I recently had the opportunity to travel to Lynnwood, Washington, with a few of my colleagues to visit the Lynnwood Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, who was recently awarded one of NRPA’s Resilient Park Access grants. Our trip consisted of visiting local parks, meeting with members of the community who are collaborating with the department, meeting with the mayor, attending a community “Meet Me at the Park” event, and learning more about Lynnwood’s ParksLove project, which is in t...
Aug 08, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 141
It is officially Park and Recreation Month, and it already has been so exciting to see how park and recreation agencies and communities across the country have been celebrating. We’re not even halfway through the month and we have already seen so many amazing stories highlighting how parks and recreation truly is “Where Community Grows.” On today’s episode, I wanted to highlight one of the wonderful submissions from our annual Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest. One of the photos that was s...
Jul 11, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 140
It may still be June, but it is officially Park and Recreation Month in our hearts, as the July issue of Parks & Recreation magazine was released today. As you may know, each year NRPA hosts a cover contest leading up to July, with the winner being featured on the July issue of the magazine. If you’ve seen this month’s cover (also pictured on this page), you will notice a smiling young boy in adaptive climbing gear scaling a climbing wall. We are so grateful that Joe Van Wyk, the marketing c...
Jun 22, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 139
It is officially Pride Month – a time to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. And while we are thrilled to celebrate Pride Month this year, the reality is that our LGBTQ+ friends, family, colleagues and community members have been under attack. In fact, just last week, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. after a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country. So far in 2023, more than 525 anti-...
Jun 13, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 139
If you are an NRPA member, you may know that NRPA provides exclusive member networks to support your professional needs and development. These networks, ranging from Aquatics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Armed Forces, Leadership Development, and more, are an opportunity to collaborate and connect with like-minded professionals from across the county. One of these networks, which is highly engaged and doing a lot of amazing work in the profession, is the Young Professional Network, or YPN. T...
May 30, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 138
The June issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of the podcast, we’re diving deeper into one of this month’s feature stories, “Leading the Way to Health and Well-Being: How Armed Forces Recreation Fosters Healthy Military Communities.” The article, written by Allison Colman, NRPA’s director of health, and Alex Reynolds, Parks & Recreation magazine’s associate editor, highlights how park and recreation professionals working within military communitie...
May 25, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 136
We are just a few weeks away from NRPA’s Family Health & Fitness Day , which is taking place on Saturday, June 10. Family Health & Fitness Day is an annual celebration that promotes the importance of parks and recreation in keeping communities healthy. I’m thrilled to be talking more about Family Health & Fitness Day on today’s episode, as well as all the ways parks and recreation provides accessible, close-to-home health and wellness opportunities in communities across the country. ...
May 16, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 137
If you’ve been following NRPA on social media, you may already be familiar with my guest today via some very fun, informational, and engaging Instagram reels that have been gracing your feeds for the last few months. Today I am so excited to be joined by my colleague and the amazing person behind all of NRPA’s social media content, Christina High. Christina joined the team as our marketing coordinator in 2022, and she has been doing some really amazing work ever since when it comes to rethinking...
May 02, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 136
The May issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving deeper into the feature article, “Building a Culture of Safety for Aquatic Facilities,” by Stephanie Shook, CPRP, the senior product manager of aquatics and instructors for the American Red Cross. I’m so thrilled to be joined on the show by two individuals who were highlighted in the article: · Dr. William Ramos, a member of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and ass...
Apr 27, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 135
All month long, NRPA has been sharing ways that parks and recreation is a climate hero in celebration of Earth Month. Whether it’s increasing biodiversity, managing millions of acres of open space, providing nature-based programming or responding to weather-related disasters, park and recreation professionals are on the front lines of creating a more sustainable future in communities across the country. I’m so thrilled today to be joined by Regina Hill, the CSR marketing manager for Merrell, who...
Apr 18, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 135
April is Earth Month, and all month long, NRPA is celebrating the ways that parks and recreation is a climate hero. I encourage you to check out some of the top ways that park and recreation professionals are creating healthier, more sustainable communities and tackling the world’s toughest climate issues. On today’s episode, we take a look back at a few episodes from the past year, in which my guests talked about climate solutions, sustainability, and all things protecting and preserving nature...
Apr 04, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Attacks targeting LGBTQ+ rights, and especially the rights of transgender youth, are currently taking place in state legislatures across the country. With bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth and the country’s first drag ban, numbers of anti-trans bills were recently introduced, with an alarming number of bills advancing in states across the country. Many of these bills also are aimed at preventing transgender youth from participating in sports in ways that align with the gender with wh...
Mar 21, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Los Angeles County is doing some big things and the department of parks and recreation is continuing to make an impact when it comes to equity, environmental resilience and the health and well-being of its community members. I’m thrilled to be joined today by Norma Edith García-Gonzalez, who has worked for Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation for more than a decade and was appointed as director of the department in 2020 — becoming the first woman and first person of color to lead the departme...
Mar 07, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 132
The March issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving deeper into one of this month’s articles, “From Lifeguard to First Responder.” I’m joined today by the author, Craig Pattenaude, the marketing and communication specialist for Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) Parks and Recreation, as well as Cole Munsey, who Craig highlights in his article. I’m thrilled to welcome them both to the show to learn about Cole’s jour...
Feb 23, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Parks and recreation is vital to community health and well-being. Local park and recreation agencies connect every member of the community to essential programs, services and spaces that enhance quality of life. And, local parks and recreation provides so many opportunities for experiencing the benefits of physical activity. According to the guidance from the Community Services Preventive Task Force, park and recreation and public health professionals play a role in ensuring all community member...
