February 2018

Hooked On Aquaponics

The beauty and bounty of plants is essential to the mission of the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles, Ill.

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Carol Haggas, Pam Otto and Erika Young 5 min read

When the Rockford Park District in Rockford, Ill., opened its Indoor Sports Center on Mercyhealth Sportscore Two campus in May 2017, it became one of the largest sports facilities of its kind in the state. It was also the last in a series of projects for Reclaiming First—a community-wide…

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Dan J. Roszkowski and Mike Dudek 5 min read

The Meaning Of Green

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Rodney J. Auth 1 min read

Going, Going, Gone!

The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) in Virginia is living by the old adage that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Through the nationwide Public Surplus.com website, the agency has found a way to make money on old, broken, and otherwise unwanted goods while saving money on disposal…

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Carol Ochs 6 min read

Squash It!

“I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot.” --Nine-time Olympic medalist Nadia Comaneci

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Zach Mural 5 min read

Green Infrastructure

Although "green" and "sustainability" have been buzzwords for more than a decade, the concepts have recently gained significant interest for public infrastructure projects, both large and small. Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes shaped into aesthetically pleasing…

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Matthew Holdren 5 min read

Crying Fowl

There are a few issues in the parks and rec realm that seem to constantly rear their ugly heads in departments across the country-geese. Canada Geese, to be more specific, but domestic geese also run afoul (pun intended) of parks and rec maintenance staffs as well.

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Randy Gaddo 8 min read

Clever Conservation

In 2014, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 258- million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in the United States. So it may seem overwhelming to think that your agency's recycling efforts could make any difference.

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Kari Felkamp 5 min read

Dirty Dozen

Poorly maintained youth-sports fields are big trouble for a lot of reasons- most notably they put young athletes at increased and unnecessary risk of injury. Loose turf, broken sprinkler heads, and debris are just some of the many obstacles on the playing field that can ruin playing time.

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Fred Engh 3 min read

Developing An "All Of Us" Mentality

Inclusion is a way of thinking that goes further than non-discrimination by taking a proactive approach to include all people in all programs and services. For parks and recreation departments, an inclusive approach involves actively promoting recreation and leisure programs to people with…

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Kristen M. Clatos 4 min read

The Book Of Life

My wife and I were putting together a birthday card for one of our nephews. We stuck a couple $20 bills and a picture of him when he was much younger in the envelope and sealed it.

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Ron Ciancutti 5 min read

Move Your Trail Off Of My Land

After two years and more than 15,000 hours of labor, the rerouting of Fiery Gizzard Trail in Tennessee has been completed. The project began in June 2015 after two landowners asked South Cumberland State Park to move the parts of the trail that were going through their land.

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Ashley Cabrera 5 min read

Hooked On Aquaponics

Mega Complex Saves Mega Bucks

The Meaning Of Green

Going, Going, Gone!

Squash It!

Green Infrastructure

Crying Fowl

Clever Conservation

Dirty Dozen

Developing An "All Of Us" Mentality

The Book Of Life

Move Your Trail Off Of My Land