Up on Play
Parks and Recreation
Iola Kiwanis club in Iola, Kan., is the winner of the Make a Difference Through Play contest, which was sponsored by Landscape Structures Inc. and Kiwanis International. Iola Kiwanis won $25,000 in playground equipment from Landscape Structures for their essay submission describing why their community needs a new playground. The City of Iola is situated along the Neosho River in Southeast Kansas. With a population of nearly 5,700 residents, Iola is the largest town in a tri-county area. The City’s main recreation space, Riverside Park, is home to many amenities including a pool, athletic fields and a playground. The $25,000 award will allow the opportunity to create a playground that will accommodate children and families with special needs. By collaborating with other local organizations, Iola Kiwanis plans to install a safe and inclusive play environment that will welcome all abilities. “We are so excited to receive this $25,000 award to be used towards our inclusive playground,” said Michael Ford, Iola Kiwanis member who spearheaded the contest entry. “Community members, past and present, have supported our club through the entire process, and I know that they’ll help us bring this playground dream to fruition. I’m excited to start laying the groundwork for plans. I speak for the entire Iola Kiwanis club when I say how much we appreciate this award.” The Make a Difference Through Play contest was created to encourage Kiwanis clubs to bring play and playgrounds to communities across the globe. Both Landscape Structures and Kiwanis International believe that playgrounds build gathering spaces, which bring community members together to play, have fun and connect. The organizations began their partnership in January 2013. The Iola Kiwanis club will complete their inclusive playground project on or around Kiwanis One Day, April 5, 2014. One Day is Kiwanis International’s signature day of service during which many clubs participate in service projects benefitting their local communities.
To get started on a playground project, contact your local Landscape Structures playground consultant, or find a Kiwanis club near you at Kiwanis.org/findaclub.
A Natural Fit: Great workouts in San Antonio parks Wouldn’t it be great if, in the interest of building healthier citizens, we could get more people to work out and more people to spend time enjoying the outdoors? Wouldn’t it be even better if we could accomplish both goals at once? On March 19, 2010, the City of San Antonio received a $15.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support initiatives that would “reduce obesity, increase physical activity and improve nutrition-critical actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health.” Among the strategies implemented through this grant was a plan to increase opportunities for the public to use recreational and fitness facilities at no cost. In other words, instead of trying to get more citizens to join health clubs, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District would bring outdoor fitness equipment to its parks and walking trails and let park-goers use them free of charge. Sandy Jenkins, Parks Project Manager for the City of San Antonio, partnered with the Health District to make it happen. “As a result of this grant, the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department partnered with the Metro Health District to come up with a variety of initiatives to get more visitors into our parks and exercising,” says Jenkins. “The thought was that if we can get more people into the parks to walk and work out that would be a very good thing. “We started in the summer of 2010 by placing fitness equipment in 12 of our 244 parks, and the reaction from the public was so strong that we increased that to 30 parks by May 2012,” said Jenkins. “We initially selected sites along walking paths, thinking that walkers would appreciate the opportunity to get a more varied workout during their daily routines. That was an immediate success, so we experimented by installing the equipment adjacent to popular playgrounds. We thought that parents and caregivers could now be more active as they watched their children play, enabling them to get a multi-faceted workout even during their busy days.” continued on next page
The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department chose to include the HealthBeatŽ Outdoor Fitness System in 14 of the 30 parks because it offers various exercises in order to give users a strong, balanced workout. In addition to the exercises provided, they considered the following when planning for outdoor fitness environments: 1. Access. Bring outdoor fitness equipment directly to park-goers by placing stations near walking/jogging trails and playgrounds that they are already using. To do this effectively, choose fitness equipment that offers design flexibility, which allows park planners to offer more tailored workouts within outdoor fitness environments. 2. U sers. Provide fitness stations that offer appropriate challenge for all fitness levels, and make sure there is a full range of exercises available. Additionally, consider users’ comfort levels with fitness equipment. Some may be unfamiliar with how to properly use the stations, so choose equipment that is intuitive, and provides signage or other resources to help ensure the safety of users. 3. D esign. While fitness equipment should standout enough to attract users, it should also complement the surrounding environment. In addition to a sleek design, the equipment should be manufactured using high-quality materials that will withstand the elements and heavy use. To ensure a successful project, keep these items in mind when creating outdoor fitness environments. By doing so, the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department has seen healthy improvements in the behaviors of their citizens. Learn more about the HealthBeat outdoor fitness system, and contact your local playground consultant to get started on an outdoor fitness environment today.
Supporting Parks & Recreation Associations with Scholarships We are proud to announce that we will once again offer the Parks and Recreation State Association Speaker Scholarship program. The 2013-2014 program will support the appearances of speakers at state parks and recreation associations’ annual or regional conferences. State associations that are chosen will receive a scholarship of up to $2,500 to support conference speakers whose messages are focused on topics related to play, environmental stewardship or other professional development topics. Scholarship applications will be accepted from Aug. 1, 2013 to July 31, 2014, and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. This is the fifth year that Landscape Structures has offered this program to state park and recreation associations. Below are recipients of the 2012-2013 program as well as examples of past speakers: 2012-2013 scholarship recipients: • Arizona Recreation & Park Association
• New York State Recreation & Park Society
• Colorado Parks & Recreation Association
• North Carolina Recreation & Park Association
• Connecticut Recreation & Park Association
• North Dakota Recreation & Park Association
• Florida Recreation & Park Association
• Northern New England Conference
• Indiana Parks & Recreation Association
• Oklahoma Recreation & Park Society
• Kansas Recreation & Park Association
• Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society
• Massachusetts Recreation & Park Association
• Rhode Island Recreation & Park Association
• Michigan Recreation & Park Association
• South Dakota Parks & Recreation Association
• New England Parks Association
• Vermont Recreation & Park Association
• New Mexico Recreation & Park Association continued on next page
Past speakers: • Jennifer Baker, the Meeting Institute • Nancy Noonan, the Art of Mastery • Travis Roy, motivational speaker, author and activist • Lori Hoffner, Supporting CommUnity • Mike Shellito, former city manager and parks & recreation director for the City of Roseville in northern California • Connecticut Camp Guys, a professional consulting group that focuses on camp consulting • Peter Harnik, director of the Center for Park Excellence for the Trust for Public Land
• Michigan Governor Rick Snyder • Alvin Law, motivational speaker • Dr. John Crompton, distinguished professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University • Andrew Beers, deputy director of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation • Mark Fenton, national public health, planning, and transportation consultant • Shannon Miller, seven-time Olympic medalist and advocate for healthy living • Jeff Yalden, youth motivational speaker
“We are excited to be able to offer this scholarship program to state parks and recreation associations,” said Lynn Pinoniemi, director of marketing at Landscape Structures. “These associations and their members are doing great work, and as a result, creating thriving communities. The scholarship program is just one way that we can help parks and recreation professionals reach their goals, and we’re proud to do so.” Be sure to complete an application for Landscape Structures’ 2013-2014 State Association Speaker Scholarship at playlsi.com/2013Scholarship.
Leave it to the professionals Landscape Structures is so honored to work with parks and recreation professionals around the world. We’re constantly learning about fun and unique projects on which you’ve worked, obstacles that you face and innovative solutions that you create to overcome challenges. That’s why we’ve created this new feature that spotlights a professional, introduces him or her, and gives you a glimpse into what projects and programs he or she has implemented. Our featured professional is Bridget Stesney, chief operating officer at DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Read below to learn more about Bridget, and her experience in the field of parks and recreation. Q: H ow long have you been involved in the park and recreation industry? A: T his fall, I will celebrate six years with DPR but I have always had an interest in recreation and the outdoors. I have been a lifeguard, a counselor at summer camps, a program leader at an environmental education center, and a ranger at a Michigan State Park. Q: What have been some of your favorite initiatives to tackle since moving into parks and recreation? A: I n October 2012, we created an initiative called Play DC. The goal of Play DC is to create places for the entire family to be outside, playing together. We set out to renovate 32 playgrounds this year. Kicking off the initiative was the Rosedale Recreation Center. This playground features an inclusive playground mimicking the monuments around the National Mall. M y favorite project at the moment is the Palisades Recreation Center. We opened that playground on July 4. It has a Native American-themed playstructure that pays tribute to the Potomac River settlement. The playground has been packed every day since the opening! W e are also incorporating fitness stations in our playgrounds. In one park, we placed fitness stations and play equipment together along a fitness trail in an effort to encourage entire families to be active together. A t eight of our playgrounds, we are also installing new community gardens. This is just another amenity we hope will bring generations together, and it helps encourage healthy living. N ext year, we hope to hire “playground professionals” (the exact job title is still being worked on), whom will host play dates at playgrounds around the District, and help activate and program our parks and playgrounds. Q: B eing as passionate about parks and recreation as you are, does your career influence some of your personal hobbies? A: D efinitely. I’ve got two little boys—ages 3 and 5—so we’re always looking for new parks and playgrounds to visit. If I hear of a new playground opening nearby, we’ll go visit. And if we’re vacationing somewhere, I try to work in a few visits to playgrounds in the area. It’s fun for the boys, and also helps me see what other professionals and communities are doing. A side from playground visits, we like to go kayaking and hiking, and have started venturing to baseball games. And for a little alone-time recreation, I like to run.
Learn more about DPR and their DC Play initiative here.
Industry News Learn about the latest happenings in the playground industry below, and then join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+. Let us know what you think about these topics: • Park planning goes to the dogs As the number of dog owners continues to increase, some park planners are considering ways to expand recreational opportunities for dogs. Communities in Virginia are forming dog park committees to help establish new park areas. Read more.
Calendar of Events Looking forward to seeing you at the following events: August • Florida Recreation & Park Association, Orlando, Fla. September • North Dakota Recreation & Park Association, Valley City, N.D. • New England Parks Association, West Dennis, Mass. October • National Recreation & Park Association, Houston, Texas • SPD Foundation, Charlotte, N.C.
©2013 Landscape Structures Inc.
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• Advanced planning critical for community wellness recreation center feasibility The Estes Valley Recreation and Park District (EVRPD) will conduct a Community Wellness Recreation Center feasibility study, which will help determine the scope and needs of the proposed project. The study will define community trends, future needs, unmet needs and the effects of demographic changes. Read more. • Offering never-before-seen shapes in playground design We are excited to showcase our newest playground designs, which can be ordered as is, customized to fit site or budget needs, or used as a starting point to create a truly signature design. Learn more.
November • National League of Cities, Seattle, Wash. • American Society of Landscape Architects, Boston, Mass.
Landscape Structures Inc. 601 7th St. South Delano, MN 55328-8605 888.438.6574 763.972.5200 playlsi.com
• New York state park transforms visitor sign-ins into strategic data Student researchers are developing a comprehensive computerbased map system from hundreds of Adirondack Park trailhead sign-in logs, which will help the Department of Environmental Conservation make land-management decisions. Read more.
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