July 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 36

Water
Is Life to
Essay By Richard J. Dolesh

I

t is a self-evident truth that Americans love their parks. We build them in all shapes
and sizes - for conservation, for recreation and for contemplation. We prize them
highly and defend them fiercely, and our parks are the envy of the world.
I have often wondered what it is about parks that give them such a special
place in our consciousness. Why do we love them so, and why do we identify
some of the most important times of our lives with them? Clearly, this feeling
is found not just in America, where we have an abundance of public parks
for many purposes, but increasingly around the world where people of many
cultures are finding, to their surprise, that their parks and public squares are
bedrock elements of human freedoms.
Within our parks, there is one natural resource that we may take for
granted perhaps more than any other.
This critical component enables and
enriches almost all types of recreation,
and it is the fundamental resource,
more than any other, that gives life

34

Parks & Recreation

and sustenance to living lands - to
wildlife, to plants and to all of nature.
Simply stated, it is clean water.
Clean water is the life's blood of
parks. It makes them attractive, appealing to wildlife, vibrant and emotionally satisfying to people. And

| J U LY 2 0 1 3 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

parks protect water quality, perhaps
more than any other type of land
use. The benefits of a clean, healthful
environment that comes from clean
water protect and enhance our individual health and that of our communities. Clean water consistently ranks
as the top conservation priority of
voters in survey after survey, and it is
no wonder why.
In recent years, we have seen a
generation of kids lose touch with
nature and the outdoors. There are
many reasons why, but we now know
it is very difficult to encourage kids
to find the joy in playing outdoors
when they are spending an average
of eight hours per day behind some



July 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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