Park Stories

Sport and social clubs look to parks for fitness and community   By Mary Helen Sprecher The fastest-growing demographic of athletes in parks isn’t made up of youth athletes, although it does include many people who once were. Adult participants are joining the rapidly proliferating leagues of sport and social clubs.

Inside Moreno Valley’s Adult Flashlight Egg Scramble By Jeremy Bubnick Egg hunts are traditionally associated with children, baskets, and daylight—but the City of Moreno Valley, Calif., has proven that play has no age limit. Produced by Moreno Valley’s Parks & Community Services Department, the Adult Flashlight Egg Scramble has become a signature spring event, selling out every year and drawin...

A creative Halloween letter-writing program sparks local—and global—connections By Chris Orr The Tulare Parks & Recreation's "Letters to Jack Skellington" is a community-engagement program designed to promote literacy, community connection, and a holiday spirit. In 2025, the program went viral as the department received 5,000 letters from all 50 U.S. states (as well as Guam and...

Eco-friendly elements improve operating efficiency at new aquatic facilities By Brianne Sanchez Coloradans who love to swim, splash, and soak with a view of Mount Sopris will soon do all three more sustainably at a new Carbondale Aquatics Center, scheduled to open in May 2026. The Western Slope’s first all-electric aquatic facility replaces a crumbling, vinyl-lined 1970s-era pool, fulfilling long-...

The Note and Float Life Jacket Fund boosts water safety with life-saving donations By Rachel Griffiths Nearly two decades ago, the Note and Float program was created by Dr. Tom Griffiths while he served as the Director of Aquatics at Penn State University. The program is a free drowning-prevention strategy for facilities to adopt, identifying weak and inexperienced swimmers, and requiring them to...

How preventive maintenance reduces downtime, controls costs, and protects community access By Myles Phelps Every community pool tells a story—from early-morning swim practices to first lessons and lifelong fitness. These facilities quietly support daily life in ways most patrons never see. But their success depends on more than construction or programming. It depends on preventive maintenance —the...

Parks can be a prescription, but who gets them? By Karen Fischer

Working smarter to improve waste collection in Georgetown County, South Carolina By Jackie R. Broach

The maintenance blueprint that sustains Inland Greens By Jonathan Batts and Charles Davis Long before Wilmington, N.C., wakes up, before the first golfer tees up the day’s opening shot, work at Inland Greens is already in motion. At 6 a.m., crews step onto the course with mowers humming, sand moving, and turf shaking off the night’s heaviness. By the time the course opens, every green is rolled, e...

How Miami’s The Underline built an economy of connection By Eulois Cleckley Miami has always been a city that moves fast and dreams big. From its art deco past to its tech-forward present, this community thrives on reimagining what’s possible. That same energy fuels The Underline, a 10-mile, multimodal, urban park beneath Miami’s Metrorail that serves as a corridor of connection, commerce, and cul...

How Louisville is using science to shape a healthier downtown By Travis Ragsdale When city leaders in Louisville, Ky., signed the Greenprint Charter, they weren’t launching another beautification project. They were testing whether science and collaboration could reshape the future of an urban core. The initiative brings together government, researchers, and community partners to examine how target...

Midewin Tallgrass Prairie offers a new blueprint for conservation By Karen Fischer I don’t know what a prairie looks like, yet I spent years living in the Midwest. But neither do you, even if you’re reading this, from the Midwest, right now. In fact, no one knows what a prairie really looks like because it has long been gone.

Discover how camps across the U.S. are transforming outdoor spaces into vibrant pollinator gardens filled with music. In this CampFest webinar, Percussion Play explores how nature-inspired outdoor musical instruments invite campers to slow down, connect with the environment, and create music together. Learn how these multi-sensory spaces support wellbeing, environmental education, and inclusive pl...

How Asheville Parks & Recreation is building a mentorship program that works for its community By Christo Bubenik Parks and recreation professionals often see their roles as providing spaces and opportunities for people of all ages to stay connected, discover new things, and reach their highest potential. However, one age group is notoriously hard to reach: teens and tweens. As young people st...

How civic architecture can redefine resilience By Jeff Kuhnhenn As communities face frequent climate events, social disruptions, and infrastructure challenges, civic architecture is being reimagined as a front line of resilience. Libraries, recreation centers, and municipal buildings—once regarded as the background fabric of civic life—are increasingly recognized as essential public assets that ca...

Mobile recreation units help residents access amenities and build community By Brianne Sanchez Can giant yard games like Connect Four encourage neighbors to connect more? Leaders in the rapidly growing suburb of Bondurant, Iowa, believe so. Recreation plays an important role in strengthening relationships in the city, which experienced an astounding 90.8 percent population increase from 2010 to 20...

How to run a successful recreation facilities referendum   By Emily Gebhardt Recreation centers, public parks and trails, pools, and athletic facilities form the foundation of community wellness and engagement. Successful funding for park districts and projects requires a multifaceted approach. Community support and funding are critical; without that backing, a parks and recreation project is less...

By Dave Herpy In today’s dynamic world of parks and recreation, effective leadership is more essential than ever. This field plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life in our communities, yet the challenges facing our teams—staffing, burnout, and ever-evolving public needs—require intentional leadership grounded in purpose. Drawing from my book, Leading with Purpose: Achieving Your Highes...

A unique outdoor program for adults By Leah Carlson For over 25 years, Wilderness Awareness School's Immersion program has transformed the lives of adults through an intense, nine-month, nature connection experience. Located on a 60-acre campus in the foothills of Washington State's Cascade Mountains, the program is a powerful model for how immersive, holistic outdoor education can inspi...

A critical way to increase ADA compliance By VernaAnn Kotansky Inclusive playgrounds give all children an opportunity to enjoy one of the most essential parts of childhood—play. Unfortunately, many accessible playgrounds focus only on physical accommodations like ramps and wheelchair-accessible swings. While these are vital, true accessibility must go further by also addressing communication diffe...

Planning for and mitigating noise issues By Brandon Kunkel Whether you love pickleball for its energetic, fast pace or hate it for the constant rhythmic, popping noise of the plastic ball, its status as one of the fastest-growing recreational sports in the United States is undeniable. According to USA Pickleball, 4,000 new locations were added in 2024, contributing to a total of nearly 16,000 new...

Palm Coast’s Southern Recreation Center sets a new standard for sustainable sports design By Sam Elsheikh Nestled within a 63-acre campus adjacent to the Palm Coast Tennis Center, the City of Palm Coast’s new Southern Recreation Center in Florida is more than a sports complex. It’s a regional destination, an architectural statement, and a benchmark in environmentally conscious civic development. D...

The entrepreneurial-planning approach  By Howard Kozloff and Ben Donsky Public parks are often caught between providing accessible amenities and programs for the community and finding ways to generate revenue for upkeep and maintenance. Today, many conservancies and a smaller number of municipal and county parks departments are moving toward a more business-minded approach, away from the tradition...

How trails are essential to climate resilience By Clement Lau As climate change intensifies, communities around the globe face unprecedented environmental challenges, from rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns to the loss of biodiversity . In response, innovative approaches to enhance climate resilience are essential. Trails , typically seen as recreational amenities, can play a surpris...

Collaborating with local land trusts helps park departments and camps protect and connect properties for public use By Brianne Sanchez Across the country, partnerships with local land trusts facilitate projects with long-term environmental, economic, and social impacts. Expertise in land acquisition, fund development, environmental stewardship, and community engagement can catalyze solutions.