Park and Recreation Month is one of our favorite times of year here at NRPA, and as we celebrate, we wanted to give one of our favorite episodes another spin. This episode originally aired as Episode 176, and it captures exactly what this month is all about: a collection of powerful stories showing how parks and recreation strengthens communities and changes lives.

We're revisiting our conversations with:

• Shannon Barrett, CPRP, recreation coordinator for City of Kerman (California) Parks, Recreation and Community Services, and participants from the Walk With Ease program, who share how a simple walking initiative has built a tight-knit, supportive community.
• Danielle Bachelder, CPRP, senior parks manager for Broward County (Florida) Parks and Recreation, and a young participant in the Pony Tales program, who discuss how a literacy-based initiative that invites children to read to horses is making an impact on children, families and the horses alike.

You'll also hear:

• How a program can start small and grow into a lasting, self-sustaining community
• Why the person leading a program can make or break the participant experience
• What "progress, not perfection" looks like for both program participants and the staff who lead them
• Why the simplest programs (the ones built on nothing more than walking, reading or just showing up) are often the most powerful

One More Reason to Celebrate

Speaking of Park and Recreation Month, don't forget there's still time to enter the Park and Recreation Month Sweepstakes for a chance to win:

• A complimentary full-package registration to the 2026 NRPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia
• Three nights of lodging at a hotel in the official NRPA housing block
• A $500 gift card to help cover travel expenses

Entries close Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT

Want another shot at a free registration? Listen to a new episode of Guardians of Greenspaces and submit your feedback for an additional chance to win.

Have feedback about this episode or Open Space Radio overall? Share it with us!

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something that might help you make a positive impact in your community, please consider donating to NRPA to support not only our storytelling efforts but also our mission to advance parks, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all at nrpa.org/donate.

This season of Open Space Radio is sponsored by BCI Burke. July is Park and Recreation Month, a celebration of the people and places that help communities thrive. At BCI Burke, they're proud to support park and recreation professionals as they create welcoming outdoor spaces that inspire connection, movement and belonging. Learn more at bciburke.com.

As we get closer to the 2026 NRPA Annual Conference, we're excited to welcome this year's keynote speaker, Shola Richards, to Open Space Radio. Shola is the CEO and founder of Go Together Global, a best-selling author and host of the Kindness Extremist podcast. His work focuses on helping people build kinder workplaces through practical, actionable strategies; something that feels especially relevant for park and recreation professionals dedicated to serving their communities.

Throughout this conversation, Shola reminds us that kindness isn't just a feel-good idea. It's a skill that can strengthen teams, improve communities and help us better care for ourselves and one another. From the importance of rest and setting boundaries to the ripple effect of everyday interactions, this conversation is full of practical takeaways you can put into practice right away.

And, if you're joining us at the 2026 NRPA Annual Conference, you'll have the opportunity to hear even more from Shola during his keynote in Philadelphia. He'll share practical tools you can use to build more resilient teams, create more welcoming spaces and lead with kindness in your agency and beyond. If you haven't secured your spot yet, there's still time to register!

Tune in to the full episode to learn how to:

• Turn kindness into action by understanding the difference between simply being nice and creating meaningful connections.
• Protect your well-being by embracing rest, setting boundaries and asking for help without guilt.
• Create lasting impact through everyday interactions that shape experiences for your community.
• Lead with hope using practical strategies you can apply immediately with your team and in your own life.

And if you enjoy this conversation, keep an eye out for the September issue of Parks & Recreation magazine later this month, where you'll find an exclusive feature story with Shola that dives even deeper into the power of kindness, hope and leading with intention.

Have feedback about this episode or Open Space Radio overall? Share it with us!

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something that might help you make a positive impact in your community, please consider donating to NRPA. Your gift will support our storytelling efforts and our mission to advance parks, recreation and environmental resilience efforts that enhance the quality of life for all. Give today at nrpa.org/donate.

This season of Open Space Radio is sponsored by BCI Burke.
Park and recreation professionals create spaces where communities connect, move and thrive. BCI Burke is proud to support that work by designing outdoor play environments that inspire movement, exploration and belonging for people of all ages and abilities. If you're attending the 2026 NRPA Annual Conference, visit Burke in the Exhibit Hall at booth #625 to connect with the team and discover new ideas for your community. Learn more at bciburke.com.

The Fairfield Hills Edible Fruit Trail in Newtown, Connecticut, is more than a walking path. It's a place where people can connect with nature, learn about native plants, harvest fresh food and come together as a community. On this episode of Open Space Radio, we're joined by Amy Mangold, director of Newtown Parks and Recreation, and her son, Andrew Mangold, whose vision helped bring the fruit trail to life.

Now celebrating 10 years, the fruit trail features fruit trees, berry bushes, native wildflowers and medicinal plants along a one-third-mile section of the Fairfield Hills campus. What began as an ambitious idea has grown into a unique community amenity that brings people of all ages together while creating opportunities to learn, volunteer and reconnect with the natural world.

Throughout this conversation, Amy and Andrew share how the trail came to be, the community effort that helped get it started and the many ways they've seen it make an impact over the past decade. From helping people discover native edible plants to creating a space for multigenerational connection, the fruit trail demonstrates how parks can be reimagined to serve communities in new and unexpected ways.

Tune in to the full episode below to learn how to:

• Create unique park experiences that connect people with nature, food and their communities.
• Build community support for an unconventional idea and navigate the process of bringing it to life.
• Use edible landscapes to create opportunities for education, volunteerism and multigenerational connection.
• Start small, learn along the way and create sustainable projects that can inspire other communities to do the same.

Whether it's an edible landscape, a community orchard or simply planting a native tree, Amy and Andrew remind us that meaningful change can start with something small. As Andrew says, the goal is to keep learning from what works, share those lessons with others and make these kinds of projects a more common part of our parks and communities.

Have feedback about this episode or Open Space Radio overall? Share it with us!

If you enjoyed this episode or learned something that might help you make a positive impact in your community, please consider donating to NRPA. Your gift will support our storytelling efforts and our mission to advance parks, recreation and environmental resilience efforts that enhance the quality of life for all. Give today at nrpa.org/donate.

This season of Open Space Radio is sponsored by BCI Burke

Park and recreation professionals help create communities where people can play, thrive and enjoy the outdoors together. BCI Burke is proud to share that purpose and looks forward to connecting at the 2026 NRPA Annual Conference. Visit them at Booth 625 to share ideas, explore innovations and discover thoughtful solutions for outdoor spaces designed for more movement, inclusion and belonging.

Learn more at bciburke.com.

Thanks to BCI Burke for supporting this episode and for their continued commitment to Play That Moves You®.