April 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 48

PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITIES

C O N S E R VAT I O N
" Many people are surprised to learn
that San Diego County is one of
Earth's 20 biodiversity hotspots, " says
Brian Albright, director of San Diego
County Parks and Recreation. " The
county contains a greater number
and variety of species than any similar-sized area in North America. "
To preserve this special ecosystem, the county developed the Multiple Species Conservation Program
(MSCP) that will eventually conserve
more than 200,000 acres of sensitive
habitat. The MSCP also provides a
platform to help cultivate future environmental stewards. Using a curriculum that correlates to the California
Science Framework Standards, the
county's Discovery Program begins
with specialized training for teachers and visits to school classrooms
by park rangers, followed up by field
trips to various parks throughout the
county. Each park has its own unique
focus area, be it forest ecology, geology, Native American history, and

other science concepts. Recently,
through the help of donors and sponsors that provide transportation, the
county has increased the focus of
Discovery on inner-city schools.
" These urban locations are where
the gap between kids and nature tends
to be the greatest, " Albright says. " Remarkably, for some of these kids, the
Discovery field trip is their first handson experience with real nature. "
" Sustainable environments " is an
overarching theme for the department,
so two of its operational priorities include making optimal use of two important resources: sunshine and water.
Whether it's water conservation efforts
that have saved 650 million gallons in
five years or photovoltaics located on
rooftops, car ports, and even compacting trash cans, the county parks department leads by example.
" The drive to conserve is pervasive-
and there is so much more we can do, "
Albright says. " Our team is constantly
thinking of more ways to innovate in
this area, and we aren't afraid to copy
the best practices of other agencies that
we see or hear about. "

NRPA's three-pillar messaging
strikes a chord with Albright.
" In San Diego County, three initiatives guide all programs and services, " he says. " They are: safe communities, sustainable environments,
and healthy families. Look at how
closely those initiatives mirror the
three pillars of NRPA! "
He continues, " In the past, our industry's message got lost in too many
specific goals and directives. The three
pillars help clarify and simplify the
message into something we can share
even though our agencies serve unique
individual communities. Hopefully
that will drive funding, policies, and
behaviors that will benefit all of us. "

HEALTH & WELLNESS
" Recreation that inspires personal
growth, healthy lifestyles, and a sense
of community " is one of the themes of
the Minneapolis Park and Recreation
Board's (MPRB) 2007-2020 Comprehensive Plan, which, along with the
mission, guides the board's annual
budget goals and day-to-day operations. That theme is evident in several
recent collaborations and partnerships.
" In 2010, the MPRB began an exciting new research partnership with
the University of Minnesota to investigate the outdoor leisure time activity
needs of different family types and the
impact of neighborhood park design
on family health and well-being, " says
Superintendent Jayne Miller. " Research was conducted in some of the
most diverse, economically challenged
neighborhoods within the city. "
The MPRB is also one of six organizations in the new " HealthyLiving
Minneapolis " program, a network of
Minneapolis organizations that provide accessible and affordable proUrban schoolchildren learn about nature at
Dos Picos County Park in San Diego.

Parks & Recreation

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April 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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