rocky Mountain News fold or struggle to remain afloat. Again, if an industry does not readily reinvent, repackage or repurpose itself in order to meet new challenges, the environment will force the change itself, as in the case of newspapers. This latter alternative is not what we want for our nation’s parks and recreation systems.
I hope that the agencies out there are thinking reinvention. And I know many are. It is not the well-documented influx of new cultures through immigration and masses of Baby Boomers ready to retire that will shift the landscape. But it is also the growing number of out-of-work adults and the kids whose parents can no longer send them to private organizations which will create new demands on our parks and recreation. Are we prepared to stay relevant? Are we successfully promoting value? Are we ready to reinvent? For the sake of the needs of the public and the future of parks and rec, I certainly hope so.
February 18, 2009
Brief Report from the NRPA Public Policy Office on Economic Stimulus Bill
Working late into the night of February 11, and throughout the next day as well, House and Senate conferees worked to reconcile two very different versions of the stimulus bill. A ripper amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) submitted on February 6, had specified that: "no funds in the bill can be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project." Not surprisingly, the Senate swiftly approved the Coburn amendment by a vote of 73-24, likely because few of them wanted to be seen in the position of voting to allow stimulus funds to be spent on casinos or gambling establishments. However, spending on the very worthwhile and stimulative public sector categories that were specified in this amendment, including "community parks," would have also been prohibited. NRPA advocates and allies swung into action with an all-out advocacy effort to stop this senseless prohibition from being enacted. Armed with facts and figures on the economic value of local parks and the direct benefits that would result in creating jobs and revitalizing local economies, NRPA advocates convinced Members of Congress and key Congressional staff of the merits of allowing spending of stimulus funds for community parks. The final conference report language adopted by the Conference Committee states: "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool." Thus, the final conference report ensures that funds in this bill will not be denied to park and recreation agencies for spending on community parks. Some prohibitions remained in the bill language and will thus prevent spending of stimulus funds on swimming pools, public golf courses, zoos, and aquariums, fortunately the final language did not prohibit inclusion of other categorical exclusions such as museums, theaters, and arts facilities, many of which are important park and recreation services to the public. This was a significant and important victory for parks and recreation, and NRPA thanks the many allied organizations, citizen advocates, and our members for their exceptional efforts to see that funding for community parks was rightfully included in this economic recovery bill. Parks and recreation can and will play a vital role in helping to restore our national economic health and vitality NRPA will provide a detailed analysis of the bill, the conference report, and the eligible spending categories that will provide direct and indirect funding to public park and recreation agencies for job creation, job training, youth employment, health, environment, energy and more. For more information, contact the NRPA Public Policy Office at 202-887-0290. It took an extraordinary advocacy effort by NPRA in an impossibly short timeframe, but the final conference report for the American Recovery and Investment Act issued late last night by the House and Senate Conference Committee did NOT contain language that had been included in the Senate version prohibiting the use of stimulus funds for community parks.
February 03, 2009
In Soweto, an Illegal Dump is Transformed into a Park in 24hrs.
Luther Williamson is the Johannesburg City Parks managing director in South Africa and he has been a man inspired. He organized 200 park workers to take the most derelict of areas, a five acre former illegal dump site, and somehow fashion a park out of it, overnight. Williamson is a hero to the local township, but you couldn’t guess what he credits the idea to…reality TV. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to be exact, which is a show whose premise is to rapidly upgrade the most rundown of houses. I guess Luther thought, why not a park?
So Williamson generated a game plan. He took about 3 months to formulate the pace needed to plant and built a park in the allotted time and the number of workers required to finish such a daunting feat, and in 2007 the "
In his own words...
"[Through] City Parks … we must give people hope and by giving people hope, they start to see opportunities and when the opportunities arise, they start becoming inspired and once they're inspired, they become creative and then they start to protect their own."
