Open Space Radio

Latest Episodes:

The Importance of Collaboration During COVID-19 — May Bonus Episode Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

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 one of the feature articles, "Collaboration in the Time of Pandemic." We're honored to be joined by the author, and executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, as well as Jane Rudolph, director of Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation, and Kirk Kincannon, executive director of Fairfax County Park Authority.

On today's episode, we talk with these three park and recreation leaders from the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., about their collaborative response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their three agencies, as well as other local agencies, have been collaborating for many years, but that existing relationship has been even more beneficial during this time. While each of them has navigated tough decisions related to public health and their parks systems, having each other's support has been key.

We discuss the difficult decisions they've had to make as far as closing their parks and the tough conversations that happened prior to making that decision. Although most trails are still open, these agencies, along with others in the area, ultimately decided to close their parks and confront the situation from a public health perspective, hoping to slow the spread of COVID-19. And, in an area like Northern Virginia, where many of the parks and trails that these agencies manage intertwine, it was necessary to have a unified approach.

Their unified approach and collaboration have ensured simple, consistent messaging to the communities they serve, as well as consistent messaging to their staff — many of whom are still working, while maintaining proper physical distancing, to make sure that when the parks are cleared to open, they will be ready.

Tune in to learn how these three agencies have been supporting each other and their communities in a time filled with uncertainty, as well as what types of messaging have been most impactful for them and how this collaboration is helping them plan for the future.

Safely Celebrate Earth Day with Parks and Recreation — Episode 064 Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

Earth Day is a time when people all over the world promote the importance of environmental awareness, and it serves as a reminder that anyone can take small steps to protect the environment. This year, on April 22, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

Earth Day has been a critical event since its inception in 1970 – in fact, in response to the very first Earth Day, landmark environmental laws like The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act were created, as well as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And while this is an extremely important day, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the planned celebrations have had to go virtual.

On today's episode, we're joined by three dedicated and creative staff members of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in Ohio to talk about the virtual Earth Day celebrations they have planned so their community can learn more about the environment around them and how to protect it. Joining us on the show from Columbus Recreation and Parks Department are:

Betty Blockinger, Volunteer Manager
Colleen Sharkey, Program Coordinator
Rosalie Herndon, Environmental Planner

We talk about what Earth Day means to each of them, as well as why it's so important to celebrate. And, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, their department is hosting a 10-day virtual Earth Day celebration to help the people who live in Columbus explore all the things that live and grow around their homes and in the community's parks through a fun, scavenger hunt-style activity — while being mindful of physical distancing guidelines and state and local ordinances.

Various things to search for will be posted on their department's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts from April 15-25, and community members can win prizes by posting photos of the things they find, tagging the department and using #VirtualEarthDayCbus. People are encouraged to use iNaturalist, a mobile app that can be used to observe and identify various species — everything from the rarest of butterflies to a common weed.

The observations made through iNaturalist also support the conservation community at large. All the observations are verified by a community of experts and go through a process of verification and ultimately end up as data for researchers and environmentalists from around the globe to use. Here's a video of Colleen showing how easy it is to use!

The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is also engaging their community during this time through:

Sharing gardening tips and other activities on their outdoor recreation program's Instagram account
Get Active At Home: With fitness facilities closed, the department's health and wellness team is posting workouts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to encourage residents to get off the couch and get moving at home. From low-intensity workouts to adaptive yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), there are a variety of workouts for all ages and fitness levels.
CAC Create at Home: While art classes at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center (CAC) are currently canceled, local artists are giving step-by-step instructions on creative arts projects via Facebook Live every Tuesday and Thursday at noon on the CAC Facebook page.

Thanks to Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and the important work of Betty, Colleen and Rosalie, the people who live in Columbus, Ohio, will be able to safely celebrate Earth Day — and regardless of where you live, this episode may give you ideas on how you can safely celebrate, as well!

Celebrating 150 Years of Golden Gate Park, Virtually — Episode 063 Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

The year was 1870. It was only five years after the end of the Civil War, and it was the year that the California legislature proclaimed the inception of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. This iconic park is affectionately known to San Franciscans as "Everybody's Park," and 150 years later, it is celebrating its sesquicentennial.

