Since New Year’s Eve falls on the same Tuesday as the release of a new episode, we felt it would be fitting to reflect on the past year and share some of our resolutions moving into 2020. On this episode, we discuss the ways we’re both going to make sure self-care is a priority in the new year. As much as it gets thrown around as a buzzword these days, it’s so important, and absolutely necessary in order to be our best selves. Whether it’s getting more sleep, exercise or water — or whatever it m...
Dec 31, 2019•11 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Are you ready for a bonus episode of Open Space Radio? In addition to the episodes we release every other Tuesday morning, we are adding an extra episode each month that takes a deeper look at Parks & Recreation magazine’s feature article. Starting with the January 2020 issue of the magazine, you can now enjoy a bonus episode of Open Space Radio and expanded content on the magazine every month! To kick it off, we are diving deeper into one of our most popular annual magazine articles , writt...
Dec 26, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 56
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, many cities and towns are gearing up for their annual celebrations to ring in the New Year. And while there are a lot of ways you can make your celebrations special, nothing quite brings it all together like a good fireworks display. On today’s episode, we’re joined by two people who not only know a lot about putting on an epic fireworks display, they also take a lot of pride in it. They presented a session at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Balti...
Dec 17, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 56
A life hack is a clever tip or technique for accomplishing a familiar task more easily and efficiently. And, with so many park and recreation professionals having to wear multiple hats — sometimes in the course of a single day — anything that can efficiently simplify a task and save time is usually welcomed pretty warmly. On this episode of Open Space Radio, we’re looking back at one of the questions that we asked attendees at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland: What is your ...
Dec 03, 2019•9 min•Season 1Ep. 55
As a native Washingtonian, a park and rec kid, and a long history of serving the community, Delano Hunter is well suited for the role of director of D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DCDPR). Delano says he’s honored and privileged to serve the city he loves alongside some of the people who shaped him growing up, and we were honored and privileged to have him join us at NRPA headquarters recently to talk about how DCDPR is finding ways to serve members of the D.C. community through innovat...
Nov 19, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Please note: This episode was recorded on the exhibit hall floor at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference, so you may hear some background noise - it's the sound of over 8,000 passionate park and recreation advocates. “I do everything around here.” “Do you think that’s fair?” “I gotta go master the monkeys [bars].” These wise quotes have been in the back of Sue Yerkes’s mind for much of her career. They have also been a staple in Sue’s efforts to help others take the jump to advance in their careers. ...
Nov 05, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 53
When people think of outdoor recreation, their first thought may not of an urban setting. On this episode of Open Space Radio, we’re talking with two people who know a lot about the challenges of providing outdoor recreation opportunities in urban areas. When we were at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore last month, we had the chance to sit down with a few of the staff from our local host agency, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. Tune in below to hear our conversation with Molly Gal...
Oct 22, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Today’s episode of Open Space Radio is a special one because it is officially our 50th episode! It was hard to imagine having 50 episodes when we launched two years ago, but we’re here and we’re thriving. Open Space Radio has consistently been in the Apple charts for non-profit podcasts, and often in the top ten! The timing of our 50th episode is pretty appropriate. We just got back from the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, and it was amazing to meet so many of our listeners and chat wi...
Oct 08, 2019•14 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Today’s episode is a special edition of Open Space Radio — we’re diving behind the scenes of the upcoming 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, which is happening September 24-26. We’re releasing this episode a little earlier than we typically do, in hopes that those of you who are attending can tune in as you fly, drive or hike your way to Baltimore. For those of you who are unable to attend, we still have some great tips that you can apply to other conferences (and hopefully a fu...
Sep 20, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 50
There’s a chance you’ve been scrolling through your social media outlet of choice, doing some online shopping or reading your favorite email newsletter, when you see an advertisement for something that seems like it’s speaking directly to you. You’re wondering how the all-knowing internet knows you need this thing — but it does. And you do. That’s digital marketing. Digital marketing is any marketing that is done on a digital channel, such as, social media, mobile apps, email, websites, search e...