Feb 21, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 131
I am so excited for today’s episode because I’m talking with someone I have been eager to connect with since NRPA’s partnership with Merrell began. If you visit today’s guest’s website , the words “Nothing But Good Vibes” might be the first thing you notice. And, if you’re following him on social media , you are sure to pick up on some of those good vibes, as well. Will “Akuna” Robinson is one of Merrell’s ambassadors, and his outdoor recreation journey began in 2016 when he attempted to thru-hi...
Feb 14, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 130
NRPA's Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), is the only national accreditation of park and recreation agencies and is a valuable measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. Achieving CAPRA accreditation is the best way to demonstrate that your agency and your staff provide your community with the highest level of service. But, there is one thing that this program cannot do without – it’s dedicated volunteers. CAPR...
Feb 07, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 129
The February issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of the podcast, we’ll be diving deeper into one of this month’s feature stories, “ Workforce Development Trends and Opportunities in Parks and Recreation .” To foster the next generation of park and recreation professionals in our beloved field, workforce development is an area that cannot be overlooked. We’re talking with the author of the article today to discuss some of the trends and opportunities ...
Jan 26, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Today, January 17, is National Day of Racial Healing - a call to action for racial healing for all people. Launched in 2017, this day originated as part of the WK Kellogg Foundation’s national Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation efforts. As we at NRPA continue to center equity in all that we do, I’m looking forward to this conversation today as we learn how racial healing can advance racial equity, as well as how park and recreation professionals can support racial healing in their commun...
Jan 17, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Here at NRPA, we are big proponents of continuous learning and professional development. On today’s episode, we discuss a comprehensive and unique professional development program focusing on proven revenue management and development techniques for park and recreation professionals. Revenue Development and Management School is an annual program taking place at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, in partnership with the National Training Center at Oglebay, and it is targeted towards ag...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 127
The January issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Maureen Neumann, NRPA’s Senior Health Program Manager, to discuss her feature article, “ Celebrating Seven Years of Advancing Health Equity .” In her article, Maureen highlights winners of the RWJF-NRPA Award for Health Equity from the last seven years. Since 2016, this award has been presented annually, and recognizes park and recreation professionals who have worked to reduce ...
Dec 22, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 126
As you may have learned on our last episode, NRPA’s Resilient Park Access program supports the advancement of community-driven, systems-level strategies for equitable park access that improve the environmental resilience and health of communities. The grant funding also provides ongoing peer learning and coaching, professional development and access to networks of like-minded park and recreation professionals throughout the country. Six park and recreation agencies from across the country receiv...
Dec 13, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 126
NRPA’s Resilient Park Access grant program supports the advancement of community-driven, systems-level strategies for equitable park access that improve the environmental resilience and health of communities. The grant funding also provides ongoing peer learning and coaching, professional development and access to networks of like-minded park and recreation professionals throughout the country. On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, I’m joined by staff from City of Detroit Parks and Recreation,...
Nov 29, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 125
When most people think of the outdoors, their associations are primarily positive. Happiness, relaxation and calmness all come to mind. Even as issues of social injustice and racial inequality increasingly impacted many over the past few years, communities have sought a form of escape in the outdoors. Outdoor leader Merrell exists to share the simple power of being outside. Knowing the globally recognized benefits of being outside, Merrell conducted a study of cross-cultural perceptions and expe...
Nov 22, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 124
It has been some time since our last episode, and I’m so thrilled to be back today with someone who is sure to inspire you to live a more sustainable, waste-free life, while encouraging your community to do the same – and it’s perfect timing as this episode is being released on America Recycles Day, which recognizes the importance and impact of recycling. Manuela Barón is a Colombian-American sustainability activist, artist and founder of The Girl Gone Green, which is an inclusive community t...
Nov 15, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 123
The October issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s episode, I’m joined by two of my colleagues to discuss this month’s feature story, “NRPA’s Equity in Practice Initiative.” We recently launched this program at the 2022 NRPA Annual Conference, and it is not your typical diversity training – NRPA’s Equity in Practice resources and tools are designed to help you take the next step in integrating equity into your park and recreation programs and respond to your communit...
Sep 29, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 122
National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 through October 15 each year, is a time to celebrate the history, culture, heritage and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. This year’s theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation,” and on today’s episode, we’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a park and recreation professional who is playing an integral role when it comes to honoring Hispanic Heritage Month within parks and recreation. I am thrill...
Sep 20, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 122
I am so excited for today’s episode for a few reasons: 1.) We’re officially a week away from the 2022 NRPA Annual Conference. And 2.) I’m joined today by someone who has been a big part of NRPA and this podcast, and is not only one of my favorite guests, he’s also someone I’m proud to call a friend. Neelay Bhatt is an expert when it comes to innovation, inclusion, and helping park and recreation agencies stay on top of trends in the field. Neelay recently launched his new endeavor, Next Practice...
Sep 14, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 121
It’s hard to believe September is already here and in just a couple weeks, park and recreation professionals from across the country will gather in Phoenix, Arizona, at the 2022 NRPA Annual Conference . If you’ve been fortunate enough to experience this conference in the past, you know that this is the premier event for park and recreation professionals seeking to grow their network, check out some of the latest and greatest products and services, and take advantage of top-tier learning opportun...
Sep 06, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 120
The September issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving deeper into one of this month’s feature stories, “ Dr. Temple Grandin on the Importance of Outdoor Play .” On this episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, world-renowned scientist, animal behaviorist, advocate for autism and author. She has appeared on television shows such as 20/20, 48 Hour...
Aug 18, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 119