October 27, 2008
A Parks & People Reflection on NRPA's Congress 2008
I’d heard Majora Carter’s name before – a community leader from the South Bronx who was known for tying environmental and social justice issues together in brilliant ways. It was the sketchiest of profiles, but it was enough to make me very excited about getting to hear her speak, in my hometown, at the 2008 National Recreation & Park Association Congress & Exposition in downtown Baltimore. I rode my bike 20 minutes south from Hampden, locked it to a pole in front of the Convention Center, and found my way to the right room. The halls had been crowded, but the room itself wasn’t very full yet. I grabbed some coffee and grapes and sat near the front. My boss, Jackie Carrera of the Parks & People Foundation, arrived shortly after – she had been invited to introduce Majora.
I recognized Majora the moment I saw her from pictures I’d seen, and from the poise and presence she radiated. Jackie introduced her old friend as one of her heroes, adding that “after this is over, she’ll be one of yours too.”
Majora started by playing to her audience, saying that her work is about helping people see the value of what we do. I heard a murmur of assent behind me when she pointed out that parks budgets are the first to be cut in a crisis. From there she tied the economic to the political, stating that our previous economic boom had been “built on the backs of the powerless” and that we need to give people “choices and options, not handouts and pity.” I felt like I was listening to a particularly gifted politician, but one whose words belied more substance than most political oration.
Abruptly, the presentation changed from political to deeply personal (“this is going to be non-linear,” Majora had warned), as she talked about the center of blight in which she had grown up (in which the “popular perception” was that if you were from the South Bronx “you had to be a pimp, pusher or prostitute”). She showed photographs of her parents, dressed classily and shot in black and white, and of herself as a young girl, playing with a toy phone, then contrasted these images with shots of the rubble on which she and her friends had played, and of her brother, who had returned from the military only to be gunned down at home. Effortlessly, she expanded this complex snapshot out to encompass the socio-political context of the South Bronx after decades of white flight, redlining, arson and callously destructive highways had torn it asunder. Looking at a slide of a highway like a “gash” though a once stable neighborhood, I was reminded forcefully of the Highway to Nowhere in West Baltimore, an abandoned expressway project that also devastated the predominantly black neighborhoods through which it cut, and the ramifications of which are still being felt over thirty years later.
Into the powerful tapestry she had woven for us, Majora began to introduce the environmental context, explaining how the South Bronx had become a “regional sacrifice zone”, absorbing 40% of New York City’s waste into its dumping grounds and suffering from the presence of a wall of sewage and waste treatment plants along its waterfront. She defined Environmental Justice, the idea that no community should endure disproportionate environmental burdens, especially without enjoying environmental benefits like those provided by parks and trees, and connected the issues faced on this front by the South Bronx to those faced by poor white communities in Appalachia which have been plagued by negative health effects stemming from the evisceration of their mountains for coal. She listed illnesses very familiar to her audience of parks professionals, such as asthma and diabetes, then added poverty and prison to the list of diseases exacerbated by poor environmental health. A definitive study from Columbia University, she explained, had linked proximity to fossil fuel emissions to learning difficulties in young minds, putting children living near environmental hazards at a severe disadvantage.
During a pause in the presentation, I reflected on what we’d heard so far. Majora’s way of convincingly linking issues that might otherwise seem tenuously related had in it the interconnected holism of ecology. Her quick jumps from one topic to another, going back to explain herself only afterwards, jolted one into really listening, perhaps forging new pathways in the minds of her listeners in the process.
And then the presentation stopped being background and started in on the real story, the one we had all come to hear – how this woman had fought and won battles for her community’s health. A walk with her dog through an illegal dump had uncovered a secret route to the water. Community cleanups led to small grants led to a three million dollar city appropriation for her neighborhood’s first waterfront park in 60 years, which was dedicated in 2005. For the first time in the presentation, we saw black and white faces together, smiling. We saw Majora’s wedding, held in the park with her dog, Xena, as a flower girl. The slides were so green that it seemed like we’d transitioned from black and white to color for the first time, even though it had actually happened much earlier in the presentation.
