Introducing Guardians of Greenspaces — Episode 168
Open Space Radio
Happy Earth Month! On today’s episode, we’re excited to share a collaboration with NRPA’s new podcast, Guardians of Greenspaces. is a podcast focused on conservation from a park and recreation maintenance lens. Hosted by Rukmini Kalamangalam, a program specialist on NRPA’s community and environmental resilience team, Guardians of Greenspaces uplifts voices of experts in the field and will drop weekly for the next 10 weeks. We recently caught up with Rukmini to learn more about this new podcast and how it will bring value to maintenance staff working in the conservation and...
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Celebrating Women’s History Month in Parks and Recreation — Episode 167
Open Space Radio
On this episode of Open Space Radio, we’re celebrating the incredible women in parks and recreation who are shaping the profession and making a difference in their communities. Women have long played a vital role in parks and recreation – but it has historically been a male-dominated industry. Today, the leadership and presence of women in the profession continue to grow. In fact, within NRPA’s membership of more than 60,000 park and recreation professionals: 47 percent of members identify as women 48 percent of 2023 NRPA Annual Conference attendees identified as women 53 percent of...
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Youth Sports: If She Can See It, She Can Be It — Episode 166
Open Space Radio
On this episode of Open Space Radio, we explore the critical role that parks and recreation plays in advancing sports opportunities for all youth — especially girls. Providing these opportunities is more than just fairness; it’s about giving girls the opportunities and support they need to succeed, both on and off the field. Participation in sports is linked to increased self-esteem, better academic performance and higher career aspirations for girls. Sports also have the power to build confidence, foster leadership skills and create lifelong connections. However, girls often face barriers...
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Mentoring: A Positive Impact for All — Episode 165
Open Space Radio
Pictured: Teen Leaders in the HYPE program at City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities participate in an exercise to overcome obstacles. Photo courtesy of Blythe Brown. Did you know that 74 percent of adults who were mentored as youth say their mentor contributed significantly to their success in life? Now, consider that more than 1 in 3 young people in America are growing up without a mentor. Fortunately, park and recreation professionals are addressing this gap by bringing more mentoring opportunities to youth across the country. And, NRPA is in their efforts to build...
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Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Inspiring Park and Recreation Stories — Episode 164
Open Space Radio
It’s our final episode of Open Space Radio for 2024! Did you know we released 15 episodes this year and talked with 27 amazing community leaders for a whopping 758 minutes of conversation (more than 12 hours!) about the power of parks and recreation? Thank you to everyone who joined us on the show to share their story this year and to everyone who tuned in to an episode. We truly love amplifying these stories through our platform and appreciate you trusting us with that! On today’s episode, we’re reflecting on some of our favorite moments from the year, as well as chatting about what...
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Sustainability and Environmental Resilience in Parks — Episode 163
Open Space Radio
Sustainability and Environmental Resilience in Parks — Episode 163 On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, I’m excited to share our collab episode with GovLove Podcast, which we recorded live back in October at the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference. This was our first live episode recording — with an audience. So, besides the obvious nerves that came along with that, it was such a fun, enriching conversation and it definitely won’t be our last! I was honored to co-host this conversation alongside Ben Kittleson, manager at Raftelis and co-host/producer of GovLove. is a production of...
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From Newcomer to Seasoned Professional: Navigating the NRPA Annual Conference — Episode 162
Open Space Radio
We are getting very excited to travel to Atlanta (in just one week!) to connect with thousands of our closest park and recreation friends at the . And on today’s episode, we’re talking with someone who is local to the Atlanta area and might have some insider tips if you’ll be joining us next week. Jamiah Flagg, CPRP, is the operations coordinator at Douglasville Parks and Recreation in Georgia, and after sharing a with us about her 2023 conference experience, we knew we wanted to chat with her further since this year’s conference is right in her backyard. We discussed what receiving...
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Roving Leaders: Decades of Empowering Youth in D.C. — Episode 161
Open Space Radio
On today’s episode, we welcome a superstar of out-of-school time programming! The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is making a huge impact on youth in the DC area through its weekly after-school group mentoring program, Roving Leaders. Among countless initiatives and opportunities that are part of the program, top of mind this time of year is the fact that Roving Leaders visit with students in schools outside of program times. They are truly going the extra mile. DPR’s Roving Leaders program has been around since the 1950s, building relationships of trust...
