Let's Talk Parks Podcast: Stories of Purpose-Driven Parks and Recreation Professionals

Let's Talk Parks Podcast: Stories of Purpose-Driven Parks and Recreation Professionals

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Let's Talk Parks Podcast: Stories of Purpose-Driven Parks and Recreation Professionals episodes

  • 2.24 Cemeteries: It's all about the Living with Karl Nesbitt

    A cemetery is more than just a place for interments, it’s a place for history and place for ecology and a place for human wellbeing. In this episode, Marissa talks with Karl Nesbitt about how cemeteries over time are changing environments and memorialization can also be a place for recreation. 

    The design of cemetery space is starting reflect the community of users, the people who live locally and how they may use or recreate within that space, this includes volunteer groups who run tours, walking tracks, native ecological friends of groups.

    Karl Nesbitt (Connect on LinkedIn) is a Parks and Open Spaces Programme Manager, for Recreation Aotearoa and New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria Collective. He manages the implementation of the Green Flag Award across New Zealand and train Green Flag Award Judges in NZ and Australia. World Urban Parks, Alliance committee Executive Officer and World Urban Parks Cemeteries Committee Interm Executive officer.

    If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

    36 min
  • 2.23 The Importance of PLAY! with Brian VanDongen

    Brian VanDongen (Connect on LinkedIn) is nationally certified park and recreation professional who has designed and implemented transformational recreation programming for thousands of participants. He works to provide necessary and needed recreational programming for the health and well being of residents. He promotes the value of play throughout life by incorporating play in programming and shares knowledge and ideas to recreation professionals, educators, parents, and students. Brian is the author of Play to Live: Life Skills and Joy Through the Natural Talent to Play. He is also a Member At-Large of the NJRPA Community Recreation Section and a Play Ambassador for the US Play Coalition. Check out his website on BVD Plays (https://www.bvdplays.com/). 

    20 min
  • 2.22 Being an Ally in the National Parks Starts at Your Local Park with Bradley Kirourac

    Typically, we talk to local park and recreation leaders, but every now and then, we expand our perspective a bit and talk to others on a national scale. This particular conversation is important, for a couple of reasons:


    1) We are committed to having difficult conversations that will help make a more equitable and diverse future for our field. That happens by continuing to talk to others that have more experience than us in a number of different topics. To be honest, we are okay with doing the best we can if we aren't doing it perfect, and learning from, and getting it right in the future. 


    2) We also want to share the cool projects that other people are doing, because we want to uplift one another and help the field as much as possible. Hello Ranger is a podcast and blog that really focuses on telling stories within our national parks. We thought it would be neat to hear how local and national parks can really come together to break down some of the barriers to access.

    Hello Ranger (https://hellorangercommunity.com/) is a national parks community social application, podcast, and blog, with “community” being the key word. Our goal is to showcase and support the communities that are connected through national parks, from families and van-lifers to retirees, artists, educators, diverse groups, and those with disabilities. National parks are the rare places where we can all find common ground, and become #UnitedByNature.

    If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

    40 min
  • Ep. 21: Creating Brave Spaces for Conversations about Racism with Tracey Crawford

    We are all still navigating these conversations about race and equity, so today's episode is about how to create safe spaces that nurture conversation for growth and understanding. Marissa Moravec chats with Tracey Crawford to talk openly about how to create safe and brave spaces.    Many people might say that these conversations are too difficult or uncomfortable, and may not belong in the workplace.  But these are important conversations to have!  We hope you enjoy this episode! 

    Tracey Crawford (connect on LInkedIn) was appointed as the Executive Director at Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA) and the President of Special Leisure Services Foundation (SLSF) in late 2011. NWSRA was formed in 1973 to provide a full spectrum of recreation services to individuals with disabilities. NWSRA is a partnership of 17 park districts in the northwest suburbs of Chicago committed to supporting community access to recreation for people with disabilities. SLSF is a 501© (3) non-profit foundation and is the fundraising arm of NWSRA. Crawford’s 29 years of professional experience in parks and recreation includes 9 years as the Inclusion Coordinator/Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Assistant Director at Fox Valley Special Recreation Association (FVSRA) in Aurora, IL; two and a half years as the Manager of Inclusion Services, nine years as the Superintendent of Recreation, one and a half years as the Superintendent of Development and Interim Director at Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) and currently the Executive Director of Northwest Special recreation Association.

    If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

    43 min
  • 2.20: Building Healthy Communities Through Collaborative Partnerships with Christie Bruner

    If you've been curious about how partnerships can help your agency, be sure to tune into the latest episode with Christie Bruner from Healthy St. Pete (https://www.healthystpetefl.com/). You will learn how parks and recreation can partner with local organizations to improve the health in your community.  Here are three things to takeaway.


    1.  Power of Partnerships - Break down those silos.  Find common ground and combine resources to make sustainable change together.
    2.  Be the Umbrella - Don't recreate the wheel!  Bring organizations together and elevate what is already going on in the community.  
    3.  Creating a Call to Action - People want to get involved, give them meaningful ways to be part of your initiative.

