December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 10

NRPA FOCUS

BY DANIELLE TAYLOR

GREEN SCHOOL

Preparing a New Generation of
Conservation Leaders

M

AYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF NRPA'S GREEN SCHOOL, which will be held for its second
year this February, but you're not sure if it's right for you or one of your employees. After
all, unlike some of NRPA's other professional development schools, such as the Directors' School, Event Management School, or Park and Recreation Maintenance Management School,
the Green School isn't geared toward one speciﬁc job function or title.
In fact, the lessons learned at the Green School
can be applied to just about any job in the ﬁeld of
parks and recreation, because every employee
working in this industry should be actively promoting the message of conservation. Although it
is primarily geared toward the park and recreation
professional, this school is also designed for anyone who has been charged to become a leader of
sustainability in their community. The two-year
program, consisting of one week per year, will
provide you with the ability to:
■ Improve your facility's environmental performance while reducing risk and liability
■ Reduce your waste management budget
■ Creatively reuse materials and minimize waste
production
■ Lead green initiatives in your community 
■ Become environmentally responsible in your
operations
■ Educate your community on the importance
of environmental stewardship
■ Position your agency as role models for environmental stewardship in your community.

GREEN SCHOOL DETAILS
WHEN: February 24-March 1, 2013
WHERE: Oglebay Resort & Conference Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
PACKAGE COST: Starts at $1,965 for NRPA members
PACKAGE INCLUDES: All educational sessions, ﬁve nights lodging,
breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday, Sunday reception
and dinner, Monday reception, Tuesday reception, Thursday evening
recognition reception and dinner, beverage tickets, daily coffee/beverage breaks, Friday continental breakfast.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.nrpa.org/green-school

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Parks & Recreation

| DECEMBER 2012 | WWW.NRPA.ORG

Still not convinced? Don't take our word for
it! Three Year One graduates from the inaugural 2012 session share their feedback on their
experiences below. We spoke with Stephanie
Neal, assistant division chief for the Maintenance and Development Division of the Prince
George's County, Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission; Mike Trigg,
superintendent of parks for the Waukegan Park
District in Waukegan, Illinois; and Joe Brady,
natural resources manager, Parks and Building
Services with Metro Parks Tacoma in Tacoma,
Washington.
How do green efforts factor into your work?
Mike Trigg: As superintendent of parks, I am
the chairman of the District's Green Team Committee. The Green Team was formed as a 2011
Strategic Plan initiative to develop and implement best practices for sustainability and green
practices.
Stephanie Neal: From the park maintenance
aspect, our department has made signiﬁcant
efforts to embrace green initiatives by seeking
out and utilizing " greener " and more environmentally friendly cleaning products, ﬂoor-care
products, and maintenance equipment. Also,
during these recent times of economic challenges, our department has been working toward reducing our mowing efforts throughout
our county.
Joe Brady: Part of my job is to chair our District Sustainability Workgroup. This team is a
group of staff from all over the district who collaborate on issues pertaining to sustainability
and the district's Green Agenda.
December 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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