The Daily Required

In this episode, we talk with PAL colleagues Alissa Duncan and Liz Perry about their work with Spartanburg's Food System Coalition and emergency food providers before and during the corona virus crisis. We also talk about how some of the measures are informing their work moving forward.

In this episode we talk with Wanda Cheeks-Holmes, a long-time community activist in Spartanburg. Currently Wanda works for the City of Spartanburg Parks and Recreation Department as director of the Northwest Community Center. She will be the director of the new Dr. T.K. Gregg Center. She is also a Northside Voyager and a board member at Partners for Active Living. We talk about how the coronavirus has affected her work and her personal life.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jon Storm, professor of Biology at USC-Upstate and the author of A Field Guide to the Southern Piedmont and its accompanying coloring book, and the curator of the Facebook page, Southern Piedmont Natural History. Dr. Storm talk about finding a new insect species on the Drayton Trail while teaching his daughter to ride her bike, and about the various critters you can find in your backyard.

In this episode we check in with three past podcast guests to find out what and how they are doing these days. We talk with Tim Ritter, Croft State Park Manager, about the park's closure and how it is impacting their work. We call Tonja Smith, Executive Director of Ruth's Gleanings about increases in the Foodshare program and how they have changed protocols. Finally, we visit with Sarah Kate Abee and Katie Burnett of the Hub City Kids to get some tips about keeping things interesting and fun for your kids.

Lots of links here:

Croft State Park Ruth's Gleanings Hub City Kids

Spartanburg Science Center Spartanburg Historical Society

Spartanburg County Public Library

Southern Piedmont Natural History

In this episode we talk with two PAL board members and two recent podcast guests about how they are responding to life during the Covid-19 pandemic. All of us are dealing with new ways of working and playing; PAL Board Chair Jalitha Moore, PAL Board Member Brandt Goodwin, education consultant Jed Dearybruy and Carolina Miracle League Executive Director Pam Dean share their lives at work and at home.

Jed Dearybury: The Power of Play: Skipping on the Rail Trail with Jed Dearybury and Julie Jones

Pam Dean: Not Only a Game: An Inning with the Carolina Miracle League

In this episode, we walk along the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail with Jed Dearybury and Julie Jones, authors of The Playful Classroom: the Power of Play for All Ages. Jed and Julie teach teachers, and their book comes from a need in their classroom for a suitable text book. We talk about everything--from the importance of failing to the ways the brain responds to play in learning. This one's a lot of fun, y'all--and by the way, it's spelled "pareidolia."

In this episode, I walk with Tim Ritter, Croft State Park Manager. We talk about all the things that make Croft State Park unique, from the recreational activities to the cultural and natural resources the park protects.

Links to things we talked about:

Croft State Park official site

hikecroft.com hiking trails

The Friends of Croft

Spartanburg Horseman's Association holds horse shows every third Saturday January to November.

The Spartanburg Area Mountain Bike Association holds regular events to maintain trails at Croft.

In this episode we watch a Carolina Miracle League baseball game. We also talk with Pam Dean, Executive Director of the Carolina Miracle League, as well as players, coaches and parents who participate. But mostly we saw a great ball game.

Find out more about the Carolina Miracle League by clicking here.

In this episode we talk with some friends and some strangers about their memories of learning to ride a bike. It's remarkable how many people have that formative memory, and details like bike color, age, place and others involved come right back.

In this episode we tour the Bike Park, Spartanburg's newest recreational facility. Located on the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail, the Bike Yard will feature a number of fun and dynamic elements to inspire cyclists of all ages and abilities. We walk the emerging flow tracks, rideable berms and innovative skills structures with Matt McClain, president and Chief Stoke Officer of Ride Garden, along with his son Jack and Richard Guilmette, and PAL colleagues Alissa Duncan and Lindsey Graham.

Find out more about Ride Garden here.