Source: PA Recreation & Park Society
Conference & Expo Finally #BackTogetherAgain
PRPS is so happy to be able to host its in person Conference last week. PRPS hopes you had a great week and enjoyed seeing everyone as much as they did. Shout out to the Conference Co-Chairs and Committee for all they did to make it happen, and thank you to the speakers and exhibitors for sharing their expertise! Watch for event photos coming soon on social media and the conference website.
Don’t forget to fill out the Conference Evaluation and let them know how they can make next year’s event even better.
Congratulations to All Award Winners
Outstanding Achievement Award in Honor of Fred M. Coombs
Cindy Dunlap, DCNR
Distinguished Member Award in Honor of Robert D. Griffith
Karen Sweeney, Doylestown Township
Outstanding New Professional
Ashton Miller, Borough of Quakertown
Community Champion Award
Bill Forrey (Individual), Camp Hill Borough St. Luke’s University Health Network (organization)
Agency of the Year Award
Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation
Green & Sustainable Parks Award
Camp Hill Borough
Excellence in Recreation & Parks
Bristol Twp.-Rec From Home
Camp Hill Rec.-Parade of Lights
Cranberry Twp.- Pickleball
Haverford Twp.-Rec at the CREC
Philadelphia P & R.-Esports Programming
Upper Gwynedd Twp-Community Garden
Upper Gwynedd Twp-Night Sky Campout
Upper St. Clair Twp.- Monster Hunt
Whitemarsh Twp. – Magic McSnowflake
Whitemarsh Twp. – Spotted Lanternfly
Whitpain Twp. – Earth Day Celebration
Did You Hear About Level Up?
The “Level Up” program is designed to add points to a PRPS member’s engagement score. PRPS members can earn points through logging in, volunteering, and more! Those points are added to the engagement score on your member profile under the “Engagement” tab. Learn more
Park & Recreation Month Theme
This years Park & Recreation Month theme is “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation!” NRPA will be releasing this year’s logo, toolkit, resources and other materials soon to help you celebrate Park and Recreation Month in your community.
In the meantime, be sure to check out their annual Park and Recreation Month Cover Contest. Submissions are accepted until Monday, April 11. The winning photo — and the story behind the photo — will be featured on the cover and in the pages of the July issue of Parks & Recreation magazine!
Just Released!
Diversity Equity Inclusion Justice (DEIJ) Toolkit
A toolkit for Park & Recreation Organizations is now available. Parks and open spaces have become critical assets for communities. More and more, people are using parks, playgrounds and the outdoors to reap health and social benefits. In addition, the Black Lives Matter movement and the need to acknowledge and support our differences has increased every
community’s focus on equity and inclusion. Download the toolkit here.
Training Opportunities
Time is Running Out to Register!
Swimming Pool Workshops – Pesticide Applicator Certification Credits
Swim Pool Management 101 is an in-depth pool management course for individuals not currently certified who are preparing to take the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Core and Category 24 (Swimming Pools) pesticide applicator exams.
Our Swim Pool Recertification classes deliver a comprehensive review and provide all certified managers with the core and category 24 credits they need to become recertified. These classes give you all the materials and information you need to have a successful and safe year at your pool. The 101 class includes all study materials and the exams on the following day.
PRPS Events
Trails & Trees Environmental Center, Mechanicsburg (Apr 26-27)
Programs & Events Roundtable (Apr 25)
PMI Shop Talk – Aquatic Maintenance (Apr – TBD)
Swimming Pool Re-certification Workshops: Greater Plymouth Community Center, Plymouth Meeting (Apr 19), Online Class (Apr 27)
D3 Childhood Anxiety Workshop (Apr 27)
Trails & Trees Environmental Center, Mechanicsburg (Apr 28)
PMI Spring Field Day (May 5) approved for Pennsylvania pesticide recertification training credits – 2 credits for categories PC, Cat. 7, Cat. 18, and Cat. 23
PMI Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course & Exam (CPSI) – Cranberry Twp. (May 4-6)
TR Lunchtime Session: Foster Resilience Training: Trauma and Its Impact (May 18)
PMI Shop Talk – Playground Surfacing Considerations and Comparisons (May 18)
Playground Maintenance Class with John Balicki (May 18-19)
Shop Talk – Integrated Pest Management (May – TBD)
Volunteer Management Webinar Series (June 2 & 9)
Dementia Friends Webinar (June 8)
Pop-Up Playground Webinar (June 14)
Healthy Lands Week (Sept 24-Oct 2)
D3 Golf Tournament (Sept 30)
Visit the Calendar! Feel free to share!
Other Events
Celebrate Trails Day (Apr 23)
Planning for Trails in Wetlands and Wet Areas (April 29-30)
Love My State Parks Week (May 8)
Family Health & Fitness Day (June 11)
Western PA KAFMO Field Day (June 22)
Park & Recreation Month (July) International Rangers Day (Jul 31)
From the Dig It! Blog
Tips for Building Committee
by Gwenyth Loose, CPRP, Executive Director, York County Rail Trail Authority
Recently, I proposed to our chairman a new committee to be charged with reorganizing and growing our Friends of York County Rail Trails. His response, “Won’t that make more work for you?” gave me pause to recalculate and rethink my idea.
Do committees facilitate or complicate our parks & recreation work? How can we empower committees to take on specific work and keep them on task? And most importantly, as we emerge from months of pandemic “numbness,” how do we energize our committees without depleting our own reserves of energy? Continue reading on the blog