April 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 43

at the end of the day, the damage
was along the whole coast. If you're
in a high-income or low-income
neighborhood, your property was
damaged, " Jennings explains.
The challenge is to get everyone
on the same page by recognizing
that climate change is bigger than
any one group or individual. Time
is of the essence, and nobody has
the luxury of saying: " It's not my
problem. "
" When we reposition our thinking
and remember that we're all
a part of a larger system, that can
bring a progressive perspective to
race and climate as well as other
issues going on in society, " says
Jennings.
Parks and Recreation's Role
What role should parks and recreation
play in supporting climate
resiliency and promoting environmental
justice? Hensley says, " We
can do a better job of working
with our partners in city planning
to build better sustainable development
when it comes to housing
in areas of the underserved population.
And to me, that's environmental
justice - right planning in
the right place at the right time. "
Following are some suggestions for
reducing your community's carbon
footprint:
Create more shade. " Shade is a
big deal, " says Hensley. Go onto
Google Maps to view the areas most
impacted by urban heat island effect
from lack of trees. " Guess where
they are? In the underserved areas
and in areas where people of color
are living. " Hensley recommends
creating additional tree canopies
through a tree planting program.
Will it reverse the problem right
now? No, however, it will help improve
conditions for the future.
Entice the butterflies. In Austin,
Hensley worked on a campaign
focused on milkweed plantings in
areas that would attract Monarch
butterflies. " We planted milkweed
along the Interstate 35 corridor
and in other areas, so that the butterflies
could stop by, re-invigorate
and then head down to Mexico, "
she says, " and just by increasing
the amount of butterflies and putting
in milkweed, [we] helped with
our environment. "
Establish food forests/edible
gardens. To address the problem
of food deserts in underinvested
areas, take parkland or an area the
city can purchase, and work with
community members to plant food
forests or edible gardens. This provides
a place for people who don't
have access to a local grocery store
to walk through and pick fresh
produce off the vine, like grapes,
tomatoes or other in-season fruits
and vegetables.
Develop partnerships. For example,
Rio Salado is a river that
runs from downtown Phoenix,
through different communities of
color, to Tempe, Arizona. Hensley
says some years ago, City of Phoenix
partnered with the state, late
Senator John McCain, and several
other entities and neighborhoods
to clear old tires and trash that had
polluted
the waterway. Working
with park staff and partners, the
city helped to transform Rio Salado
from a deserted trash heap to a
beautiful, thriving natural habitat
featuring
returning wildlife and
welcoming trails. " So, you take areas
that are not well kept from an
environmental standpoint - and
particularly those in an area of underserved
populations - you work
with the community and others to
create a more viable, natural habitat,
which then helps our air quality.
And, it helps with our water
quality through a natural filtration
system, " contends Hensley.
Be a climate ambassador. City
of Austin established its Community
Climate Ambassador Program,
which engages diverse community
members who have been systematically
excluded from the climate
change discussion. According to
Hensley, community
members
really took it upon themselves to
work on a plan that focused on reducing
greenhouse gas emissions,
grounding climate action in racial
equity and building
sustainable
buildings.
When it comes to environmental
justice
and what
park
stresses
and
recreation professionals need to
focus on, Jennings
that
" it's important to balance the scales
between urban development and
green communities where diverse
people can remain and thrive. "
What's more, she contends that
" inclusive leadership at multiple
levels of parks and recreation plays
an important role in the pursuit of
health equity. "
Vitisia Paynich is Executive Editor and Director of Print
and Online Content at NRPA (vpaynich@nrpa.org).
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April 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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