“I began to wonder,” Majora commented understatedly, “what else are we missing?” She talked about interconnected greenways (not dissimilar to the One Park concept for Baltimore), about heading off displacement of the poor via planning and empowerment, about green jobs and an amazing program in her neighborhood that linked “environmental remediation and poverty alleviation” by certifying locals to do skilled and in-demand work like tree maintenance, work that had previously been contracted out to companies based elsewhere. She cited a famous study from the University of Illinois on the social benefits of trees and complemented it with a story of a young “social scientist” from her jobs program who had used Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles to improve the safety of one corner in his neighborhood by trimming up some trees to improve visibility, and leaving others low to create comfortable, shaded seating areas for older residents (thus providing “eyes on the street” a phrase coined by Jane Jacobs, “the patron saint of urban planning”). I was tickled and inspired when she showed a slide of a green line painted down the sidewalk to lead people to parks, and I was fascinated as she went into depth about other youth/jobs focused environmental programs that had sprung up in the South Bronx, including green roofing and computer modeling to turn junk into useful items. She also mentioned the importance of green jobs for things like managing stormwater and mitigating the effects of the urban heat island. I wondered which ideas would be more familiar to the majority of the audience – the social or the environmental ones? Parks, of course, embody the meeting point of these two values.
Abruptly, the presentation went from feel-good inspiration to hard reality with a single statistic. We were given a pop-quiz: the U.S. has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s _____? A few people in the crowd called out guesses – waste, emissions? The answer was “incarcerated.” Majora reminded us of the link between proximity to pollution and learning disabilities, and spoke about the desperate need for businesses that provide jobs which support their communities. We viewed juxtaposed images, one of a woman working in a recycling plant (caption: “gives my mom a job”) and one of hands gripping the bars of a jail cell (caption: “makes me afraid”). Her anger was clear as she spoke about the rates of unemployment and poverty in the South Bronx, and when she joked that perhaps the 2,000 new prison beds being added to her neighborhood were part of PlaNYC’s “affordable housing strategy.” Pollution. Poverty. Policy. Parks. Employment. In Majora’s world the connections couldn’t be clearer, and she laid them forth to us in such a compelling manner as to be completely undeniable. How could more people not be talking about this? How could this matrix of urban problems and opportunities not be on the forefront of every discussion of our nation’s future?
Majora wrapped up by providing some information about her new business endeavor, and by broadening her scope once more with statements like “what America needs is a Green New Deal” and “Environmental Justice is Civil Rights in the 21st century.” She left us with a question that would have sounded noble but vague before her speech, but seemed completely precise and specific in light of it – “Aren’t we tried of seeing tributes to our collective failures when we should be seeing monuments to our possibilities?”
I want to thank NRPA for providing those of us who were lucky enough to be in that room with the opportunity to hear this amazing woman speak. I only wish that everyone at the conference and, even more, everyone in Baltimore City and in every city struggling for its soul, could have heard it too.
-- Abby Cocke, Community Greening Organizer, Parks & People Foundation
October 16, 2008
Get A Job...
...or an education...or an employee. Opportunities were everywhere at the first-ever Career Fair at the NRPA Congress. Whether pursuing a new career or seeking practical training or employment, attendees filled the halls of the Baltimore Convention Center on Thursday afternoon to learn about employment, internships, graduate programs and meet field experts.
Introducing Pyxis
Crowds gathered in the NRPA Marketplace just after 1pm to witness the much-anticipated launch of the new Pyxis Learning Center. NRPA's President-elect, Jodie Adams explained that the Pyxis Learning Center was created to respond to member feedback about the need for affordable and accessible education for park and recreation professionals, part-time employees, volunteers and advocates.
Pyxis Is Coming!!!
Pyxis launches in the NRPA Marketplace TODAY at 1:15 - STAY TUNED!
Citizen Day Dawns At 2008 Congress
Thursday has been designated as "Citizen Day" at NRPA's 2008 Congress. Citizen board members, commissioners and advocates from across the country began a full day of educational sessions, networking and more at a Citizen Branch breakfast event.
New Citizen Branch President, Dennis Flanagin, welcomes attendees.
Described by Dennis Flanagin as NRPA's "Top Citizen", Chair Lois Finkelman sets the stage for the Citizen Day Sessions.
Citizen Day speaker, Tracey Crawford, CPRP, CTRS, is Superintendent of Development of the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association of Northbrook, Ill.
The focus of Crawford's session was on the role of citizen leaders in creating inclusive communities.
Crawford began her session by pairing attendees to "size" each other up and make immediate assumptions about their partners recreational likes and dislikes, their ethnic background and other first-impression judgments. Then she asked participants to remember their very first interaction with a disabled person and to describe that experience.
Crawford's session went on to help attendees gain a better understanding of the American's with Disabilities Act and the important role citizen leaders play in supporting inclusive programming within their local agencies. Through her straight-talk approach, Crawford set out to clearly define what "inclusion" for people with disabilities IS and what it IS NOT and WHY it is so important.
October 15, 2008
Exhibit Hall Opens
Displaying products ranging from the practical to the playful, 2008 Congress Exhibitors welcomed crowds of attendees on Wednesday afternoon.
U.S. Paralympic Athletes Challenge Attendees In The NRPA Marketplace
Elite-level Paralympic Athletes shared their stories, demonstrated their remarkable athleticism and even challenged some Congress attendees to test their own abilities in the NRPA Marketplace on Wednesday afternoon.
U.S. Paralympian, Myles Porter who is a blind judo competitor demonstrates how he takes down an opponent.
Greta Neimanas from Chicago, Ill. - a member of the 2008 Paralympic Women's Cycling Team - challenges attendees to match her pace during a demonstration in the NRPA Marketplace on Wednesday afternoon.
U.S. Olympic Medal Winners Shine In The NRPA Marketplace
U.S. Olympians signed autographs and displayed their medals in the NRPA Marketplace on Wednesday afternoon. Monique Henderson, from San Diego, California is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400m relay from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and again in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Floridian, Bershawn Jackson captured the bronze medal in Beijing for 400m hurdles.
Birds of Prey Descend On The NRPA Marketplace
Michael Patterson, Facility Manager for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission displays a Barred Owl in the NRPA Marketplace to promote Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's Tuesday evening address. Secretary Kempthorne unveiled a new initiative to forge partnerships with local, regional, urban and county park and recreation agencies in developing new programs and activities designed to get children outdoors and enjoying nature, using our nation's public lands and parks.
Attendees Meet The New CEO
Lois Finkelman (L) introduces Joan Rokus (R) from the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to the new NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane (Ctr).
RFK, Jr. Wows NRPA Congress Attendees
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. addressed Congress attendees the importance of environmental stewardship and the importance of being proactive NOW for the sake of our future. He shared personal experiences and offered insight into helping foster a better ethic for the environment. Over 4,000 attendees listened intently and it was a great start to the day! Thank you to Landscape Structures, sponsor of the Opening General Session.
Attendees Flock To The Home of the O's
Camden Yards - the home of the Baltimore Orioles MLB Team - was the site of the 2008 Congress Opening Night Welcome Party. Attendees danced to the music, enjoyed the food, toured the Orioles playing field and "got in on" all the fun of Baltimore. The Welcome Party was sponsored by Playworld Systems.
Secretary of Interior, Dirk Kempthorne and NRPA's Rich Dolesh enjoying the Opening Night festivities.
October 14, 2008
Congress Tuesday...5 Things You May Have Missed
If you're here in Baltimore at the NRPA Congress or checking out the highlights online from back home, you'll likely agree there is a lot to see, hear and discover...and the event is just beginning. Just a few highlights and sound bytes from Tuesday, October 14...
- "If kids don't use parks, then they won't value them. If they don't value them, then they won't protect them." (on making parks relevant to the "digital generation" from the session Environmental Stewardship Ethic Forum)
- "For millennials, technology is as natural as air. Their hands are in their pockets and they are text messaging."--Maggie Arnold, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, Ithaca College and session presenter, "Millennials are Coming! So How Do We Nanny These Extraterrestrials?"
An owl can spot such prey as a mouse, from one mile high (during the birds of prey visitation at the Convention Center lobby. Pictured: bald eagle)
- "There is real data, research to support the economic impact of parks. People will pay more to live in close proximity to parks. These numbers are real; not articially generated."--John Crompton, Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University - Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, session "Parks, Recreation and Economic Prosperity"
- "We are facing a crisis regarding the health of our children. Children are leading such sedentary lives that we are finding such diseases as high-blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes in children...diseases that were typically found primarily in adults."--Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior
Leave It Better Baltimore
Nearly 50 Congress attendees set out on a sunny Tuesday morning from the Baltimore Convention Center. Boarding a bus, the crews fanned out into the neighborhoods of Baltimore to put the words of NRPA benefactor, Claude Ahrens, into action to "Leave It Better Than (They) Found It!" Linda Kotowski, NRPA President and new NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane visited the site and remarked The exhausted crews returned to the Convention Center with a great sense of accomplishment thinking of the smiles the newly refurbished park will bring to the faces of Josiah and his grandmother and the entire community. 
The first stop at Carroll Park saw teams working on projects ranging from tree planting to landscape refurbishment. Meanwhile, more participants moved on to B&O Railroad Park adjacent to the B&O Railroad Museum. Nancy Chamberlain, an outdoor recreation and program planning professor from Northern Virginia Community College 
shuttered classes for the week and brought her students to participate in the NRPA Congress including a large contingent turning out for the service project. On the grounds of the B&O Park, Nancy and her team began by "micro-trashing" the area, removing dangerous debris including broken glass before new WOODCARPET® playground surfacing donated by Zeager Brothers, Inc. could be spread.
Other work at the B&O Park included painting and refurbishing playground equipment and installing new park benches and a dog-waste receptacle donated by Doggie Deposit Bags. Jackie McAvoy, President of the Citizen Branch, lead a crew that helped rehab a train-themed play structure that is the centerpiece of the park.
about the impressive effort. Tulipane said, "Our members are concerned about the upkeep and safety of all parks - not just the ones in their own community. The hard work being done by our Congress attendees is a testament to their dedication to parks and recreation". "Their efforts embody the spirit of NRPA," added Kotowski.
Nancy Chamberlain relied on her certification as a Certified Playground Safety Inspector to closely examine a slide and climbing structure that is a main feature of the B&O Park. As her team worked to paint and mulch around the structure, Chamberlain noticed that a critical support ring on one of the multi-level decks of the structure had been damaged which resulted in an unstable play surface. The quick-thinking crew immediately recognized that the equipment had been manufactured by one of the many manufacturers in the Congress Expo Hall. In a flurry of cell phone activity, Chamberlain called the corporate office of BCI Burke Co. and was able to reach Brian Johnson who was exhibiting for BCI Burke in Baltimore. Johnson and Chamberlain identified the exact model and part number of the damaged support. Johnson agreed to donate the part that was needed and arranged to have it delivered to the Baltimore City grounds crew supervisor who will install the part later this week.
As crews worked through the morning, 2 year-old "Josiah", a neighborhood boy, arrived at the park to play as he does everyday according to his grandmother. While he was disappointed that the park was closed for repairs, he settled instead for helping spread mulch with the volunteer crew. Josiah's grandmother was relieved to see the new dog waste container which she hopes will relieve her from printing her home-made reminder signs which she posts around the park herself. She was also excited to see the two new benches that were being installed - a welcome change from sitting on the concrete seat-wall that frames the play area while Josiah plays.
Open for Business
If it's Tuesday morning, then registration and the all-new NRPA Marketplace are in high gear. After registering, visit the Marketplace to check out the latest NRPA products and services.
October 13, 2008
NRPA Expo Takes Shape
We're two days away from the opening of the exhibit hall, but construction is moving along very quickly. Very soon, kids of all ages will be climbing on the equipment and discovering all the cool stuff they can buy.
Volunteer State
A sea of people gathered to lend a hand in preparing registration bags and materials for the thousands descending on Baltimore this week. Who says volunteerism isn't fun?
