The Power of Your Stories — Episode 180


By Cara Myers, Christina High and Cort Jones | Posted on July 21, 2026

Pictured: Participants of City of Kerman’s Walk With Ease program, left to right: Catalina Escamilla, Maria Rivas, Lupita Cardenas, Bertha Pacheco, Shannon Barrett, Simarjeet Kaur. Photo by Jeanna Burdine-Slaven, courtesy of City of Kerman, Parks Recreation and Community Services.

Park and Recreation Month is one of our favorite times of year here at NRPA, and as we celebrate, we wanted to give one of our favorite episodes another spin. This episode originally aired as Episode 176, and it captures exactly what this month is all about: a collection of powerful stories showing how parks and recreation strengthens communities and changes lives.

We're revisiting our conversations with:

  • Shannon Barrett, CPRP, recreation coordinator for City of Kerman (California) Parks, Recreation and Community Services, and participants from the Walk With Ease program, who share how a simple walking initiative has built a tight-knit, supportive community.
  • Danielle Bachelder, CPRP, senior parks manager for Broward County (Florida) Parks and Recreation, and a young participant in the Pony Tales program, who discuss how a literacy-based initiative that invites children to read to horses is making an impact on children, families and the horses alike.

You'll also hear:

  • How a program can start small and grow into a lasting, self-sustaining community
  • Why the person leading a program can make or break the participant experience
  • What "progress, not perfection" looks like for both program participants and the staff who lead them
  • Why the simplest programs (the ones built on nothing more than walking, reading or just showing up) are often the most powerful

Listen to the episode for the full story.

You can also listen on your preferred podcast streaming service here.

One More Reason to Celebrate: The Park and Recreation Month Sweepstakes

Speaking of Park and Recreation Month, don't forget there's still time to enter the Park and Recreation Month Sweepstakes for a chance to win:

  • A complimentary full-package registration to the 2026 NRPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia
  • Three nights of lodging at a hotel in the official NRPA housing block
  • A $500 gift card to help cover travel expenses

Entries close Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Enter the sweepstakes today.

Want another shot at a free registration? Listen to a new episode of Guardians of Greenspaces and submit your feedback for an additional chance to win.


This season of Open Space Radio is sponsored by:

July is Park and Recreation Month, a celebration of the people and places that help communities thrive. BCI Burke is proud to support parks and recreation professionals as they create welcoming outdoor spaces that inspire connection, movement and belonging. Together, we’re helping people of all ages and abilities gather, explore and engage outdoors.

Learn more at bciburke.com.

Thanks to BCI Burke for supporting this episode and for their continued commitment to Play That Moves You®.