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.
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
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?
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.