August 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 25

development nonprofit Landforce
brought land management crews
and employment opportunities;
urban forestry organization Tree
Pittsburgh contributed trees and
expertise; and Allegheny GoatScape
brought goats to eat invasive plants.
This partnership is converting
Hazelwood's tree canopy into a
source of public health and climate
resilience, as well as mitigating the
effects of environmental racism.
Volunteers from the neighborhood,
Landforce and Tree Pittsburgh have
planted 253 native trees in the greenway
during the past year, while residents
have adopted and planted more
than 100 additional trees in their yards.
Landforce crews improved trails
where neighborhood residents
take nature walks, bike rides and
snowshoe hikes with support from
partners Venture
Outdoors
and
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.
Visiting the goats each summer is a
highlight for families who might not
otherwise venture up the steep hills.
Not everyone has to be a hiker. Not
everyone will volunteer to plant trees.
Not everyone has to get excited about
goats or native species. However, everyone
in the community can find a
way to participate and belong.
Creating Equitable Parks in
Farmington, New Mexico
The key component of City of Farmington's
efforts to create resilient and
equitable parks is to center our work
around community members who
have not always had a voice at the table.
During the past year, department
staff convened an advisory council
composed of underrepresented residents
and organizations, such as our
teen community; our Diné (Navajo)
and tribal communities in Farmington
and beyond; those who identify
Ensuring our parks benefit everyone is
essential to guaranteeing resilient, healthy
and equitable communities.
as LGBTQ+; disability advocates;
and our Hispanic and Mexican diasporic
communities. The goal of this
engagement was to create transparency
of city processes and policies
with the idea that knowledge of the
system would better prepare these
advocates to engage it. Initially, the
advisory council would be involved
in two projects - one built project
(All Abilities Park) and one policy
project (City of Farmington Parks,
Recreation
and
Cultural
Affairs
Master Plan) as the vehicle for learning
city processes.
Our engagement process was
designed to perfection - or so we
thought. The strategy appeared to be
informative and many group members
found it interesting. However, after
sensing some disconnect and lower
attendance, we began to question if
the advisors were truly engaged.
In conversations with our council,
we discovered there were opportunities
and interests that weren't being
explored and these interests could actually
play a role in improving many
aspects of our park network. So, we
went back to the drawing board.
As we adjusted our approach, our
community partner Denisa Livingston
of Diné Community Advocacy
Alliance was a part of the design process.
We added to the existing strategy
by getting folks out to our parks to
understand different park typologies
and the opportunities to explore their
unique interests, such as incorporating
native plantings within parks and
revitalizing derelict park areas.
We prompted our council members
to visit parks they had never
visited and conduct " site analysis "
to discover additional projects to
expand beyond the two projects
our strategy revolved around. One
particular interest we're excited to
explore is the coupling of traditional
Diné ecological knowledge with
green stormwater infrastructure concepts
to mitigate stormwater within
our parks and medians. By incorporating
community knowledge and vision,
our open spaces and parks can
leverage those elements to support
climate resiliency, while also being
welcoming spaces for everyone in
our community.
Juliet Martinez (they/them) is Managing Editor at Hazelwood
Initiative. Tiffany Taulton (she/her) is Director of Outreach
and Sustainability at Hazelwood Initiative. Denisa Livingston
(she/her) is Community Health Advocate and International
Councilor at City of Farmington Parks, Recreation, and
Cultural Affairs. Rachelle Crosby (she/her) is Park Planner at
City of Farmington Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | A UGUS T 2 0 22 | Parks & Recreation
25
August 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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