    Christie Bruner has a vested interest in health and wellness initiatives in the community and has more than 20 years of experience with sports and fitness for both children and adults. From 2006-2016 she owned and operated a Baby Boot Camp stroller fitness franchise in St. Petersburg. Christie was also the National Director of Fitness for Baby Boot Camp for two years and provided ongoing support & continuing education to owners across the country. She has combined her passion for wellness and her knowledge of fitness in the newly established role of Community Engagement Supervisor with Healthy St. Pete and the City of St. Petersburg. Christie’s mission is to educate families and communities about the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle. She excels at inspiring individuals and groups to make healthy lifestyle choices and empowering them to continue these habits in the future. Christie believes that relationship building and establishing powerful, mutually beneficial partnerships is key to creating health equity in our community.

    Connect with Christie on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiebruner/

    If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

    34 min
  • 2.18 Managing from the Middle as a Millennial with Meg Harrington
    In this episode, Anthony Iracki sits down with Meg Harrington, who is an Aquatics Supervisor for the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department. In this episode, you'll hear about the transition of Millennials who are becoming managers - those that are working with the younger generations, and those that are still being managed by Baby Boomers. That transition is really interesting, and we have a great responsibility to engage with, train, and support Generation Z, while still managing expectations and sometimes managing up to our own supervisors. I hope you'll join me in listening to the end of this great conversation.
    Meg Harrington grew up as a parks and rec kid, and has been a lifeguard since 2010. She worked as the Recreation Supervisor in Mexico, MO and is now the Aquatic Specialist for Columbia Missouri Parks and Recreation, where she manages 6 aquatic facilities, hires staff, and trains lifeguards as a Star Guard Elite instructor and runs the swim lesson programs.
    If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.
    36 min
  • 2.17 Do you hug trees for a living? We do too. Educating Our Communities with Jeremy Robinett

    Marissa sat down to talk with Dr. Jeremy Robinette from Western Illinois University about educating our communities about Parks and Recreation. I think so many of us ended up falling into this field. We didn't know that this was a profession until we were in college, or maybe we were already graduated from college and had a degree in something else. 

    This episode is how we educate our communities about what we do and how to encourage more people to get their degree in parks and recreation. We need to tell our story, share the impact we make, and talk about why it's important. 

    Dr. Jeremy Robinette is from Western Illinois University who is an assistant professor for the Re creation Park and Tourism department since 2014. Prior to that, he was teaching assistant at the University of Illinois from 2010 to 2014. He is also involved in the Alumni Association for Western Illinois University for the Recreation Park and Tourism department.

    If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

    55 min
  • 2.16 Connecting Youth to the Outdoors with Dave Herpy

    In today's world of constant connection to technology and a changing global climate, it is more important now more than ever to connect youth to the outdoors, especially at a young age.  The steps taken to do so can have lifelong impacts, not just for those youth, but for the world.

    In this episode, Dave Herpy and Becky talk about: 

    1. Why connecting to the outdoors at a young age is important. 
    2. Why getting youth outdoors helps promote future conservation. 
    3. How parents and caregivers can help connect their children to the outdoors.

      4. Dave Herpy is NC 4-H Camping Specialist and Adjunct Lecturer of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at NC State University, as well as a freelance writer. He has over 23 years of experience with camps as a camp counselor, camp director, and camping specialist. His greatest adventure in life is being a father of four and sharing his passion for camp with his own children. He can be reached via email [email protected] or follow him at explorenc.travel.blog.

      If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com. In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

      24 min
    4. 2.15 Embracing Young Professionals with Chris Nunes
      Hello everyone and welcome back! Thanks for joining us today for an episode about embracing young professionals.
      In this episode, Chris Nunes talks with Anthony about how to break down barriers between new and older professionals and some of the obstacles that are often faced when doing so. The conversation also covers the many benefits of intergenerational workplaces - and the various outcomes of each stage in your career.
      Chris Nunes, CPRE, (connect on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nunes-cpre-115a102) is the Director of Parks and Recreation for The Woodlands Township, in The Woodlands, Texas. In that position, he oversees the management of 100 full-time and 450 part-time staff divided into nine divisions (Park Operations, Planning, Recreation, Aquatics, Development, Town Center, Streetscapes, Environmental Services and Resident Care Center) a $36.3 million operational and a $6 million capital improvement budget. He is accountable for the maintenance of 148 parks, 15 swimming pools and aquatic facilities, 220 miles of pathways, 220 miles of streetscapes, 1400+ cul de sac’s and 500 acres of lakes and ponds.
      Prior to The Woodlands, he was the Director of Community Services for the City of Fort Morgan, Colorado, an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Recreation Management Program at Ashland University and Director of Parks and Recreation in Fort Kent, Maine. Chris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Management and a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from Springfield College in Massachusetts and a Doctorate in Parks and Recreation Administration from the University of New Mexico . In 2011 became one of the first 50 Certified Park and Recreation Executives (CPRE) and in 2012, Chris was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators. In 2015 he received the National Distinguished Professional Award from NRPA and in 2016 he was elected President of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators. In 2019, through his leadership, The Woodlands Township was recognized by NRPA as a Gold Medal Grand Plaque Winner.
      45 min

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