We originally recorded today's episode a few months ago with Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, to talk about all the things that were planned in celebration of Golden Gate Park's 150th birthday, which took place on April 4.

When we recorded that interview, no one could have predicted that things would look the way they do now with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Californians — along with most of the country — being asked to stay home and not gather in large groups to slow the spread, among other precautions, Phil and his team had to get creative in order to allow people to still be able to celebrate this monumental event.

Today's episode starts off with the first part of our original interview, as Phil talks about the history of Golden Gate Park and some of the things that make it so special and unique. Fortunately, we were able to talk with Phil again yesterday to get an update on the celebration and how people can join in and pay tribute to this historic event, which you'll hear in the last half of the episode.

To kick off the celebration starting on April 4, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department launched a virtual concert series that will bring some of the historic past outdoor concerts and performances held in the park to people everywhere to enjoy for free. New concerts will be available to view every week throughout the year at the Virtual Golden Gate Park, and the first performance was a Boz Scaggs concert from 2016. The San Francisco-based rock band, Metallica, even sent a special birthday message to the park.

Besides the legendary virtual concerts, the celebration's website will continue to be updated with ways people can celebrate, including virtual tours, downloadable coloring books and more.

Please join us in wishing Golden Gate Park a Happy 150th Birthday!

Other resources related to this episode:

How Parks Can Ensure Fireflies Continue to Shine Bright — April Bonus Episode Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Disclaimer: Today's episode was previously recorded and focuses on how parks can help save fireflies, which is the cover story of the April issue of Parks & Recreation magazine. We recognize some of the topics discussed on this episode are more difficult to implement at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we hope you find the topic interesting and that it will give you some ideas for the future. If nothing else, you'll learn some fascinating facts about fireflies! We also want you to know that NRPA is actively monitoring developments around the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it is impacting parks and recreation — head to our Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) web page for the most up-to-date information on our response, as well as resources from NRPA, health organizations and federal agencies

The April issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on this bonus episode of Open Space Radio, we're diving deeper into the feature article, "Can Parks Help Save Fireflies?" We're joined by the author, and editor-at-large for Parks & Recreation, Richard J. Dolesh, as well as Michele White, an NRPA conservation program manager, to talk about the current threat to the firefly species. And, whether you call them fireflies or lightning bugs, one thing is certain: they need our help.

There are about 2,000 species of fireflies worldwide, and approximately 170 species are found in the United States. Currently, the greatest threats to these species are loss of habitat, light pollution and the use of certain pesticides, but there are ways that parks can become more "firefly friendly" and help save the future of these species. On this episode, we discuss some current projects in parks around the country that are helping educate the public about fireflies, as well as some things that parks can do to help stifle the threat to the species, including:

Mowing grasslands and meadow habitat in rotational strips or a mosaic pattern (this is great for pollinators, too)
Creating more meadows and more edge habitat, and leaving a grass buffer strip around forest edges
Trying to create more moisture year-round, if possible.
Planting green infrastructure areas with pollinators and fireflies in mind
Leaving forested areas natural — allow for more leaf litter and leave downed trees in place, as this is where firefly larvae are typically found
Evaluating your outdoor lighting and reducing light-spread, if possible, in high-quality habitat areas

Of course, thinking of fireflies tends to bring a sense of nostalgia, so Rich and Michele each share some of their earliest memories and discuss how the joy of seeing fireflies is often a person's first vivid memory of connecting with nature. And while the days of running around trying to catch fireflies in mason jars may be behind us (it is strongly advised against, nowadays), we talk about how there are still safe, responsible ways to appreciate our illuminated friends of the night. We also talk about how educating kids about fireflies can be a great catalyst for starting a lifelong appreciation of the outdoors and relationship with nature.

Other useful resources discussed in this episode:

NRPA's Parks for Pollinators

Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz

International Dark Sky Association

Xerces Society

Conserving the Jewels of the Night

iNaturalist

The Importance of Mentoring in Parks and Recreation — Episode 062 Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Disclaimer: Today's episode was previously recorded and focuses on the importance of mentoring in parks and recreation. While we recognize some of the topics discussed on this episode are more difficult to implement at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage you to think of creative ways you can continue to connect with your community, while following all local, state and national ordinances and guidelines. NRPA is actively monitoring developments around the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it is impacting parks and recreation — head to our Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) web page for the most up-to-date information on our response, as well as resources from NRPA, health organizations and federal agencies

One in three young people in the U.S. reaches age 19 without a mentor of any kind. This includes the nine million at-risk youth who are missing the critical support and connections that mentoring can provide. But, park and recreation agencies are closing this gap by offering one-on-one and group youth mentoring programs and helping at-risk youth gain access to quality mentors.

To assist in this work, NRPA recently launched an initiative dedicated to developing and implementing a mentorship program for youth impacted by the opioid crisis in rural Central Appalachia. One community that has felt this crisis heavily is Elizabethton, Tennessee, where many people have been impacted in some way, either directly or indirectly through family and friends struggling with substance-use disorder. The impact of this crisis on the youth in Elizabethton was even recently covered in a New York Times article and includes perspectives from one of our guests today and the work she is doing. In places facing similar issues, park and recreation professionals often serve as mentors and the one caring adult for children who experience adversity and trauma in their households or community.

On today's episode, we're joined by Kelly Kitchens, the program/special events coordinator for City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department, and Lauren Kiefert, an NRPA program specialist, to talk a little about NRPA's Mentoring in Parks and Rec initiative and the critical work being done in Elizabethton.

We discuss what mentoring means to each of them and how mentorship has shaped the person they've each become. Other questions we tackle in this episode include:

What does a mentoring program need to look like in an area that has been hit hard by the opioid crisis — like Elizabethton?
Why is it important to implement mentoring programs into existing park and recreation offerings?
How do we ensure the importance of mentoring stays relevant?
What is the future of mentoring in parks and recreation?

How Park and Recreation Leaders are Addressing Coronavirus — Episode 61 Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made its way to the U.S. and the number of people infected continues to rise, with at least 539 confirmed cases in the U.S. at the time of this recording (at the time this episode was published, numbers had been recalculated to 432 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). As the gatekeepers of many of our nation's public gathering spaces, park and recreation professionals are seeking answers to key questions as they prepare strategies around response and prevention in the coming days and weeks — especially in communities that are starting to document confirmed cases.

To help answer some of these questions, on today's episode we're joined by three park and recreation leaders from across the country who are actively addressing issues related to coronavirus:

Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation and NRPA board member
Brian Zimmerman, CEO of Cleveland Metroparks
Adriane Clutter, Division Chief

Each of the states where these three live and work are experiencing confirmed or potential cases of COVID-19. As of this recording, Washington State had 136 confirmed cases, the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region had nine confirmed cases, and in Ohio, there are four potential cases being investigated (three of those cases have been confirmed at the time of publishing this episode).

On this episode, we chat about:

The impact of COVID-19 so far in each of their communities
How they are handling communications to community members and dealing with misinformation and stigma surrounding this disease
How they are collaborating with state and local health officials as well as other nearby park and recreation departments
Preparations for the financial implications of COVID-19
Actions their agencies are taking to ensure they have proper staff coverage while keeping staff as safe as possible
The importance of creating talking points for staff to ensure everyone is on the same page when communicating with the public

Tune in to the episode below to hear our full conversation on how these three leaders are ensuring their communities stay healthy, well-informed and safe.

Resources discussed in this episode:

Other helpful resources:

A Blueprint for Social Equity and Economic Prosperity — March Bonus Episode Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

The March issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on this bonus episode of Open Space Radio we're diving deeper into one of the feature articles, "St. Louis: A Path Toward Equitable Design." The article showcases the framework plan for the Chouteau Greenway in St. Louis — a $250 million greenway development. The public-private partnership spans 15 miles and 20 neighborhoods, with the goal of connecting communities and unifying different populations.

One person who has played an instrumental role in this project is Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway, and we're thrilled to chat with her on the show.

