This week we’re discussing what’s been on top of all of our minds over the past week or so — hurricane Harvey and the devastating destruction it’s wrought on Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf Shore.

To date more than 12 trillion gallons of water has fallen on Texas and the death toll continues to rise.

In this episode we discuss:

• Where things stand with hurricane victims as far as we know
• The importance of green space
• My personal experiences with Houston, including our Parks Build Community project at Shady Lane
• What we know about what’s happening in Houston including status of local parks as well as evacuees taking advantage of state parks as a place of refuge
• Striking photos of evacuees in the George R. Brown Convention Center
• How you can help, including donating to the Houston and Harris County Relief Fund
• NRPA President and CEO Barbara Tulipane’s recommendations for helping Harvey victims

Photo credit: defense.gov, Texas National Guardsmen and a first responder help displaced residents and a pet during search and rescue mission following massive flooding by Hurricane Harvey in Cyprus Creek, Texas, Aug. 27, 2017. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Martha Nigrelle