Open Space Radio

Latest Episodes:

How to Make Your Voice Heard on Election Day and Beyond — Episode 077 Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Today is November 3, 2020 – an important day for our country, our democracy, our values and our future. Today is Election Day! On this day — and over the last few weeks — millions of Americans will head to the polls to make their voices heard. And whether you mailed in your ballot, voted early or are still undecided as you listen to this episode, we know that our guests today are going to provide sage wisdom on all things elections, voting and why it's important to advocate at the federal, state and local level.

We're thrilled to be joined today by NRPA's Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy Elvis Cordova and NRPA's Senior Government Affairs Manager Kyle Simpson, to talk about some of NRPA's key legislative priorities, how you can get involved in our advocacy efforts, and you guessed it — the importance of voting!

Tune in to the full episode below as Elvis and Kyle discuss NRPA's public policy and advocacy team's role in the organization and how they can assist in your agency's advocacy efforts, as well as:

Why park and recreation professionals in many states should pay extra close attention to their ballots today.
Why, even though national elections are important, it is critical to get involved in elections at the state and local level
What legislative priorities NRPA will be communicating to the new members of the U.S. Congress in a few months.
How you can be a more involved advocate of parks and recreation.
How you can get all the election information you need for your state by texting VOTE4PARKS to 52286 (which will also keep you up to date on any legislative action items from NRPA), and more!

To learn more about federal policy and legislative issues impacting parks and recreation, visit NRPA's advocacy webpage or email Elvis and Kyle at advocacy@nrpa.org

Park and Rec Planning in a New Era with David Barth — November Bonus Episode Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

On this bonus episode of the podcast, we're going to be diving deeper into one of the feature stories from the November issue of Parks & Recreation magazine, titled, "A New Approach to Parks and Recreation System Planning." In this article, the author — and our guest on today's episode — writes about how today's environment is shifting our thinking about the future of parks and recreation.

David Barth is no stranger to park and recreation planning. He is a registered landscape architect, certified planner and certified park and recreation professional who specializes in the planning, design and implementation of the public realm. He is an expert facilitator and strategic planner — he has developed park and recreation system master plans for over 80 communities, as well as led the planning and design of hundreds of parks and trails across the country.

He is also the Principal of Barth Associates, a firm specializing in parks and recreation system planning, and author of the new book, "Parks and Recreation System Planning: A New Approach for Creating Sustainable, Resilient Communities." To put it lightly, he is a well-known name and expert in the profession.

Tune in below to learn what park and recreation system planning is and how Barth got started in this work over 30 years ago, as well as:

Why shifts in our society and the various socioeconomic and environmental issues we're currently facing are causing a need for a new approach to parks and recreation system planning.
Why we should replace the traditional linear, narrowly defined parks and recreation system master planning process with a more cyclical, open-ended process.
How a thoughtful and nuanced decision-making framework gives park and recreation professionals the freedom and flexibility to respond to the issues in their communities.
How this new approach provides the opportunity for conversation and feedback among key stakeholders and decision-makers.
How this new approach will help park and recreation professionals better serve their communities, as well as meet their strategic goals.

How to Center Equity in All That We Do — Episode 076 Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

With NRPA's 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, we made a commitment to centering equity in all that we do. And we talked about this with our president and CEO, Kristine Stratton, on episode 70. The vital importance of focusing on equity has been put into the spotlight, as this year has underscored the many systemic inequities that exist in our world. Whether through the lens of public health, criminal justice, climate change or who has safe, reliable access to a park in their community, equity is essential. And because it is so essential, NRPA established a leadership role central to this work and our efforts as an organization, and we're so glad our guest today is officially part of the team.

Autumn Saxton-Ross joined NRPA as the vice president of education and chief equity officer in early September of this year. She is a true park and rec kid, and before coming on board at NRPA, she served as the mid-Atlantic regional director and equity, inclusion and diversity lead for NatureBridge, the largest residential environmental education partner of the National Park Service.

Autumn's role at NRPA will increase our capacity and enable us to partner more holistically across the field, promote and scale up equity-centered practices, and ensure that our member engagement and educational programs are aligned and support our park and recreation professionals.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn more about Autumn and her vision for NRPA and the field of parks and recreation, as well as:

How her past experience working with park and recreation professionals will help in this role.
What plans she has for park and recreation professionals who want to share information and support for others in the field who want to start addressing equity, inclusion and diversity issues.
How she plans to advance conversations that can lead to agencies implementing practices and policies that are centered in equity.
What NRPA Virtual attendees can look forward to in her Coffee Talk conversation with NRPA Virtual keynote speaker, Glenn Harris, on the evening of October 27 at 5:45 p.m. EDT, and more!

How Action Sports Can Build More Equitable Communities — Episode 075 Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

We talk a lot about how important physical activity is, and we know this has been especially true throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when people have taken to their local parks to not only maintain their physical well-being, but their mental well-being, as well. However, there is a form of physical activity that we don't get to talk about as often: action sports.

Sports like skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding can be really great outlets for physical activity, but also tools for social connection and fostering creativity and self-expression. And, many park and recreation agencies are well-positioned to offer programming around action sports, as some already manage skateparks or beaches. There are also a lot of ways park and recreation professionals can collaborate with action sports organizations to offer action sports opportunities to members of their communities, opening the door for even more people to experience this style of play.

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're thrilled to be joined by Selema Masekela, a beloved commentator, journalist, host and Emmy nominated producer, best known for his work on VICE, E! Network, National Geographic, Red Bull Media House and the ESPN X Games, where he regularly worked with some of the best action sports athletes in the world. He is a relentlessly curious narrator of the human experience, and he thrives as a Black man who has historically been "the only" in the spaces of action sports and entertainment.

We caught up with Selema to learn how action sports and other forms of recreation have shaped who he is as a person, as well as:

How the COVID-19 pandemic has increased his appreciation for recreation and outdoor spaces.
How action sports can play a critical role in shaping youth, breaking down gender norms and fostering resilience.
How to break down the negative stigma surrounding skateparks and make an argument that parks should implement skateparks.
How action sports as a part of park and recreation programming — or partnering with action sports organizations (like Stoked, an organization that Selema co-founded which uses action sports and mentoring to close the opportunity gap) — can be used to build more equitable communities.
How you can use the tools you have to ensure our public spaces are places where people feel welcome, included and safe, and more!

Why Conversations About Racial Equity Matter for Parks and Recreation — October Bonus Episode Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

On this month's bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we're diving deeper into the cover story of the October issue of Parks & Recreation magazine, "Glenn Harris: An Advocate for Racial Equity and Social Justice." In the article, NRPA's executive editor, Vitisia Paynich, interviewed our keynote speaker for the 2020 NRPA Annual Conference: A Virtual Experience, Glenn Harris. Glenn is the president of Race Forward, a national nonprofit racial justice organization based in New York and Oakland, California, and publisher of Colorlines, a daily news site where race matters.

Race Forward works to bring a systemic analysis and innovative approach to complex race issues that help people take action toward racial justice and true equity. We're thrilled to be joined by Glenn on the show today to talk about his extensive experience working on racial and social justice issues and hope this conversation leaves you not only excited about his keynote presentation in October, but also inspired to have conversations about how park and recreation professionals can advance equitable practices in your own communities.

On October 27, 2020, Glenn will speak during the Opening General Session at NRPA Virtual, but for now, tune in below to learn more about him, as well as:

How COVID-19, natural disasters, economic turmoil and the massive social justice and civil rights movement happening right now are impacting Race Forward's work.
How people can embrace struggle and find healthy ways to not only deal with that struggle, but also work towards meaningful change.
How to differentiate between diversity, equity and inclusion
How Race Forward's framework supports implementing racial equity
How park and recreation professionals can have tough conversations and help build racial equity in their communities.
What NRPA virtual attendees can anticipate taking away from his highly anticipated keynote presentation in October, and more!

The Great American Outdoors Act is Law, Part II – Episode 074 Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

On our previous episode of Open Space Radio, which was part one of our Great American Outdoors Act coverage, we spoke with Happy Haynes, the executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation, about what the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act meant for access to quality parks and recreation opportunities in her city and the country as a whole. On today's episode — part two of our coverage — we'll be speaking with two members of Congress who played integral roles in getting this historic piece of legislation passed and subsequently signed into law last month.

Today we're talking with Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, who coauthored the Great American Outdoors Act and was part of a bipartisan group of senators who introduced it in March of this year, as well as Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who also played a major role in the passage of this legislation. As you'll hear from them in this episode, getting such strong bipartisan support in Congress on any type of legislation is a challenge, especially a once-in-a-generation conversation package like the Great American Outdoors Act. But, because of the advocacy and outreach from people like you — our listeners and NRPA members — the Great American Outdoors Act had support from both sides of the political aisle and is now officially law.

This landmark legislation also fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is the most important source of federal funding for park and recreation projects.

Tune in to the full episode to learn:

What local parks Senator Heinrich and Representative Fitzpatrick visit to get away from the stresses of Washington, D.C., and their favorite parks when they're home in New Mexico and Pennsylvania, respectfully.
Why the Great American Outdoors Act is so important to each of them personally, as well as what it means for the entire country.
How the Great American Outdoors Act will benefit out local parks and ensure everyone has access to public spaces.
What's next to make sure all people have access to public parks and recreation, and more!

The Great American Outdoors Act Is Law, Part I — Episode 073 Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

Last month, we witnessed history as the Great American Outdoors Act was officially signed into law. This legislation will definitively fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF is the most important source of federal funding to create and develop local parks, trails, boat launches, sports fields, and other recreation areas and park infrastructure that enrich our communities. Permanent full funding of LWCF has been a priority of NRPA's for decades, and the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act is a huge win for every person in our country, as this critical funding advances our goal of ensuring everyone has access to the benefits of quality parks and recreation.

The Great American Outdoors Act had strong bipartisan support throughout the legislative process because it provides critical resources to local communities for parks, recreation and conservation initiatives. Thanks to the hard work of our Congressional champions, coalition partners, and the many stakeholders who advocated on behalf of parks and recreation, our goal of permanently funding LWCF is now a reality.

One of those strong advocates is Allegra "Happy" Haynes, the executive director of parks and recreation for the City and County of Denver. We're thrilled to be joined by Happy today to talk about what this means for her community — and the country as a whole — for the first part in our double-header of Great American Outdoors Act episodes. Part two will be released on Tuesday, September 22, where we'll explore how the Great American Outdoors Act was passed in Congress. In part two, we welcome two members of Congress who championed this legislation, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, to share their perspective.

Tune in to today's full episode below to learn:

Why it's so important that we make sure our voices are heard by our elected officials about these kinds of things.
Why the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act such a big deal for local parks and recreation.
What securing full and permanent funding of LWCF means for park and recreation projects in Denver.
What the future of advocating for parks and recreation looks like, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and more!

Celebrating Three Years of Open Space Radio — Episode 072 Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're celebrating our birthday! We started Open Space Radio a little over three years ago, and while many of you may have heard us talk about the early days of finding our podcasting groove — with not a whole lot of podcasting experience to pull from — we like to invite you, our listeners, in every once in a while to reflect back on some of our favorite Open Space Radio moments from the past. And we've had a lot of favorite moments.

Three years later, we still feel so lucky to be able to share with you the conversations we get to have with park and recreation professionals and other incredible people who are truly improving the quality of life for the people in their communities. Since we recently celebrated our official third birthday, we thought it would be a good time to look back on our three most-downloaded episodes to date and share some of our thoughts, as well as give you a bit of a preview of a past episode you may have missed!

Tune in to the full episode below to listen to our reflections on the past three years and hear clips from these past episodes:

1:42: Episode 24, "How Risk Play Can Benefit Kids"

- On this episode, we spoke with Tom Norquist, president of the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) about how risk and adventure play is stepping back into the limelight and helping kids' independence and creativity.

- We reflect on how this episode is still really relevant today – for one, because of the increased awareness we're currently seeing around the need for outdoor recreation during the pandemic, and also because we recently worked with IPEMA on guidance for safely using playgrounds during the pandemic.

5:57: Episode 46, "Esports at the Rec Center?"
- On this episode, we spoke with Neelay Bhatt, vice president of PROS Consulting and past NRPA board member, about what esports are, their impact on parks and recreation and the potential opportunities they present.

- We reflect on how esports and virtual programming can bridge a gap and reach audiences that haven't typically participated in traditional park and recreation offerings, and how esports are going to increase in popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

12:48: Episode 61: "How Park and Recreation Leaders are Addressing Coronavirus"

- On this episode, we talked with Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation and NRPA board member, Brian Zimmerman, CEO of Cleveland Metroparks, and Adriane Clutter, Division Chief at Montgomery County Recreation in Maryland, about how each of them was responding to COVID-19 at the time (March 10, 2020) in their respective areas of the country.

- We reflect on how the stats for this episode are so shocking to look at now compared to when we recorded the episode – for example, at the time of recording for this episode, there were only 432 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., compared to the more than 5 million current cases. We also discuss our admiration for how well park and recreation professionals have pivoted to serve their communities during such a challenging time (be sure to also listen to the May, June and September bonus episodes for more on this).

Thank you so much for your support and for listening to Open Space Radio over the years. We truly love being able to produce this podcast for you and can't wait to see what the next three years bring! As always, if you have any ideas for future episodes, reach out! Send us an email at openspace@nrpa.org or connect with us on Instagram!

How to Embrace Change and Lead During Challenging Times — September Bonus Episode Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

The September issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on this month's bonus episode, we're diving deeper into the cover story, "Going Above and Beyond," by NRPA's executive editor, Vitisia Paynich. The story highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic and the fight for racial equity compelled the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks to mobilize and take action in order to continue to serve its community.

On today's episode, we're honored to be joined by the director of Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks and former NRPA board member, Roslyn Johnson, CPRP. Roslyn recently began her role as director in February of this year, which was a challenging time to begin any new venture. Johnson is also the first woman to ever lead the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks in this role, which is a huge deal!

We talk with Johnson about the challenges that came along with transitioning into a new role in a new department at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic taking hold in the U.S., as well as how her department is supporting the community in Baltimore County throughout the pandemic and the movement for racial justice and equity.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn:

6:04: How the department made sure social equity was considered when closing the areas or infrastructure it managed due to COVID-19.
12:38: How Johnson's staff has served over a million meals since March 23.
20:37: How the department is working with the local school system to ensure kids have educational opportunities due to challenges with distance learning.
29:57: How Johnson helped facilitate tough conversations among her staff in the wake of the murder of George Floyd — among many other tragic instances of racism.
44:44: How the department is supporting protests taking place in their parks, as well as working with the police to make sure everyone remains safe during the protests.
49:45: How the "All Parks for All People" initiative and a $35 million bond referendum are helping expand equity in parks in Baltimore County, and more!

How a BioBlitz Can Help Your Conservation Efforts — Episode 071 Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we are talking about BioBlitzes. And the only thing more fun than saying "BioBlitz" may be actually participating in one. A BioBlitz is an event where your community can visit your park and identify the different wildlife species in that area. It provides an opportunity for people to understand and learn about the various species in that area, and also provides critical data and information to the staff who manage those lands.

As you encourage people in your community to get outside, stay active and connect with nature, a BioBlitz is the perfect opportunity to not only explore local parks, but also learn about the natural wonders around them. It can even be a COVID-19 safe activity as BioBlitzes can be structured to allow people to visit the park on their own. It may even inspire future generations of environmental stewards.

On today's episode, we're honored to be joined by the creator of the BioBlitz, Sam Droege. Droege is a Wildlife Biologist for Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. We're also excited to be joined by Brett Johnson, an Urban Biologist for the Dallas Park and Recreation Department.

We discuss how the BioBlitz came to be, what it looks like today, and how it is an important tool for creating ecologically beneficial habitat in local parks and for protecting species that are at risk. Droege shares how he has left the BioBlitz untrademarked and open for public use since its creation, and how local park and recreation professionals can use BioBlitzes for environmental conservation, community engagement and education. Johnson shares how these events have been beneficial in Dallas.

Tune in to the full episode below to hear our full conversation and learn:

How a BioBlitz helps land managers gain important insights about the species in their own parks and public spaces.
Tips for park and recreation agencies considering hosting a BioBlitz.
How using technology — such as mobile apps like iNaturalist — everyday people from all over the world can help inform the efforts to preserve and conserve threatened species.
The most interesting things Droege and Johnson have found during their own BioBlitzes.
The future of the BioBlitz, and more!

Interested in learning more about BioBlitzes? You can also sign up to host a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz this September in your own community and receive tools to help you plan a virtual event with physical distancing in mind. If your agency signs up to host a BioBlitz during the month of September, not only will you be helping raise pollinator awareness, you will also be entered to win a $1,000 prize and one of three ScottsMiracle-Gro prize packs to help with your pollinator habitats or programs!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected