November 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 16

Who,What, Where &
HOW - Around the Parks

e: Darrel
l
i
f
o
Pr
Winslow

ou could say that Darrell Winslow was destined to work
in parks and recreation. Growing up in Highpoint, North
Carolina, he kept animals in the yard, built (and then acci-

dentally burnt down) a teepee, and even created a four-foot-high
see-saw for his friends to climb on. " My yard was the center of activity for the neighborhood, " Winslow says.
He would parlay that adventurous spirit and entrepreneurial
attitude into a 40-year career in parks and recreation where he
would again and again excel at bringing the community together
with his imagination.
As one of the first graduates of
NC State's industrial and rural recreation program, Winslow was drafted
into the Korean War where he was
stationed at Wildflecken, Germany.
It was an isolated training post for
American troops in the wilderness-it
became the proving ground for Winslow's skills.
" They found out I had a recreation
background and asked me if I wanted
to be athletic director for a brand-new
gym that they built for the post, " explains Winslow. " I loved it. I just graduated and here I was in charge. "
Winslow continued his passion for
parks, specializing in creating something from nothing. After the
war he held jobs in Covington, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee,
starting new parks and recreation departments in both communities. But his legacy would be found in Northern Virginia when
he joined the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority in 1966.
Starting with only an outbuilding from Sears at Bull Run Marina
where he sold bait and beverages, he soon grew the department
using creative revenue ideas. NVRPA now operates 23 parks that
include more than 11,000 acres. Winslow is most proud of the fact
that NVRPA operates with almost 80 percent of its budget covered
by revenue, even though it has no official tax base to draw from.
" Darrell injected an entrepreneurial DNA into this organization
that we still have today, " says Paul Gilbert, NVRPA executive director. " I can't say enough about what a great role model he is, and
what he has done for the area. "
Retired since 1994, Winslow can't decide which of the parks
he helped create is his favorite. " It is whichever one I'm in at the
moment, " he laughs. " This was really an impossible job for anyone
but me; but I did it because my wife and I loved it and we knew
we were creating something special that our own children would
enjoy. "
R

14 Parks & Recreation

November 2009

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Continued from page 12

activities. The animal rights advocate member wrote a
dissenting opinion but all other members supported the
recommendations.
Deer Population Then and Now
Experts recommend 15-25 deer per square mile as 'ecologically supportable' meaning a number that maintains biodiversity, forest regeneration and reduced risk of wildlife
disease epidemics. Before the hunt, Forward-Looking Infra Red (FLIR) surveys estimated some 79 deer per square
mile in the MPEA in 1999/2000, while present estimates are approximately 53 per square mile
following the 2008/2009 hunting season.
How
This is nearly a one third reduction in the
herd, according to Phil Norman, the deer
DIDIT
project manager for the Howard County
Department of Recreation and Parks. Norman notes the purpose of the program is to bring the deer
population in the county park system to a level at which
the other natural resources are not adversely affected and
to maintain herd size over time.

Final Findings
The question has been raised about whether a time will
come when deer hunts will no longer be necessary because
the deer population density will equal the ecological carrying capacity of the area. Deer removal will be required
on a continuing basis, because of natural reproduction
and immigration of deer from surrounding areas, according to MPEF board member and ecologist, Paul Jacobson.
A survey of residents conducted by the task force in 1997
found widespread support for deer hunting in the county.
A county-wide representative survey in 2008, conducted
by a local university, concludes a majority of county residents recognize the problem and seem satisfied with the
county's approach.
Presently only six to seven hunting days per year are being used to maintain the reduced herd density in the 1,000
acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area as opposed to
23 days in 2001 and 2002. This success has led to hunting
in several additional parks where firearms and archers are
used. The experience indicates that when wise and proper
hunting protocols are established and followed, when there
is attention to safety, and when involvement and education
of the public takes place, a successful deer management
program can be achieved.
R
Paul Farragut is Chair of the Middle Patuxent

Environmental Foundation.

November 2009 - Parks & Recreation

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