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NRPA Annual Conference Tips for First-Time Attendees — Episode 160
Open Space Radio
In less than 40 days, thousands of park and recreation professionals from across the country will gather in Atlanta for the . This is, without a doubt, the best park and recreation conference you can attend — it’s filled with tons of amazing opportunities to learn, build your network, and of course, have a little fun with your peers. As we get closer to the conference, we know there are probably some professionals out there who are attending for the first time and have a lot of questions. Cort recently asking for previous attendees to share their best tips for first-timers,...
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From Access to Action: How We Can Thrive Like a Meadow — Episode 159
Open Space Radio
On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re excited to chat with someone very influential in the outdoor recreation industry who is doing a ton of good work to raise awareness about protecting our environment. Not only that, but he is also a leader when it comes to making the outdoors more equitable and accessible. José Gonzáles is the founder of Latino Outdoors, an organization working to bridge the gap and create more inclusive and accessible outdoor experiences and opportunities for Latino Communities. He also currently serves as the equity officer at East Bay Regional Park District...
info_outlineI was recently pulling some of the Open Space Radio statistics for a presentation to NRPA staff, and while I was presenting, I kept thinking to myself, “The numbers are great, it’s important to track these kinds of metrics. But also, we have had some truly remarkable guests and amazing conversations over the course of this show, and you can’t really put that through quantitative analysis.”
So, it inspired me to do a little 2023 so far recap episode. Throughout this episode, I’m featuring little nuggets from a few episodes we’ve released so far this year until August. We’ve released a lot more episodes than the ones featured here, so if something in this episode doesn’t resonate, be sure to check out all of our previous episodes. However, these are just a few from this year that have resonated with me and continue to replay in my head.
I also know not everyone gets a chance to listen to every single episode (but for those of you who do – thank you!), so I thought this would also be a jam-packed opportunity for you to get a bunch of good stuff in one less-than-an-hour package. We're also in autumn mode now, so enjoy the photo of fall foliage :)
I hope you find a little inspiration in one of these clips and I encourage you to go back and listen to the full episodes, which are all linked below. I can’t wait to continue sharing these stories of the impact that parks and recreation is having across the country for the remainder of this year and into the future. We have some exciting things lined up, and I can’t wait to bring you along!
Tune in to the full episode to hear clips from:
- Vicky Stott (she/her), senior program officer for racial equity and community engagement at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, who discusses how racial healing is connected to love, cherishing and respecting humanity, and acknowledging others’ lived experiences. Listen to the full episode 127 here.
- Will “Akuna” Robinson (he/him), who was the first Black man to complete the triple crown of hiking. We discuss his beginnings in outdoor recreation to heal from PTSD from his previous military experience and how we can continue breaking down barriers so everyone can experience the power of outside. Listen to the full episode 129 here.
- Cal Dobbs (he/they), a queer transgender ultra marathoner and long-distance hiker who recently ran across the country — from California to Florida — fighting for the inclusion of transgender people in sports and access to gender-affirming healthcare. Bonus: Cal will also be joining us at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference in Dallas, Oct 10-12, discussing youth sports equity! Listen to the full episode 132 here.
- Mike Cimprich (he/him), the city arborist for Marion Parks and Recreation in Iowa, who was honored with Merrell’s Changing Nature of Work Award for his critical work in the city of Marion after the 2020 Central Severe Weather-Derecho, known as the “costliest thunderstorm event in U.S. history.” Listen to the full episode 134 here.
- Daniel Hatcher (he/him), the senior director of strategic partnerships at Alliance for a Healthier Generation, who discusses why park and recreation professionals are critical to physical, mental, and social-emotional health – and the overall health and well-being of our communities. Listen to the full episode 136 here.
- Laine Fabijanic, the community and therapeutic recreation supervisor for City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, who is leading a therapeutic recreation program that is bringing recreational opportunities to all members of the community, regardless of their ability, to increase quality of life for all. Listen to the full July bonus episode here.
- Kelly Messer, PE, a project manager for Columbus Recreation and Parks, who discusses how an entire community of supportive skateboarders, and community members alike, led to the completion of the Tuttle Park Skatepark and overall park improvements. Listen to the full episode 139 here.
- Sarah Olson, deputy director of Lynnwood (Washington) Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, who discusses a community-driven, comprehensive park and trail capital project plan and prioritization project that the department is utilizing to center equity in its park system planning. Listen to the full episode 140 here.
This episode of Open Space Radio is sponsored by Niagara Water. This Summer, Niagara Water is providing communities across Texas, California, and Georgia with a chance to upgrade their local park to the outdoor space of their dreams. 9 parks are nominated. 3 will be selected to receive a $75,000 refresh. Support your favorite park daily through September 18th at NiagaraPerkYourPark.com. Niagara Water. Now that’s refreshing.