On today’s episode, we’re talking with someone who has been making a big impact in the larger outdoor industry for a while now. Teresa Baker, founder of In Solidarity Project, is an outdoor enthusiast focusing on community engagement, creating events that encourage people to venture outdoors responsibly, and learning about our open spaces and what it takes to protect them. Teresa’s commitment to creating outdoor experiences that speak to culture, environmental responsibility and inclusion is something to be admired, and she is a staunch advocate for bringing underrepresented communities into t ..read more

March is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme celebrates women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. This year we are honoring women who lead change in their field, and today’s episode does just that. There are so many women who are leaders in parks and recreation and bringing positive change to their communities, and today we’re excited to talk with two women who are leading the way in Juneau, Alaska. Our guests today are Amanda Lovejoy, a recreation coordinator at the Zach Gordon Youth Center for City and Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation, and Lauren Anderson is th ..read more

We know the importance of partnerships in parks and recreation, and on today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving into an exciting partnership between NRPA and Bobcat. As part of this partnership, Bobcat has extended five grants, each worth $50,000, to support five park improvement projects across the country. Today, we’re excited to learn more about one of these projects taking place in San Antonio, Texas. We were thrilled to speak with Caryn Odenbach, brand and experience specialist at Bobcat; Kristen Hansen, deputy director of parks and recreation at San Antonio River Authority; and ..read more

As you may know, January is National Mentoring Month, and all month long, NRPA has been sharing content around how mentoring through parks and recreation is helping youth develop positive connections with trusted and caring adults, which we know can support their long-term success. National Mentoring Month is an annual opportunity to spread awareness of the power of mentoring. It serves as a reminder of the critical role park and recreation professionals play in providing youth development and youth mentoring services in local communities across the country. We were thrilled to have a conversa ..read more

Back in October at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference, there was a session that really piqued our interest – so much so, that we wanted to turn it into a two-part podcast episode, with today’s episode being part one (and part two coming in Spring 2024!). The session, “Neurodiversity and Inclusive Workplaces: Insights from Park and Recreation Professionals,” explored the individual strengths neurodiverse professionals bring to their work and the strategies and accommodations that have helped them succeed, as well as ways to find workplace champions and allies. The presenters also offered suggestio ..read more

I’m really excited for today’s episode because I am joined by my colleagues and new co-hosts, Christina High, NRPA’s marketing specialist, and Cara Myers, NRPA’s marketing and engagement manager. I’m really looking forward to this new era of Open Space Radio, and as many of you know, it’s been a while since I’ve had co-hosts. So, we thought it would be fun to sit down together for an episode and discuss what we’re looking forward to, what you can expect on the show in future episodes, and share some of our experiences and takeaways from the NRPA Annual Conference a few weeks ago. And, before w ..read more

Earlier this month I joined nearly 9,000 other people who are passionate about parks and recreation in Dallas at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference. It was a week full of inspiration, networking and fun — and for me, a chance to celebrate not only all the good work happening in local parks and recreation, but also see the culmination of my NRPA colleagues’ hard work in putting on what was a truly incredible event.  One of my biggest highlights of the week was connecting with Chris Bass, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation for Douglasville, Georgia, and the incoming Board President of the ..read more

How to Protect What We Love (People and the Planet) — Episode 144   It’s another exciting day here on Open Space Radio because I get to introduce you to our other new co-host on the show! If you follow NRPA on social media, you likely already know Christina High. Christina is NRPA’s marketing coordinator and is the brilliant person behind all the fun, inspiring and educational content you see throughout NRPA’s social media channels.   A big welcome to Christina as our other new co-host!   Our guest today is someone who Christina and I have both been a fan of when it comes to pro ..read more

I am very excited for today’s episode for a couple of reasons. First, if you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you know I haven’t always been a solo host. Well, we have some exciting things happening and I’m very pleased to announce that one of my future co-hosts is making her debut on the podcast today.   Cara Myers is NRPA’s marketing and engagement manager, and she joined the NRPA team recently, coming to us from the marketing team at City of Aurora Parks and Recreation in Colorado. So, a big welcome to Cara as one of our new Open Space Radio hosts!   I am also very excit ..read more

I 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 ..read more