Parks and Recreation – Page 2

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Recreation

an inalienable right

Last year, I participated in a provoking thought exercise with my counterparts from other states. We attempted to develop an alternate term for “recreation and parks.”

Schuylkill River Trail. credit: Visit Philadelphia

Because recreation and parks means something different to practically every person, and carries unwanted baggage of being regarded as trivial, even laughable, and less worthy than more “important” things, we wanted to explore what single term could encompass all its comprehensive benefits.

Eleanor Warmack, CEO of the Florida Recreation and Park Association, declares, “If our industry was a corporation, we would have rebranded ourselves 20 times by now. This profession has evolved—we cannot keep using terminology from 100 years ago to limit what the public thinks of our value, nor to allow our profession to be defined by three words.”

Such a new term could indeed rebrand our entire industry and lead to universal recognition of its value! But whatever the word is, it must express all its connections to health and wellness, environmental sustainability, social equity, economic stimulation, infrastructure and resiliency, people development, community livability, and, of course, recreation and leisure services! (See Recreation & Parks’ Internet of Things, 50 Ways Parks and Recreation Pay Out Every Day, and Are We Building People—or Just Running Programs?)

Now hold that thought.

In the book The Blue Zones of Happiness, author Dan Buettner cites research from 141 countries to distill what contributes most to life satisfaction all over the world, and offers practical lessons to making happiness a personal lifestyle.

It’s fairly easy to be happy in any particular moment, of course. The challenge is to sustain an ongoing pursuit of what he calls the three P’s—purpose, pleasure, and pride—the universal keys to life fulfillment, regardless of culture or personality. And while personal discipline can go only so far, Buettner advocates “for strategies that make changes to our surroundings…that constantly nudge us into doing the right things so we don’t have to remember them on our own.”

Our governments, communities, and workplaces; our social networks, homes, and finances; and even our inner lives can be “happier by design,” he asserts. Each of his designing blueprints for happiness enumerates specific action steps for advancing our personal and collective purpose, pleasure, and pride.

In the book’s foreword, Ed Diener summarizes, “We now know that happiness is an essential part of functioning well, and that it gives a boost in well-being not only to individuals, but also to those around them, their communities, and their societies. Rather than being a luxury to be pursued only after we take care of the more important things in life, happiness is beneficial to everything else we desire: It aids our health and helps us live longer; it aids our social functioning and makes us better citizens; it helps us perform better at work; and it builds up our resilience, which enables us to bounce back after setbacks or when bad events occur in our lives. The happier we are, the better we are for our friends and family, our workplaces, our communities, and our society as a whole.”

Doesn’t this passage sound like what we strive for in providing recreation and park services?

Now back to the rebranding term for recreation and parks.

Our creative thought exercise was tough. We identified what we wanted the new phrase to embody. We noted that some park and recreation agencies are transitioning to alternate terms, like the Community Enrichment Department in St. Petersburg, Florida. We tried out new phrases. We even enlisted ChatGPT to invent a new word, which came up with such disastrous results as “recrarks,” “culturisure,” “leisureplex,” and “communivital.” Our discussion was quite stimulating, but so far, we’ve failed to invent anything that conveys so much so concisely.

But—doesn’t the above description of happiness come so very close? There might be a case for it. After all, its pursuit is singled out as an important tenet in one of our nation’s founding documents. And as everyone knows, it’s one of the inalienable rights of “We the People!”

What do you think? All comments and suggestions are welcome!

From sap to syrup

the history, lore, and how-to behind this sweet treat

If you’re a fan of maple syrup, you’ll love my little book about the history, lore, and how-to behind this unique North American treat. Learn the Natives’ stories, the methods of the colonists, and the modern innovations that make syruping a $1.4 billion global industry.

But if you’d like to try a little do-it-yourself sugaring in your backyard, this is also the source to help identify your maples, properly tap them, and boil off the sap to make your own home-grown sweetness. Recipes included!

And even if not, you’ll still want to get out and enjoy a maple festival near you, conducted by your friendly neighborhood naturalist.

Storey Publishing outdid itself in the highly attractive design of this perennial favorite, and I remain grateful to their fantastic editorial and production staff!

First Night

Here’s to a wonderful life!

Alone together without other family members this New Year’s Eve for the first time since we were newlyweds in 1978, we decided to join some of the revelers at the First Night festivities in downtown State College.

Under lightly falling snow we toured the ice sculptures and visited the live reindeer pen. We thoroughly enjoyed a performance of the Altoona Brass Collective, five tales from around the world enacted by the Adam Swartz Puppets, and a fascinatingly superb concert by Revamped, a husband and wife violin duo.

We retired early to home to watch Tractor Square Dancing from the Pennsylvania Farm Show (yes, that’s a real thing!), followed by our annual viewing of It’s A Wonderful Life.

We wish everyone a wonderful life! Happy New Year!

My mentor’s Lifetime Achievement Award

the far-reaching scope of his influence and leadership

I was very pleased to attend an informal gathering with a few former coworkers yesterday to honor our former boss Bob Shay, who was recently awarded a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education. What follows is an excerpt from my letter of support for his award nomination.

My fond and personal affiliation with Bob reaches back 44 years. Then-Senior Naturalist Bob was instrumental in hiring me as a very green (inexperienced!) environmental educator at the Somerset County Park Commission’s Environmental Education Center, and mentoring me in such a way that has deeply influenced the arc and success of my career ever since.

In 1986, Bob was promoted to Director of Natural Resources with the responsibility of coordinating activities of three Departments until 1995: Park Rangers, Horticulture, and Natural Environmental Sciences. He then headed Land Acquisition until his retirement in 1998. He’s authored three poetry books, and is working on a fourth, with many poems based on his observations and thoughts related to the natural world.

I started my career in environmental education without the traditional educational background. I believe Bob saw more potential in me than in my preparation, and chose to invest himself in my professional development. The foundation I built under Bob’s instruction and supervision not only skilled me in behavioral objectives, environmental education techniques, and the application of scientific principles; but also in such invaluable life skills as professional ethics, interpersonal communication, advocacy and public education, and organizational and community leadership.

The top tier of leadership in any profession is achieved when a leader develops other leaders, who in turn multiply the influence to an increasingly diverse audience. In our case: to nurture environmental awareness, grow understanding of the underlying issues, and raise motivation toward actions to solve the environmental and human problems facing our modern society. This very well describes Bob’s lifetime achievement. I submit myself as just one example of his professional reproduction.

From Bob’s competent mentoring, and his professional and personal friendship, his guidance set me on a career trajectory that extended the principles I learned and practiced under Bob to hundreds of thousands of people. I brought his knowledge to my later positions and in producing the master development plans for other environmental education centers.

I incorporated Bob’s environmental education principles when I founded The Roving Nature Center, America’s first fully mobile environmental education facility—bringing the resources, equipment and staff to any indoor or outdoor site throughout the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. Bob deserves derivative credit when The RNC was nationally recognized by the Take Pride in America Campaign for “commitment and exceptional contribution to the stewardship of America’s natural and cultural resources.”

And I do not exaggerate to affirm that Bob’s influence stuck with me even to my current statewide responsibilities as CEO of the principal professional member association for those who work in parks and recreation. I serve on a number of national-level Boards and committees, and even there, I carry forward the personal and professional skills I learned from Bob’s example.

I do not describe my accomplishments here to boast, (which were certainly achieved with the cooperative assistance of many other skillful, talented, and united colleagues), but to draw the detectable lines demonstrating the far-reaching and long-lasting scope of Bob Shay’s influence and leadership in the environmental education profession. And I know there are many others like me who have extended his impactful example far and wide.

I am a product of Bob’s professionalism and a proud conveyor of his legacy. I enthusiastically recommend his nomination for consideration for the Patricia Kane Lifetime Achievement Award.

National Park and Recreation Professionals Day

grateful for those who keep our parks clean, safe, and ready to use

From a concept that occurred to me during a simple trail walk four years ago to yesterday’s national celebration, I am thrilled with the attention and gratitude it brings from all over the country to all those who keep our parks and public spaces clean, safe, and ready to use. These unsung heroes deserve it!

It is these committed behind-the-scenes workers who ensure that when:

your family goes swimming, the lifeguards are well-trained and the water quality is optimal.
your grandchild visits the playground, you know it is maintained to all safety standards.
your loved one with a disability wants to camp, swim, paddle or fish, all facilities are well-marked, well-maintained and easily accessible.
you attend a public festival, all safety and security systems are capable and functioning.
your elderly parents look for enriching and companionable activities, they can always find them.
your children attend day camp, you are certain of their safe and appropriate physical, cognitive and social development.
you visit urban woodlands, gardens and greenspaces, the attractive assets are well-cared for and healthy.
your teens participate in youth sports, they thrive in the coaching, playing, and growing.
you want to bike to the park, grocery store, library or work, you are able to make those connections, free from all hazards.

I was privileged to attend one of those public celebrations, hear a local Proclamation honoring their staff, and present a commemorative plaque to my colleagues of the Carlisle Borough Parks and Recreation Department at their community pool.

But if you missed yesterday’s occasion, you don’t need to wait until the next third Friday in July. Next time you visit a park, consider it a tribute to your local park and recreation providers to just mention a little thanks to the programmer, manager, maintainer, landscaper, facilitator, lifeguard, coach, event organizer or caretaker.

Wined & Dined

in the Cradle of Liberty’s most iconic places and spaces

This past week I had the honor to be included in a bit of wining and dining by the City of Philadelphia making its pitch to host my profession’s national conference in 2026. That will be the year of our nation’s 250^th Anniversary, and the Cradle of Liberty was polishing its shine for us.

My colleagues and I were treated to whirlwind of visits to the convention center, hotels, and venues capable of hosting several hundred to eight thousand people during what would be a spectacular week full of professional development, learning, and networking.

From the thirty-third floor of the Loews Hotel we gaped at the Philly’s distinctive skyline and riverfront. We toured the expansive Pennsylvania Convention Center, inhabiting the old station of the Reading Railroad (of Monopoly fame). Reflective of that legacy, its grand entrance area depicts the iron rails still leading to the stopblock columns at the end of the line.

We swung by Love Park, Boathouse Row, and the Eakins Oval, where we met the artist painting a 450’ x 75’ mural about Ben Franklin and his kite on a sometimes-parking lot. We lunched at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Its most popular sculpture of Rocky Balboa, now moved to the bottom side of its iconic front stairway, still draws 200,000 people a year.

We toured the Tustin Rec Center, where its new basketball court memorializes Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. Tustin’s playground is where the former Los Angeles Lakers star frequented when he was younger, and the refurbished court is now making the sport more accessible to children in a safe environment.

We skipped through the Reading Terminal Market (an eclectic and busy gastronomic bazaar of more than 80 merchants), dropped in at the Barnes Museum, called on Ben at the Franklin Institute, and viewed the Fels Planetarium.

But my most memorable moment was a well-appointed evening meal in the National Constitution Center with a grand, inspirational view of Independence Mall. Facing “America’s Most Historic Square Mile” containing Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, Declaration House, and many more historically significant sites, I was both enthralled and grateful just to be there.

Natural elegance!

in the lustrous month of May

A walk in the local park this evening featured many sights and scents of the season. All were found by the side of the walking/biking trail in the natural profusion of a splendid springtime.

I’ve identified them by common name, but you may know them by others, since many have up to a dozen or more aliases. Some of the most noticeable fragrances came from some of the least flashy flowers, like common buckthorn. Some of the most intricate fruiting bodies were found on trees, like the delicate cones of the larch. Some were tiny and low to the ground, like gill-over-the-ground, while others were showy and full of themselves, like the Japanese snowball viburnum.

I also noticed many walkers, bikers, joggers, and happy doggos sharing the route through the park during this grand evening. We were even treated to an authentic garage band (in its garage!) playing 70s tunes for the appreciative listeners in lawn chairs across the street at the park’s perimeter.

There’s lots to appreciate outdoors. Now get out! It does a body (and mind) good!

The Mental and Therapeutic Benefits of Nature for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

simple steps to introduce children with ASD to nature

Whether it’s simply walking in a park, gardening, biking, kayaking, wildlife watching or even just sitting with a view of greens pace, nature is good for what ails us.

Our physical, mental and emotional health is surprisingly co-dependent on interactions with our natural environment. Regular exposure delivers restorative benefits; a lack of it brings detrimental consequences.

interaction with a family pet can be an easy at-home therapy

In his book, Last Child in the Woods, author Richard Louv describes the effects of what he called “nature-deficit disorder”: a distressing bundle of physical and emotional afflictions from the lack of personal interaction with nature — like low self-esteem, social anxieties, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

And he’s not a lone prophet crying in the wilderness: a growing body of worldwide research backs him up.

Such studies have shown that time spent in nature can raise our morale, sociability and mental clarity. It can reduce the effects of stress, anxiety, attention deficit disorder behaviors and more.

For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), research shows that engagement with nature provides sensory motor skill, emotional and social benefits. However, related issues — like sensory challenges, phobias, inappropriate behaviors and safety concerns — may make the adventure a bit harder than just your average walk in the park. Of course, each child’s strengths and needs vary, but psychologists say nature exposure can be an effective intervention strategy.

Beyond its calming attributes for children with ASD, nature also can be an exciting place to focus their exceptional powers of observation. The same single-mindedness that can master a narrow, arcane topic may also find fascination in the feel of a breeze, the ripples in a puddle, the rhythm of a katydid, the colors in a rainbow, the fragrance of a rose, or the textures and patterns in a pinecone.

Interacting with animals is another encouraging ASD-nature connection. Equine therapy uses horses and trained instructors to help the children calm, focus, think, talk, behave and learn. Family pets can be a ready-at-any-time, home-based therapy. Studies have shown that children with autism who had a pet from a young age tended to have greater social skills. Other research verifies how social behaviors in children with ASD temporarily improve after even a short play period with a live animal, such as a guinea pig (versus a toy).

My family experience with my youngest son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, bears this all out. From the time he was 5 years old, we lived in the country, with nature literally out the door, and he often played and explored outside contentedly for long stretches. (We did have a neighbor through the woods who sometimes blasted his radio as far as our yard, which greatly upset our son in his quiet communing with nature. We had to go ask him to turn it down, which he graciously did.) For a time, we had a knuckleheaded dog, named Toby, which our young son loved and treated very well, as he did a series of multicolored cats. One year, he incubated bobwhite quail eggs and raised the chicks until they matured, and we released them into our back field. Another year, he raised chickens until the roosters crowed at 4 a.m. In all his animal interactions, he brought enthusiasm and a pleasant demeanor to his interest and grew in his responsibilities for caring for them.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry adds that caring for a pet can help children develop nonverbal communication, compassion, empathy and trusting relationships. Along with their connection to nature, pets also can bring comfort contact for unmet physical and emotional needs.

Here are some simple, starting steps to introduce children with ASD to nature:

Allow them to enjoy unstructured play in a natural area in their own way. Do not feel you must direct them; self-directed nature play builds creativity and problem solving. Let them stare at a leaf, if that’s what they like. Getting dirty is fine.

Your natural area need not be a park or preserve set aside for such purposes. It can be a flower bed, a backyard tree or even some sticks and leaves. Start from where you and your child are both comfortable, and plan for incremental steps.

Look for different kinds of wildlife or plants, even if it is through a window. Set up a birdfeeder or watch for squirrels. Let them count the number of butterflies, or how many different kinds of weeds they can find growing in the crack of the sidewalk. Nature is all around, even in urban areas, there to be noticed.

Add small excursions as comfort and interest grows. Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Plan a trip to pick apples, strawberries or pumpkins. Try to identify constellations in the nighttime sky. Go out in a rainstorm. Make bark rubbings of trees. Order a chrysalis and watch the butterfly emerge. Create a windowsill garden. Plant a tree. Build a snowman. Erect a small hut as a safe outdoor shelter as a play retreat, where they can simply sit and be silent if they want. Collect differently colored leaves, etc.

Simple interactions with nature can bring both immediate and long-range therapeutic benefits for children with ASD. All they need is someone to introduce them in ways they can appreciate; nature provides the rest.

Privileged in Phoenix

Primo perks at an exceptional national conference

Meaningful meetups:
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent and keynote speaker Dr.Sanjay Gupta spoke on Lessons From the Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One, and about the healthiest people in the world, the indigenous Tsimane of the Bolivian rainforest, who take 17,000 steps a day and never sit down.

Dr. Temple Grandin, the world-renown designer of cattle handling systems, professor, best-selling author, and accomplished authority with autism, spoke on Inclusion for All Types of Minds and Bodies in Parks and Recreation. We spoke briefly about Asperger’s Syndrome while she autographed two of her books for me.

After six months of virtual interactive meetings, my mentee and I finally met in person over lunch. Despite holding the senior position in the relationship, I’ve learned a great deal from my new colleague and friend.

Outstanding observations:
Phoenix is a good-looking city, surrounded by the barren teeth of spectacular mountains, and boasts a first-class convention center.

Yes, but it’s a dry heat. I quickly learned to walk on the shady side of the street. But scooting across town in a suit after dark in a 98° scorch was ridiculous.

I was invited to pose with some Pennsylvania peers who were recognized among The Best of the Best. And for the second time in my career, I accepted an award for something I didn’t earn. Standing in for the actual winner is an easy gig!

Best takeaway:
It’s a fantastic privilege to learn and network with thousands of the best in the business!

Strength in diversity of thinking

inclusion insights from the neurodivergent

Carol and I were very fortunate to meet Temple Grandin last week when she spoke at the National Recreation and Park Association’s Conference in Phoenix.

Dr. Grandin is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one-third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. In 2010, Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people.

She is also autistic and a strong advocate for those who think differently from most of the rest of the world. We have learned from her since our son was first diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome as he entered junior high school.

Temple spoke of her personal experiences navigating life experiences, and about the strength that diversity of perspectives and abilities brings to park planning—as well as all of life.

Her collaboration with the playground design firm Play & Park Structures is one of the first to address the needs of neurodivergent individuals and those with different minds who have different play needs and styles.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: