Earth Month Marion Pod 410

Celebrating Earth Month with Merrell and Marion, Iowa — Episode 134

By Cort Jones | Posted on April 18, 2023

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we talk with Regina Hill, the CSR marketing manager for Merrell, and Mike Cimprich, the city arborist for the Marion Parks and Recreation Department in Iowa.

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urbanforestry 2023 410

Funding Available: Urban and Community Forestry Program

By Elyse Gentile | Posted on April 17, 2023

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Urban and Community Forestry Program received a historic $1.5 billion to support urban tree-planting, urban forest planning and management, and related activities, particularly in disadvantaged communities

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50YearsEarthMonth blog 410

A Look Back: Environmental Attitudes 50 Years in the Making

By Lindsay Collins | Posted on April 17, 2023

In the April 1973 issue of Parks & Recreation magazine — 50 Earth Months ago — contributor Lloyd Barnhart authored an article titled, “Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Attitudes.” As the landscapes — literal and figurative — continue to change 50 years later, how are environmental attitudes and solutions changing with them?

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Pittsburgh 2023 410

The Power of Partnerships for Pittsburgh’s Greenways

By Audrey Wells | Posted on April 14, 2023

Thanks to an NRPA Resilient Park Access Grant, the Pittsburgh Greenways Platform Partnership program is creating a more visible difference for the community and the Pittsburgh ecosystem at large.

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Green City Planning Blog 2023 410

City Planning With Parks in Mind

By Chandler Nobles, MS, CPRP | Posted on April 11, 2023

Parks are an essential component of a city’s green infrastructure and serve as a tool for achieving sustainable development. Here are a few ways that parks and recreation plays a role in green city planning.

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Episode133 410

Reflecting on Earth Month: A Look Back at Sustainability and Climate-Focused Episodes — Episode 133

By Cort Jones | Posted on April 4, 2023

In celebration of Earth Month, we take a look back at a few Open Space Radio episodes from the past year focused on climate solutions, sustainability and more,

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Earth Month Blog 410 2023

Five Ways Parks and Recreation Is a Climate Hero

By Ayanna Williams, MSW | Posted on March 31, 2023

Break out the capes, this Earth Month NRPA is celebrating all the ways parks and recreation is a climate hero. Here are some ways you can be part of the celebration.

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Milkweed pod 410

Full Circle Ecological Programming: Engaging Your Community in All Parts of a Restoration Project

By Audrey Cooper, MNR, CPRP | Posted on March 29, 2023

Restoration projects often follow a four-phase framework. Audrey Cooper, MNR, CPRP, the planning and projects coordinator for Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation, shares ways you can engage your community in each phase.

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EPA blog 410

$70 Million to Support Environmental Justice Through EPA

By Miriam Lamoreaux | Posted on March 14, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new funding opportunity to support park and recreation agencies and their community partners in their critical efforts to combat the impacts of climate change.

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Episode131 410

Continuing a Legacy of Service to Create a Better World — Episode 131

By Cort Jones | Posted on March 7, 2023

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're joined by Norma Edith García-Gonzalez, director of Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation, to discuss how she's leading with equity, as well as L.A. County's recently adopted 30x30 plan.

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NOLA Resilient Park Access 410

The Resilience of New Orleans Leading to Workforce Development

By Stephanie Dreher and Justin Taylor | Posted on February 3, 2023

The City of New Orleans, one of NRPA's Resilient Park Access grantees, is currently updating its master plan in an effort to increase equitable access to resilient parks.

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New Pollinator Resource 1 30 410

Create More Sustainable Parks Through Pollinator and Native Habitat

By Michele White, CAE, IOM | Posted on January 30, 2023

Our new resource, Parks and Pollinators: Taking Action and Advancing Sustainability, provides tools to help you assess, plan and advance your efforts to support pollinators and biodiversity.

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Group Photo Parks Needs Assessment Plus 410

Conservation Reimagined: Los Angeles County’s 30x30 Plan

By Clement Lau, DPPD, FAICP | Posted on December 15, 2022

On December 6, 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) Final Report as the county’s 30x30 plan. 30x30 refers to the goal of conserving 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by 2030 to address climate change and protect biodiversity.

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Episode125 410

Enhancing Resilient Park Access in Toledo, Ohio — Episode 125

By Cort Jones | Posted on December 13, 2022

On the latest episode of Open Space Radio, we chat with Karen Ranney Wolkins, the commissioner of parks and recreation and community enrichment for City of Toledo, Ohio, to discuss how the city is prioritizing community and equity in their plans to build more parks.

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Episode124 410x2

Increasing Access to Nature in The Motor City — Episode 124

By Cort Jones | Posted on November 29, 2022

On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, I’m joined by staff from City of Detroit Parks and Recreation, which was one of seven agencies that received NRPA's Resilient Park Access grant.

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Episode122 410

Creating a More Sustainable, Eco-Friendly World – Episode 122

By Cort Jones | Posted on November 15, 2022

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're celebrating America Recycles Day with Manuela Barón, a Colombian-American sustainability activist, artist and founder of The Girl Gone Green, an inclusive community that fosters social and environmental change and encourages people to live more consciously.

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Pre Conf Workshop Park Access 410

Ensuring Equitable Access to Parks Through Systems Change

By Justin Taylor | Posted on November 8, 2022

NRPA and Children and Nature Network partnered to dive into the importance of systems change perspectives and application with a workshop for NRPA’s Resilient Park Access grantee cohort prior to the 2022 NRPA Annual Conference.

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2022 bioblitz blog 410

Highlighting the 2022 Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz Winners

By Michele White, CAE, IOM | Posted on October 28, 2022

This September, NRPA hosted its fourth annual Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz. This year, we had many agencies join us again, while welcoming new agencies who hosted a BioBlitz for the first time.

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