On this episode, we discuss how important it is that a public space like this connects diverse populations throughout the city, and the impact that this kind of project makes on the communities that it touches.

We also talk about the release of the Chouteau Greenway Framework Plan that was recently released in December 2019. The plan focuses on four main topics:

Alignment (feasibility of possible routes),
Design & Identity (look and feel of the greenway),
Economic Growth (the greenway as a catalyst for opportunity)
Equity (equitable outcomes in project and process)

Social equity remains at the forefront of Chouteau Greenway, as well as community engagement, and Great Rivers Greenway is currently reviewing submissions for the new name of the greenway. Due to the sensitive nature of the name "Chouteau," which was the name of a slave owner in St. Louis, a large part of this project is soliciting a new name from the community — and they have over 1,000 submissions!

To learn more about this project and see what the future holds for the greenway, tune in to the episode below.

Cultivating a New Generation of Diverse Environmental Leaders — Episode 060 Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Parks everywhere serve as a gateway to nature and the great outdoors. As stewards of these spaces, it's our responsibility to cultivate the next generation of diverse environmental leaders that will utilize and protect these spaces for generations to come.

To assist park agencies with this important work, NRPA recently collaborated with renowned expert and author, Angelou Ezeilo, to host an interactive diversity workshop at our headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia, and we're thrilled to have her join us on the show.

Angelou is the founder and CEO of Greening Youth Foundation, an organization that focuses on the recruitment and placement of thousands of youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds in careers in conservation and land management. Her book, Engage, Connect, Protect: Empowering Young Diverse Environmental Leaders, illustrates the lifelong pursuit of inclusion and equity in conservation and environmental stewardship.

On today's episode, we chat with Angelou about her journey and the work she is doing to bridge the cultural divide and activate a new generation of environmental stewards, as well as why it's so important to foster a love for this kind of mission.

We also chat about why culturally relevant curriculum is necessary to engage more diverse youth in environmental conservation, and how intentional and thoughtful partnerships can help park and recreation agencies work with diverse youth in their own communities.

We discuss why it's important to have these discussions — even when they may make us feel uncomfortable or unsure. Talking is more important than not talking, and it gets easier the more we do it.

To learn more about Angelou's inspiring work, tune in to the full episode below, and be sure to check out these resources, as well:

How Park and Recreation Professionals Are Agents of Change — Episode 059 Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

On today's episode, we sit down with Kristine Stratton, NRPA President and CEO, and Neelay Bhatt, Vice President at PROS Consulting Inc, to discuss their presentation at the Agents of Change Summit this week. They'll be in San Diego, California, sharing how park and recreation professionals are agents of change in their communities — particularly around how they influence and change health behaviors and how parks are a solution to many of our most pressing health and wellness challenges, like obesity, mental health issues and substance use.

They will be talking with public health professionals about why they need to be thinking about parks as a partner and solution, and how park and recreation professionals are already tackling many of these issues in their communities.

We talk about why it's important to share the story of parks and recreation — and all the things that local park and recreation professionals provide in their communities — with various audiences and stakeholders, as well as how park and recreation professionals can ensure they aren't only part of the conversation about these societal challenges, but leading it.

Tune in to the full episode below to hear other topics we discuss, such as:

How solutions to global problems start at the local level
How other countries are using parks and recreation to help solve many of these problems
How partnerships differ when it comes to public health issues
How park and recreation master planning can help in solving these problems

Turning Impossible Situations into Opportunities — Episode 058 Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

Today's episode is a deep dive into how one impossible situation can inspire multiple opportunities within a community. We hear from Jessica Patterson, Community Outreach Coordinator for Groton Parks and Recreation in Connecticut and Officer Heather McClelland, Community Policing Officer for the Groton Police Department. These are two truly inspirational people who came together from two different public agencies to create a network of support for Alzheimer's Caregivers as well as a Cognitive Safety and Awareness Program for their community.

What started as a way for Jessica to cope with her mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's has turned into multiple programs and cross-department partnerships that are enriching an entire community and making it safer.

Tune into this episode to hear how this came to be and how "we are all in this together."

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected