Open Space Radio

Latest Episodes:

Creating Opportunities for Underserved Youth in Louisville — Episode 084 Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

As we've discussed before, the unfortunate reality about outdoor recreation is that not everyone has equitable access to these opportunities and there are people who don't necessarily feel welcome or safe in certain spaces. And while we continue advocating for equity in parks and recreation, it's important to recognize that there are many systemic barriers in place that need to be broken down if we want a future with truly equitable outcomes. We're excited to be joined on the show today by three individuals who are doing their part to address inequities and systemic racism in the outdoor spaces in their city.

Today we are welcoming staff members of the Jefferson Memorial Forest in Louisville, Kentucky, which is the largest municipal urban forest in the U.S., as well as a staff member of the Urban Conservation Corps (UCC) at YouthBuild Louisville. We're thrilled to be joined by JoCari Beattie, a community outreach specialist at Jefferson Memorial Forest; Dashaune Jones, the ECHO Mobile program lead at Jefferson Memorial Forest; and Kenyetta Johnson, a program assistant and focus area coordinator for UCC at YouthBuild Louisville. These three have been working tirelessly to provide opportunities for underserved youth to experience the outdoors and much more.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn more about JoCari, Dashaune and Kenyetta and the opportunities they're creating for underserved youth in Louisville, as well as:

What equity in parks and recreation and access to these opportunities means to each of them personally.
How the ECHO Mobile program is meeting people where they are and bringing nature to youth who don't have access to nature.
How the ECHO Mobile program has been impacted by COVID-19 and how it has been adapted.
How their work is addressing equity and systemic racism in the outdoor recreation space.
How park and recreation professionals can champion and foster equity in their communities and increase access to these kinds of opportunities, and more!

Additional Resources:

Coffee Talk Replay: Park Equity and Racial Justice — Episode 083 Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

As we continue to work on centering equity in all that we do, and as the fight for racial justice and equity in the United States continues, we wanted to revisit a conversation we had last year about what equity in parks and recreation really means for today's episode of the podcast. We were fortunate to have each one of the individuals you'll hear from today on previous episodes of the podcast, and if you joined us at the 2020 NRPA Annual Conference: A Virtual Experience (NRPA Virtual) last October, you may have already heard this conversation — however, it's never a bad time for a refresher on how we can build healthier, more equitable communities, and with Black History Month coming up in February, we thought it was a good time to reflect on this conversation.

On today's episode, we're replaying our Coffee Talk, "Park Equity and Racial Justice" from NRPA Virtual, with Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward and last year's NRPA Virtual keynote speaker, and Autumn Saxton-Ross, NRPA's vice president of education and chief equity officer. We've already had the privilege of talking with Glenn on our October 2020 Bonus Episode, "Why Conversations About Racial Equity Matter for Parks and Recreation," and Autumn on episode 76, "How to Center Equity in All That We Do" — and for this Coffee Talk, we were thrilled for them to come together to have a very powerful, insightful conversation.

Tune in below to hear Autumn and Glenn's full conversation from their Coffee Talk at NRPA Virtual and learn:

What equity in parks and recreation looks like in practice.
How park and recreation professionals can work towards meaningful change in forming a more just and equitable world.
How we can take an objective look at the history of our parks and open spaces and apply that to creating a more equitable future.
How a park and recreation department can create a framework like Race Forward's that supports implementing racial equity.
How park and recreation professionals can ensure racial equity is addressed in their agency's master plans, and more!

Celebrating Parks and Recreation's Inaugural 30 Under 30 — February Bonus Episode Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

The February issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today's episode, we're diving deeper into this month's cover story, "30 Under 30 for 2021." We know from our work at NRPA that there are a lot of talented, passionate young professionals in the field of parks and recreation. These individuals truly serve as everyday superheroes in their communities and are continuing to make impacts that are not only felt on a local level, but are absolutely worthy of every bit of recognition on a national level, as well. We're so excited to talk with our guests today to learn more about how we're lifting these young professionals up and sharing the good work they do.

The NRPA Young Professional Network, or YPN, and Parks & Recreation magazine recently teamed up to launch the first-ever "30 Under 30" recognition program to honor 30 of the top young park and recreation professionals in the country. With a diverse group of nominees from 29 different states, one Canadian province and one U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, we're going to assume that the selection process wasn't easy. But, we're thrilled to be joined by two people on the show today who worked to get this program moving.

Today we're speaking with Michael Biedenstein, CPRP, AFO, a park program services division manager for St. Louis County Parks in Missouri and past chair of the NRPA YPN who, along with other leaders from the YPN, brought this great idea to NRPA. We're also joined by Hayley Herzing, NRPA's senior manager of membership, to learn about how NRPA has supported this program on a national level.

Tune in below to learn about the role that Michael and Hayley played in bringing the "30 Under 30" idea to life, as well as:

What — or, more appropriately, who — inspired the 30 Under 30 recognition program.
What qualities the selection committee was looking for when selecting the 30 individuals out of more than 100 nominations.
Why Michael and Hayley feel it's important for parks and recreation as a profession to highlight and elevate young professionals.
What stories from this impressive group of young professionals have stood out to each of them.
How these young professionals' stories make Michael and Hayley feel about the future of parks and recreation, and more!

How a Group of Teens Is Bringing a Skatepark To Their Community — Episode 082 Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

It is our first Open Space Radio episode of 2021, and we're so excited for another year of great conversations on the podcast. To start the year, we're thrilled to be talking with a group of inspiring teenagers from Lunenburg, Massachusetts, who decided to take a middle school project and turn it into something way bigger that would provide them, and others, a safe space to participate in their favorite activity — skateboarding. They realized that access to public recreational spaces was critical, and decided to take matters into their own hands to create a safe, legal place to skateboard through the Lunenburg Skatepark Project.

Our guests today, Mason Whitcomb, Aidan Moore and Griffin Caiozzo, along with their other teammates Aidan Swift and Chris Roy, noticed there weren't any safe, legal places to skateboard in their community, and started a grassroots movement to build a permanent, concrete, public skate/BMX/scooter activity park on land donated by their town. Through a common interest in skateboarding and their school's sponsored Genius Hour program — a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom — they were able to come up with the plan for Lunenburg Skatepark, which is soon becoming a reality due to their persistence, creative problem solving, community engagement and innovative fundraising efforts.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn why physical activity through skateboarding is so important to Aidan, Griffin and Mason, and what life lessons they've learned throughout this process, as well as:

How they came up with the idea for Lunenburg Skatepark.
What their initial planning process looked like.
What kinds of fundraising activities were the most successful.
How they have engaged the community with the project.
What advice they would give park and recreation professionals who are thinking about a project like this for a community space.
What's next for Lunenburg Skatepark, and more!

To learn more about Lunenburg Skatepark, stay updated on progress, spread the word or make a donation, visit:

2020 Reflections and Looking Ahead to 2021 — Episode 081 Dec 29, 2020

Show notes

It's hard to believe 2020 is almost over. This year has been challenging in so many ways, and on our final episode of the year, we're looking back at some of the conversations we've had, discussing the lessons we've learned, and looking ahead at some of our hopes and goals for 2021.

This year, park and recreation professionals have been on the frontlines of a global pandemic, economic collapse, racial justice movement, climate disasters and more, and we are so grateful to play a small part in helping tell the stories of their truly impactful work:

From serving meals to hosting COVID-19 testing sites and staging sites for first responders.
From setting up temporary housing for those experiencing homelessness to helping those struggling with mental health and substance use issues.
From performing wellness checks on older adults to providing innovative ways for our youth to connect with their friends.
From having difficult conversations about institutionalized racism and historic inequities in our public spaces to committing to anti-racist practices, and so much more.

Park and recreation professionals have truly done it all this year, and our communities are so much better because of their essential work.

So, to all of our park and recreation professionals out there: THANK YOU! We've always known you were heroes, but this year just solidified that.

We also want to thank everyone who has joined us on the show as a guest, subscribed to the podcast, listened to an episode, sent us your ideas, connected with us on Instagram or simply spread the word about Open Space Radio to your friends and colleagues. We truly love producing this podcast for you, and it's through your support that we are able to do so!

Tune in to the full episode below to hear us discuss:

Why we decided to add 12 new episodes to our schedule in 2020.
What events impacted the types of conversations we had this year.
How hearing our guests' experiences impacted each of our own personal journeys.
The pros and cons of producing a podcast during COVID-19.
How we've learned to be adaptable and the importance of being gentle with ourselves.
Where we currently sit with the resolutions we set at the end of 2019 for 2020, our hopes and goals for 2021, and more!

And special thanks to those of you who sent us your ideas for future episodes – we love your ideas and can't wait to explore them in 2021!

Emerging Trends in Parks and Recreation — January Bonus Episode Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

The January 2021 issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and this month's issue features the highly anticipated cover story, "Top Trends in Parks and Recreation 2021," by Rich Dolesh, NRPA's retired vice president of strategic initiatives and Parks & Recreation magazine's editor at large. On today's bonus episode of the podcast, we're replaying the full session of our "Emerging Trends in Parks and Recreation" Coffee Talk from the 2020 NRPA Annual Conference: A Virtual Experience (NRPA Virtual) this past October.

In this session, we had the opportunity to sit down with Rich, as well as Greg Weitzel, an NRPA board member and director of the Las Vegas Department of Parks and Recreation, and Brendan Daley, director of strategy and sustainability at the Chicago Park District, to talk about some of the trends park and recreation professionals will be seeing in near future — and some that we're already seeing come to fruition.

Tune in below to hear our full Coffee Talk with Rich, Greg and Brendan to learn:

How the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated trends that they have seen occurring or that they predict will take place.
What technology changes will increasingly influence parks and recreation, and why will they happen.
How climate change is having a greater impact on parks and recreation every year and what the greatest impacts are, as well as what is causing them to accelerate.
What new trends they see over the horizon and how will they affect parks and recreation in the future, and more!

How Farmers Markets Benefit the Whole Community — Episode 80 Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

Over the past decade, there has been steady growth across the farmers market industry nationwide, with new farmers market locations popping up in communities of all shapes and sizes. And, many park and recreation professionals have seen this growth firsthand. With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic increasing barriers for access to healthy food for so many across the country, park and recreation professionals have been working hard to find ways to meet these needs.

One way to meet the needs of a community has been through farmers markets. And, whether an agency is hosting their own or partnering with a local market, farmers markets provide countless benefits. The Farmers Market Coalition is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening farmers markets across the United States so that they can serve as community assets while providing real income opportunities for farmers.

The Farmers Market Coalition aims to benefit farmers, consumers and the community as a whole, and we're thrilled to be joined on the show today by their Training and Technical Assistance Director Darlene Wolnik, to talk all about the great work they're doing in building healthier communities through farmers markets. Darlene has been a national advocate and trainer for farmers markets for more than two decades. We're also excited to be joined by Maureen Neumann, an NRPA program manager, to talk about NRPA's work with the Farmers Market Coalition and how we're assisting park and recreation professionals in this work.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn how the Farmers Market Coalition is helping farmers earn fair prices for the fruits of their labor, increasing access to fresh, local produce for consumers, and helping communities regain a figurative "town square," as well as:

How the Farmers Market Coalition is supporting local farmers markets on the ground so they can meet the needs of their communities.
The type of guidance the Farmers Market Coalition has been providing local farmers markets throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to safely manage these spaces.
How farmers markets and parks and recreation are aligned in their missions.
How park and recreation professionals who work for an agency that may not have a farmers market can leverage partnerships to start one or assist with an existing local market.
How working with the Farmers Market Coalition has helped NRPA advance our strategic goals, and more!

How Every Kid Outdoors is Increasing Access to Parks — Episode 079 Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

We have waxed poetic over the past several months about how critical it has been to get outdoors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and parks have proven to be the destination of choice for many people to get their necessary physical activity, recharge their mental health batteries and find a sense of community. And, with school systems adapting to the pandemic and distance learning being more prevalent, there's an increasing need for our youth to have opportunities to engage with nature — and one program that has been assisting in providing outdoor access to our youth is Every Kid Outdoors.

Every Kid Outdoors allows fourth graders in the U.S. and their family members free access to over 2,000 federal lands and waters, which creates important connections and inspires a future generation of stewards for national parks and other public lands.

We're thrilled to be joined on today's episode by a previous colleague of ours, Jayni Rasmussen, to talk about the future of this program and how it's been impacted by COVID-19. Jayni is the senior campaign representative for the Outdoors Alliance for Kids and Youth, or OAK, which is a national strategic partnership of organizations from diverse sectors with a common interest in connecting children, youth and families with the outdoors.

Tune in below to learn more about Jayni's work with OAK and the benefits of the Every Kid Outdoors program, as well as:

How this program increases equitable access to the outdoors.
How this program has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
How OAK's Every Kid Outdoors in State Parks campaign aims to extend the pass program to all state and regional park systems with entrance fees and expand access to close-to-home parks.
How local park and recreation professionals can partner with federal agencies on Every Kid Outdoors and take advantage of resources.
Why the U.S. Department of the Interior extended the 2019-2020 Every Kid Outdoors pass program through the 2020-2021 school year to help families that couldn't use their passes due to COVID-19.
How OAK's work on Every Kid Outdoors has been pivoting during the pandemic to support park budgets, and more!

How Biodiversity Creates Healthy Communities – December Bonus Episode Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

The December issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today's bonus episode of the podcast, we're going to be diving deeper into one of this month's feature stories, titled, "Biodiversity Lays the Pathway to Good Health." The article explores how the COVID-19 pandemic could become the tipping point for connecting biodiversity with human health, and we're thrilled to be joined by the author of the article and one of her colleagues to talk a little bit more about it.

Joining us on today's episode are LaDonna Baertlein, the director of business development for Dig Studio, and Laurel Raines, a senior principal for Dig Studio — a company focused on landscape architecture, urban design and planning.

We know the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way we think about and use public spaces, but biodiverse landscapes are lesser-discussed aspects of healthy communities. We had the opportunity to chat with LaDonna and Laurel about what biodiversity is and why it's so important in creating healthy communities, as well as what park and recreation professionals can do to increase biodiversity in the spaces their agencies manage.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn:

How park and recreation professionals can incorporate ecologically supportive landscapes into their existing park systems.
Why community engagement is critical for designing biodiverse landscapes, and who the key stakeholders are.
How location and regional climate can pose challenges to planning for biodiversity.
How investing in biodiversity in communities contributes to more equitable outcomes.
Why a public space should meet the specific needs of the community.
What the world looks like when we align the lens of public health and equity with biodiversity, and more!

Community Healing in the Wake of Trauma — Episode 078 Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

If you attended the 2020 NRPA Annual Conference: A Virtual Experience (NRPA Virtual), you may have joined us for the Coffee Talk sessions that we hosted at the beginning and end of each day, when we had the opportunity to chat with park and recreation professionals, thought leaders, subject matter experts and NRPA staff about some of the most pressing issues that are impacting your work.

While each of these Coffee Talk sessions was inspiring and thought-provoking, we recognize that not everyone was able to attend NRPA Virtual and benefit from them. So, we'll be releasing a few of them as Open Space Radio episodes, and we're excited to share the first one with you on today's episode!

For this Coffee Talk — the very first session of NRPA Virtual — we were honored to be joined by NRPA Director of Health Allison Colman, as well as Mercy Santoro, the deputy director of Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, to chat about community healing in the wake of trauma. This year, unfortunately, has been full of traumatic experiences for so many, and in this session (and now this episode) we unpacked some of those traumas, as well as discussed how we can support and care for those experiencing trauma.

Tune in to the full episode to learn more about how park and recreation professionals have been — and can continue — supporting the mental health and well-being of the people in the communities they serve, as well as:

Why trauma is one of the emerging areas that park and recreation professionals are more intentionally addressing.
Why it's so important for park and recreation professionals to play a role in addressing how trauma impacts their communities.
How park and recreation professionals can assist in meeting the challenges associated with addressing trauma.
What resources are available to support critical work related to trauma.
How research on trauma-informed care can benefit park and recreation professionals who are on the front lines of issues related to trauma, and more!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected