It's New Year's Eve, and on this episode of Open Space Radio, we're reflecting on the past year and sharing some of our resolutions and mantras that will keep us motivated in 2020.

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To kick off our monthly bonus episodes of Open Space Radio, we're chatting with Rich Dolesh, NRPA's Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and author of "Top Trends in Parks and Recreation 2020" - the highly anticipated article in the January issue of Parks & Recreation magazine.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we chat with John Prue, Installation Program Director at Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR), Naval Station Great Lakes, and Wynn Cramer of Melrose Pyrotechnics about the things a park and recreation agency should consider when putting on a fireworks display.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we chat with attendees at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference to learn their park and recreation life hacks — the tips and techniques that help get them through their day-to-day work.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we sit down with Delano Hunter, director of D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, to find out about the innovative programs and partnerships that are helping them better serve all members of the D.C. community.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we talk with Sue Yerkes, Director of Grandview Parks & Recreation, about how some insightful kids in her family motivated her to advance in her career, as well as inspire others to do the same.

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We sat down with Molly Gallant and Bob Wall of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference to talk about the importance of outdoor recreation opportunities in urban environments.

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Since it’s our 50th episode of Open Space Radio and we’ve been reflecting on when we first started, we're using this episode to explore one of the questions we asked while we were in Baltimore at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference: What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

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Tune in on your way to Baltimore for the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference to hear valuable insider tips on making the most of your time at conference, things that are new to the conference this year and the events that you won’t want to miss!

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Digital marketing can be a useful tool for park and recreation agencies that want to promote their programs, special events and other offerings to a broader audience, but it can be a little overwhelming if you don't know where to start.

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Today, we’re looking at intergenerational programming – what it is, how it’s working in the field and how it’s impacting those who participate in the programs.

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eSports, or video game competitions, isn’t new, but it is a growing trend. So much so that eSports is starting to make a space for itself in the world of parks and recreation.

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Sometimes just taking that first step toward your own professional development seems like a daunting task – especially if you don’t know where to start.

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Working in parks and recreation regularly provides those deeply-satisfying laughs you can feel throughout your entire body. On this episode of Open Space Radio, we chat with a few folks about their funniest stories from the field.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we kicked off Park and Recreation Month with a conversation with SaulPaul, a musician with a message.

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On today's episode of Open Space Radio, we're chatting with Keep Tennessee Beautiful and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful about how they're playing their part to clean up cigarette butt litter in their state.

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In celebration of Pride Month, we're talking about LGBTQ+ inclusion in parks and recreation on the latest episode of Open Space Radio with Jason Shriner, marketing manager for the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation.

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On the latest episode of Open Space Radio, we have an inspiring conversation with 2012 Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Jennifer French, and Greenfields Outdoor Fitness CEO, Sam Mendelsohn.

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We're taking a deeper dive into some of the questions we received during a recent webinar alongside our friend, colleague and NRPA’s Senior Manager of Public Relations, Heather Williams.

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On this episode, we’re chatting with Barbara Tulipane, NRPA’s president and CEO, about the incredible 11 years she has spent helping transform NRPA into what it is today. But we can’t help being saddened that we’re having this discussion because of her upcoming retirement in June.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're speaking with Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom about how staff meetings don't have to be a waste of valuable time and can be places where amazing ideas are born.

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In today’s episode, we take a moment to celebrate five years of Commit to Health and how we're making an impact nationwide.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're talking about one of NRPA’s top trends in parks and recreation for 2019 that is causing quite a stir.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, Mark Foote joins us to discuss the real need for parks and recreation to adapt to younger generations in order to attract and retain staff.

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ABC Park in Baltimore, Maryland, is the site of our 2019 Parks Build Community project, but Derwin Hannah has been caring for the park as a volunteer for more than 17 years.

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In this episode of Open Space Radio, we chat with Ed McMahon, the senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute, about the importance of placemaking and why developers should invest in parks and open space.

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Even though parks and open space are vital to every community, many parks are being converted to non-park uses. In some cases, the conversions of these parks are for other valuable public purposes, such as schools or roads, but the net effect is the same — the parks are lost.

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On our 25th episode, we asked you to let us know some of the things that you deal with in your career in parks and recreation that really annoy you, and you answered the call.

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On this episode of Open Space Radio, we talk about how our public built environments impact health behaviors such as physical activity and recreation, and the environment where we spend most of our time, such as work, school and sleep, has an effect on our leisure time physical activity.

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In this episode of Open Space Radio, we caught up with Becky Dunlap from the "Becky Talks Parks" podcast at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference.

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In this episode, we chat about why universal recreation is important and how it can improve all aspects of parks and recreation.

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To celebrate the 25th episode of Open Space Radio, we're discussing the things we love about park and recreation professionals.

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Unstructured, hands-on, risk play is making a comeback, and it can teach kids lessons and skills that they can take with them for the rest of their lives.

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Peter Kageyama, one of the keynote speakers at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference, discusses why he loves parks.

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July is Park and Recreation Month! On this episode, we chat with the Waukegan Park District in Illinois about how they're celebrating and all the great events they have planned.

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As one of the largest providers of meals during out-of-school times, park and recreation agencies are making significant impacts in their communities.

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In this episode, we speak with Mr. Joe Trevino, a 93-year-old veteran, and Irma Yepez-Perez, a Senior Management Analyst at the City of Fresno PARCS department.

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The story about a baby owl who fell from its nest and, after the heroic acts of Ted Mattingly, NRPA's resident hero and Director of Facilities and Administrative Services, was returned to safety.

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We asked kids to design their dream park at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and you're going to want to hear about some of these creations!

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In this episode, we're taking a look at public interest and attitudes toward digital solutions for park and recreation services.

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, yet it is largely preventable by taking certain steps.

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A shift in how people are getting around cities could mean a change in the future of land use in urban areas.

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San Francisco is the first and only city in the nation where 100 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park.

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Reno is aiming to be a leader in outdoor recreation in order to attract new business and improve overall quality of life.

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How a 9-year-old is saving pollinators with an app, a board game and endless enthusiasm.

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In today’s episode, we chat with Ava DeBovis and Daniel Hatcher from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to bust some out-of-school time myths.

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On October 10, 2017, the Trust for Public Land (TPL), the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) came together to launch a campaign called 10-Minute Walk.

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Difficult conversations can lead to great opportunities to learn and grow.

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In this third and final installment of our series on drones in parks, we speak with Rich Dolesh, NRPA’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives on the future of drones in parks.

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In this episode of Open Space Radio, we continue our three-part series on drones in parks. In the second segment, I speak with Evie Kirkwood, Director of St. Joseph County Parks in Indiana.

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Part one of a three-part series to tackle this topic by interviewing experts in the field with three different perspectives.

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This week we’re discussing what’s been on top of all of our minds over the past week or so — hurricane Harvey and the devastating destruction it’s wrought on Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf Shore.

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For the first time in 26 years, all of the US will be treated to some form of an eclipse on Monday, August 21, with a large portion being able to view a total eclipse.

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NRPA staff members share their opinions about a recent Wall Street Journal article that explores how Americans are staying put even though moving might bring them more opportunity.

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Today’s episode covers three trending topics that have been in the news lately — Pokémon Go and augmented reality games in parks, recreation fees for public land use and cool streets.

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Today’s episode is a cool topic — literally and figuratively — we’re talking about the world’s first ultra-accessible waterpark: Morgan’s Inspiration Island.

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