August 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 29

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Tech's Role in the New
Scope of Agency Work
converted to virtual experiences and continued with physical
distancing guidance in the future.
Other communities, like La Crosse, Wisconsin, are creating
community gardens in their parks and public spaces for communities impacted by the current crisis that will help provide food
and build resilience. What better way to connect the younger
generation to nature than by creating gardens that also build
resiliency in their food supply?
Huron-Clinton Metro Parks in Michigan has devoted an
entire page to virtual nature-based programming for kids
(metroparks.com/virtual) that even features a " Dear Kevin "
column modeled after " Dear Abby. " When the interpretive
centers were closed, the agency's interpreters fielded questions
about nature, science, agriculture and regional history that
community members raised while sheltering at home. They
posted the questions and answered daily via their Facebook and
Instagram stories, which pulled others into the discussions.
In Louisiana, The Recreation and Park Commission for the
Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) staff are converting their
annual BioBlitz (tinyurl.com/y9mcnbc7) into a virtual event
that has physical distancing considerations for the activities that
require people to be out interacting with nature. This will allow
their community members to get outside in select parks suitable
for the activity and find what nature holds in a safe way. You
can follow suit by joining NRPA for our second annual Parks
for Pollinators BioBlitz this September. Visit nrpa.org/BioBlitz
for more information and to access a suite of helpful resources.
Lorain County Metro Parks in Ohio began a program to get
children and their families involved with nature at home without the need for screens. Community members expressed concerns about children accruing increased screen time during the
pandemic; they wanted something that helped provide structured
time outdoors. Naturalists on staff created nature boxes with activities and information to support children's experiences in nature. The agency's first boxes in May, which focused on trees and
clouds, sold out in hours. Their June box focused on the sun.
We all know that connecting people to nature is important.
As park and recreation leaders, you understand the importance
of building resilient communities to face climate change and
other pressing conservation-related issues. To do this, we need
to make sure our communities also celebrate the importance of
nature and create the next generation of environmental stewards
to help build those spaces and ensure a brighter future for everyone. Find out what your community members have been doing
these past few months to gauge what they would like to do in
the future. Now is our time to seize the day and strengthen your
community's connection to your parks and open spaces!
Michele White is a Program Manager at NRPA (mwhite@nrpa.org).

By Liz McConomy
Over the past few months, the way businesses operate has changed
and park and recreation agencies have had to ﬁnd creative ways to
serve their communities.

While agencies might be oﬀering fewer services due to restrictions,
the scope of work has expanded from business-as-usual to additional
tasks. Agencies and businesses alike need to consider disinfection
protocols, physical distancing measures and reduced attendance
regulations. As activity and event registrations for the Fall approach,
factoring in how the new reality impacts agency operations is
imperative. The time is now to empower staﬀ and revitalize agency
operations through tech.
Technology can help streamline and automate agency processes,
such as online registrations that reduce in-person lineups, virtual
payments to limit the amount of " touch " points in a transaction,
schedule creation and bookings with class or group size restrictions,
facility cleaning and maintenance to ensure proper hygiene between
sessions, etc. Leveraging technology allows you to make virtual activities and events accessible so you can keep your community connected, engaged and, most importantly, healthy.
It is also likely that agencies are short-staﬀed as a result of lockdowns, meaning staﬀ members are wearing multiple hats and juggling several responsibilities while trying to maintain levels of service
and engagement. Technology helps reduce the strain on staﬀ and
eliminate human error. Agencies can introduce operational transparency and eﬃciencies through better communication, automation and
project management at a time when staﬀ members cannot necessarily walk over to a colleague's desk to get things done.
The good thing is, even though these initiatives may be a reaction to
a crisis, they will continue to yield returns far beyond. The question
is no longer about the value of digitizing operations - it's " When are
you going to start? "
Visit smartrec.com to discover how we can help you start streamlining agency operations today.
Liz McConomy is VP Marketing at Amilia (liz.mcconomy@amilia.com).

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August 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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