October 11, 2008
September 22, 2008
July 22, 2008
July 17, 2008
July 01, 2008
May 16, 2008
Growing Through Green
In the May issue of P&R, we featured a Q+A with Alice Ewen Walker ("Seeing the City for the Trees," page 67), executive director of the Alliance for Community Trees, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that has planted 7.8 million trees in cities and towns across the country. More than simply planting trees, for ACT it’s about growing stronger communities through citizen involvement and the promotion of healthier urban ecosystems.
In the follow-up below, Monique Torbert, a youth volunteer and leader from Detroit, talks about how a greening experience with ACT radically changed her life--and her perception of the power of green:
Before I was exposed to the wonderful world of trees, I was in a depressing stage in my life. I felt like there was no hope for me to do good or move forward. I didn’t have enough support from the people around me when I needed them most, and I just began to feel so angry inside.
I was at a loss; I didn’t know what I wanted or where I was going. My grades were failing and I became very violent. Really, I felt alone. Growing up close to the North End in the treeless 12th Street neighborhood, I didn’t know that urban forestry would play such a turnaround role in my life.
During the summer of 2002, I was just looking for a way to make some extra money. There weren’t many jobs available to high-school-aged kids. So when I found out that the Greening of Detroit’s Green Corps was hiring, availability was the initial attraction.
Trees weren’t central to how I grew up. And actually, I wasn’t sure if outdoor activities were really my thing. I remember enjoying the TreeKeepers Kids program in elementary school, which was my first exposure to trees. But my family thought the outdoors aspect of the Green Corps would be a positive activity in my community.
"Trees brought us together, like a shared experience."
Long story short, I applied and secured an interview, but was not selected. Although I applied with a “nothing to lose” mindset, the rejection was pretty upsetting. Afterwards, the Greening wrote me a personal note encouraging me to try out again, in 2003. Their support helped me to realize that I hadn’t gotten the job the first time because I kept to myself too much, and didn’t show that I could be a team player. I tried again the next year and have been with the Greening almost five years.
The work we did always started with trees, but it was more than that. It was about people. We were meeting people and talking with them about their experiences, who they were, and what they wanted, and you always found that you had things in common. Trees brought us together, like a shared experience.
It’s funny, too, because now I read studies about how kids in treeless neighborhoods play outdoors less and are more prone to approach life the way I did, and I can see the evidence in my own life. The other thing about Green Corps was that you had to depend on other staff and peers and find a new comfort level. I could have gotten work experience anywhere, but what we were doing mattered to the community and to everyone I worked with, and that was unique.
Before working with trees, I couldn’t have said what had to change because I didn’t know what I wanted. After two years with the Greening, I knew what I wanted and applied to be a team leader to further develop my skills. Being a leader among peers was challenging, but for the first time I felt confident that I could be a leader.
In 2006, I applied to be an AmeriCorps Vista, which continues until August 2008. After that, I hope to continue working with trees.
Through the AmeriCorps program, I’ve earned over $9,000 in education awards for school, which is a tremendous help to me. I’m at Wayne County Community College working on an associate degree, and will transfer to Wayne State University to get my bachelor’s in social work. Next, I plan to transfer to Michigan State to work on a Master’s. If everything goes to plan, I’ll be finished by 2013.
The changes in me came out of nowhere. Suddenly I was a self-starter, a leader, more confident, not getting into trouble anymore, and starting a college degree. I never thought I’d be where I am today and making positive changes in the community.
I hope I encourage inner-city youth like me that no matter how hard life gets, you have to keep taking chances because you never know which opportunity will come. I don’t want to imagine where I’d be if I didn’t work for the Greening of Detroit. I’m truly honored to be a part of an incredible organization and hope to stay.
Working with trees gave me direction and peace when I needed it most.
For more information about organizations like the Greening of Detroit, contact the Alliance for Community Trees, a national federation of 150 community groups dedicated to tree planting, care, and community education. ACT member organizations lead youth development programs in neighborhoods in Detroit, New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Minneapolis, Baltimore, and other cities. Together, ACT affiliates have planted 7.8 million trees in cities with help from 450,000 volunteers. Visit www.actrees.org to learn more.
