December 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 48

2022 NRPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
book
curriculum
(tinyurl.com/
3ekp4z2b) to help equip those running
programs with the information
needed to start this conversation.
During this session, Taylor
Smith, adaptive recreation manager
for Salt Lake County (Utah) discussed
ways their agency prepares
for and serves children of all abilities.
Climate
Change Mitigation and
Adaptation in Urban Parks:
Strategies to Thrive in a More
Inhospitable Climate
This session - presented by Seattle
Parks and Recreation professionals
Craig Chatburn, senior planning
and development specialist, and
Amy Lindemuth, senior landscape
architect - explored cost-neutral
landscape design and maintenance
tactics that park and recreation
professionals
can use to make
park spaces more resilient and less
resource-dependent in an increasingly
inhospitable climate. In speaking
about a pollinator park project,
Lindemuth explains, " We partner
that effort with informational signage,
and the signage communicates
why these messier-looking
landscapes exist, and how they're
working ecologically. In this way,
we're trying to help evolve cultural
ideas of what our park landscapes
will and should look like, and their
ecological value. "
The Privilege of Privilege: Being a
Voice in the Room for Those Not
in the Room
During this session, speaker Jason
Elissalde, senior project manager at
Next Practice Partners, LLC, spoke
with attendees about how we can
create spaces where conversations
about race and identities can safely
happen, the rolls we play in creating
these spaces, and the importance of
defining the words we use in these
conversations. One example posed
by Elissalde was that of white saviorism,
which he says consists of
motivations like " I will help you,
but only if I lead, " and " Being involved
will help my reputation, "
versus allyship, which consists of
thoughts such as " I will sacrifice
my own self-interests and utilize my
privilege, " and " I will let them lead
and not try to be at the center. "
Honoring Professionals
in the Field
The conference is not just about
the exhibits and education - it's
also about celebrating excellence
in the field. On Tuesday, September
20, the American Academy for
Park and Recreation Administration
(AAPRA) presented the 2022
Grand Plaque honors in the 2022
National Gold Medal Awards Program.
This annual awards program
is administered by AAPRA in partnership
with NRPA and sponsored
by Musco Lighting.
The following agencies received
the Grand Plaque award after first
receiving the Finalist award:
* Class
I (population
400,001
and over): Recreation and Park
Commission for the Parish of
East Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana
* Class
II (population 150-001400,000):
City of Des Moines
Parks and Recreation,
Moines, Iowa
* Class
III (population
75,001150,000):
South Bend Venues
Parks and Arts, South Bend, Indiana
*
Class IV (population
30,00175,000):
Waukesha Parks, Recreation
and Forestry Department,
Waukesha, Wisconsin
* Class V (population 30,000 or
less): Town of Fountain Hills
Community Services, Fountain
Hills, Arizona
* Armed Forces category: Naval
Submarine Base Kings Bay,
Kings Bay, Georgia
On Wednesday, September 21,
guests gathered in the Phoenix
Ballroom at the Sheraton Phoenix
Downtown to recognize and
celebrate the most inspirational
people and programs in parks and
Conference attendees participate in
sunrise yoga at the Japanese Friendship
Garden of Phoenix.
48 Parks & Recreation | DECEMBER 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
Des
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December 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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