Designated in 1985 as National Park and Recreation Month by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the month of July is ideal for small groups and families to rediscover their local parks and visit new ones.
Encouraging outdoor physical activity and actively promoting parks and recreation in communities across the country, the NRPA actively supports and promotes creative celebrations through their magazine Parks & Recreation and encourages communities and townships to submit their own celebration and activity information.
For nearly 40 years, we have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation.
This month is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — who maintain our country’s local, state and community parks.
This year’s theme, “Build Together, Play Together,” celebrates the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections.
The object of the NRPA and National Park and Recreation Month isn’t just to encourage outdoor recreational activity and increase park visitation, but also to recognize and salute those who work in the parks system to make our park experience enjoyable and unforgettable.
The beauty of a park can reside within our hearts and minds long after we have left, and children and adults alike will certainly enjoy the tranquility and peace of such natural serenity.
We should consider the care and effort that goes into maintaining our parks by the vast number of park employees who dedicate themselves to the difficult but rewarding task of park maintenance.
You can check your park websites, or activity listings in your local papers, to find out what programs and activities may be occurring in your area in honor of National Park and Recreation Month. Many communities celebrate enthusiastically with park pride days, park picnics, group hikes, park beautification activities and more.
Outdoor recreation is a key factor of National Park and Recreation Month, focusing on the need for physical activity, and what better place to enjoy physical activity than during the many beautiful summer days in the month of July. Although the many activities and celebrations can be overwhelmingly fun, the importance of physical activity should not be forgotten, and should especially be instilled in children and young adults.
The NRPA website, nrpa.org, contains more information and tools for communities to utilize to create their own list of activities and celebrations.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a nonprofit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. The website is www.wildlifemiss.org.
