Guardians of Greenspaces

Historic parks have always served as place we jump, dance and feast, according to Josh Altidor (General Superintendent, Boston Common) . These centerpieces, like the park system in St. Joseph, Missouri, come with increased — and unique — maintenance challenges. Listen to hear how two park and recreation departments are taking on rats, aging infrastructure, ADA accessibility and more.For a limited time only, ⁠⁠share your thoughts⁠⁠ on an episode within two weeks of the drop for a chance to win a FREE 2026 NRPA Annual Conference registration!Transcripts for all episodes can be found at ⁠⁠⁠nrpa.org/guardiansofgreenspaces  ⁠⁠⁠

Ready to stop hiding your streams away underneath parks and in culverts? Join Anna Mathis in Chattanooga, TN and Chris Matthews in Mecklenburg County, NC in the campaign to daylight streams – and get heat mitigation benefits for people and wildlife alike. Explore maintenance solutions to challenges like the establishment phase, construction shock and natural space safety concerns.  Transcripts for all episodes can be found at ⁠nrpa.org/guardiansofgreenspaces  ⁠For a limited time only, ⁠share your thoughts⁠ on an episode within two weeks of the drop for a chance to win a FREE 2026 NRPA Annual Conference registration!

Trees create shade. Shade keeps people cool. We kick off Season 2 of Guardians of Greenspaces with the most clear way to address extreme heat – trees, which actually do much more than just provide shade. We’re excited to welcome Belinda Judelman, Planning and Policy Analyst for Portland Parks and Recreation, and Joel Smith, Tree Inspector with the city of Portland, to share their perspectives on maintenance strategies for a healthy and cool tree canopy.Transcripts for all episodes can be found at nrpa.org/guardiansofgreenspaces  For a limited time only, share your thoughts on an episode within two weeks of the drop for a chance to win a FREE 2026 NRPA Annual Conference registration!