Sep 10, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 49
In this episode we are taking on some listener requests for more podcasts on park and recreation programming (P.S. we’d love to hear your requests for episodes, so email Roxanne or Cort with your ideas!). Today, we’re looking at intergenerational programming – what it is, how it’s working in the field and how it’s impacting those who participate in the programs. We interviewed three people in order to collect these different perspectives and you’ll likely notice that our mics and audio sound a b...
Aug 29, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Three million dollars. That’s how much Kyle Giersdorf just won at the Fortnite World Cup — a video game competition held at the Arthur Ashe tennis stadium in New York. That’s right. He won $3 million playing video games in a place typically reserved for the US Open. eSports, or video game competitions, isn’t new, but it is a growing trend . So much so that eSports is starting to make a space for itself in the world of parks and recreation. Durango Parks and Recreation in Colorado, for example, h...
Aug 12, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 47
I think it’s fair to say that many times when people enter a career field, they do so with intentions of advancing in that career and continuing to progress, learn and grow. Of course, there are those moments of complacency that can creep up, and often we’re so busy with the work at hand that we don’t even think about the next steps in our career. Sometimes it’s just that taking that step toward your own professional development seems like a daunting task – especially if you don’t know where to ...
Aug 05, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 46
It’s no secret that working in parks and recreation comes with its share of unpredictable, funny moments. You must really be ready for anything — and many times these moments provide those deeply-satisfying laughs you can feel throughout your entire body (whether it’s instantly or one of those “this will be funny when we look back on it” moments). We’ve been asking you to share your funniest moments while on the job with us on our Instagram page , and the responses we’ve received are hilarious (...
Jul 15, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Happy Park and Recreation Month ! Throughout July, we celebrate all of the great things that are happening in local parks and recreation centers nationwide. This year’s theme for Park and Recreation Month is Game On, and we’re excited to have some fun all month long! On today's episode we’re joined by SaulPaul, a musician with a message. SaulPaul was a keynote speaker at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, and he’s back to help us celebrate Park and Recreation Month this year. On th...
Jul 01, 2019•12 min•Season 1Ep. 44
We’re talking about a gross topic on today’s episode of Open Space Radio, but fortunately I’m joined by a few people who are on a mission to clean things up. Today we’re talking about cigarette butt litter, and how both Keep Tennessee Beautiful and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful are doing their part in their state to reduce the amount of cigarette butt litter, which contains really toxic chemicals that can be detrimental to the environment. On today’s episode I’m joined by Missy Marshall, wh...
Jun 24, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 43
On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re talking inclusion. And, in celebration of June being Pride Month, we’re talking specifically about LGBTQ+ inclusion in parks and recreation. In our research about LGBTQ+ issues and parks and recreation, we came across a blog by Jason Shriner, the marketing manager for the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation right here in Virginia. Jason’s blog talks about some of his own experiences and how working in parks and recreation means b...
Jun 10, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 42
We have a lot of celebrations coming up this summer. Family Health and Fitness Day is this Saturday, June 8, Olympic Day is June 23, and the entire month of July is Park and Recreation Month! With all of these celebrations in mind, we wanted to highlight the ways in which parks and recreation are part of creating a culture of fitness, as well as making sure that everyone has access to fitness opportunities, regardless of their abilities. Prepare to be inspired by today’s episode. We’re thrilled ...
Jun 03, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 41
This month, NRPA has been tackling all things related to marketing and communications. Our May issue of Parks & Recreation magazine was filled with articles and tips about branding your park and recreation agency , how to master Facebook ads , and the importance of raising awareness about the great work you do . We also hosted a webinar tackling the latest trends in media and public relations. We got a lot of really great questions during that webinar and it sparked some really robust conver...
May 20, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Today’s episode is slightly bittersweet. The exciting part is that we’re chatting with Barbara Tulipane, NRPA’s president and CEO, about the incredible 11 years she has spent helping transform NRPA into what it is today. But we can’t help being saddened that we’re having this discussion because of her upcoming retirement in June. On this episode, we talk with Barbara about what she’s learned during her tenure as our fearless leader, as well as why she thinks that parks are one of the last places...
May 01, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 39
I know you know this feeling. You’re sitting at your desk, or out in the field, and you’re really in the zone. You’re on a deadline for something — and it’s coming up — but the juices are flowing and your productivity is on high. Then it happens. That dreaded reminder pops up and tells you that in 15 minutes you’ have to halt your momentum and go to another meeting. But, instead of looking at meetings as a nuisance to our productive day, what if we could look at them as a time when the next grea...
Apr 15, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 38
On today's episode, we're talking about playground design and how design that keeps a community’s spirit in mind benefits the community as a whole. Our guest on the show is Todd Lehman, owner and "design guy" at Cre8Play. You may recognize Cre8Play from the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference, where they won Best in Show for their playground exhibit. Todd seemed to have a passion for play in his blood (his father was a park and recreation director for many years and then sold playgrounds) and would cut ...
Mar 25, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Five years ago, NRPA launched Commit to Health – a program that would grow to positively impact 500,000 youth annually through healthier eating and increased physical activity. In today’s episode, we take a moment to celebrate this monumental achievement and look back at where we started and where we’re headed. Commit to Health is NRPA’s program to implement healthy eating and physical activity (HEPA) standards in park and recreation out-of-school time programs. It goes beyond just eating right ...
Mar 18, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 36
On today’s show, we’re talking about one of NRPA’s Top Trends in Parks and Recreation for 2019: The prediction that park and recreation recycling programs may soon end. We’re joined by Brendan Daley, the Director of Strategy and Sustainability for the Chicago Park District, which is leading the way in recycling and other sustainability practices, and Rich Dolesh, NRPA’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, who made this bold prediction at the beginning of this year. On this episode, we expl...
Feb 25, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 33
On today’s episode, we’re talking about the need for parks and recreation to adapt to younger generations and a changing society. We’re joined by Mark Foote, the aquatics superintendent for the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation in Arizona — who you may recognize from one of our past episodes, “What Are Your Park and Rec Pet Peeves?” Mark discusses why he thinks it’s especially important in parks and recreation to be able to change the approach to certain things, like hiring, to attract and r...
Feb 11, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 32
When Derwin Hannah moved from South Carolina to Baltimore, Maryland, 22 years ago, he couldn’t help but notice that things weren’t the way they should be. He noticed that the kids were playing in the street and that the local park, ABC Park, was being overrun with criminal activity and not being cared for. Derwin, who grew up in a large family of 10, wanted the kids in this Baltimore community to have the chance of experiencing the childhood that he had — a chance to play, a chance to feel a sen...
Jan 28, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this episode we are talking about the case — or really the many, MANY cases — for open space. While it would take several libraries to thoroughly go through all the reasons why open space is important, we went to the expert on land use policy and economic development issues. Ed McMahon is the senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Ed is a sought after thought leader and author on economic development and land use policies and trends. During the past 30 years, he has worked ...
Jan 07, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 30
On today’s episode, we’re talking about park conversions. In recent history, we’ve seen some pretty remarkable conversions of abandoned or unused commercial and industrial space — such as the internationally acclaimed High Line in New York City and The 606, a rails to trails conversion in Chicago — into vibrant public spaces. But the reverse is happening, too. Even though parks and open space are vital to every community, parks are being converted to non-park uses. In some cases, the conversions...
Dec 21, 2018•15 min•Season 1Ep. 29
On today’s episode, we’re talking about pet peeves. We know how much passion you have for your communities and careers as park and recreation professionals, but we also know that there’s always that one thing that continues to irk you. On our 25th episode, we asked you to let us know some of the things that you deal with in your career in parks and recreation that really annoy you, and you answered the call. We met up with a few of our listeners at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis...
Nov 06, 2018•10 min•Season 1Ep. 28
On today's episode of Open Space Radio, we’re joined by Aaron Hipp, an Associate Professor of Community Health and Sustainability at NC State University’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Aaron is currently conducting research on topics such as how, where, and why our public built environments impact health behaviors such as physical activity and recreation, and the effect of the environment where we spend most of our time, such as work, school and sleep, on leisure time p...
Oct 22, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 27
