Articles
Lapping Up The Experience
Forty-five minutes north of Detroit,Mich., dogs may mistake Orion Oaks Dog Park for heaven. Here, in this 24-acre, fenced, off-leash facility, they can mingle with other four-legged friends and take a dip at the
Contracting For Maintenance Services
In recent years, most parks and recreation agencies have had to deal with the economic realities of reduced revenue and higher personnel costs. On the recreation side, program fees
Guarantee Animal Encounters
Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania in East Africa and view the famous Serengeti annual migration, the largest and longest overland migration on earth. In earlier
Driving Home The Point
Disc golf has grown exponentially in recent years, with hundreds of new courses being constructed and thousands of new players added. In addition to offering disc-golf programs
Leaf Blower Bans
Redondo Beach, Calif., is known for its pristine outdoor spaces—the historic Veterans Park, the community playgrounds at Anderson Park, and the popular camping site, Hopkins Wilderness
Invasive Shot-Hole Borers And Fusarium Dieback
Parks in Southern California are losing many of their trees to the Invasive Shot-Hole Borers (ISHB). These tiny ambrosia beetles are carrying the fungus that is causing increasingly
Designed For Life
In an attempt to inspire the community and expand programming to encourage environmentally conscious lifestyles, the city of McAllen, Texas, took an historic adobe home
An Invitation To Learn
In April 2008, the city of Chandler, Ariz., held the grand opening of its newest facility and park—the Environmental Education Center (EEC) located in Veterans Oasis Park.
Rolling With New Trends
In the last decade, “wheel-friendly” parks and plazas have exploded across the country, whether intended for bikes, skateboards, or both. Skateparks in particular are showing up in
On A Wing And A Prairie
The Fayetteville-Springdale area around Lake Fayetteville Park in Arkansas is surrounded by tall grass prairie and oak savanna, first encountered by early travelers and settlers more than 2 centuries ago.
An Uphill Battle
In 2006, the housing bubble burst, and few places in the country were hit harder than California’s Central Valley. Grand visions of verdant communities vanished in the blink of an
A Bison’s Tale
As I look out onto the amber waves of the waning fall prairie landscape, in an area humans have deemed as “Spring Valley,” I can’t help but recall a time when my fellow bison and I were
Embracing Challenges As Opportunities
When the city of Henderson, Nev., hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March to mark the grand opening of its 56th park, residents were thrilled. They had been anxiously awaiting
Leash-Free And Lovin' It
If local, state, or federal park managers were asked to identify a trend for users of park property, many of the managers would name the increase in dogs going off-leash.
WHY duraSAFE Rubber Playground Tiles?
LIFETIME WARRANTY — sofSURFACES carries the strongest playground surfacing warranty in the industry. Not only does our warranty cover durability and installation, but it also covers meeting fall protection standards – for life.
On Solid Ground
Approximately 20 miles south of Pittsburgh , North Strabane Township is home to one of southwestern Pennsylvania ’s fastest-growing communities. But the township’s rapid
Parks Get Better With Age
A once-abandoned island in the harbor of New York City has become one of the city’s most intriguing tourist destinations with miles of paved pathways, baseball fields, natural space, and
Free Public Wi-Fi
Have you noticed the degree to which most people are glued to electronic devices? Amazingly, 95 percent of Americans own a cell phone, the majority of the smart variety. Given this reality,
Recycling Underutilized Sites
Once relegated with the label of “alternative sports,” BMX tracks, trails, and skateparks have become a worldwide phenomenon. Today, some of these facilities even host major
Tips For The Perfect Sports Lighting Specs
As municipalities consider switching from legacy lighting to energy-efficient and controllable state-of-the-art LED sports lighting, it’s important that they begin with a clean slate.