If you’ve ever wondered if parks and rec offices are run the way you have seen them in the popular show featuring Amy Poehler, you’ve come to the right spot. The truth is that Parks and Rec gets a lot right, albeit with plenty of humor and satire laced in. The parks and recreation departments across the country serve a critical function in society. While they might feel irrelevant or unnecessary to many, imagine what your cities would look like without them.
The To-Do List
First, you may never have seen an actual person from the parks and rec department out in the community. If you don’t have young kids or frequent parks much, why would you? Even if you do, you’re probably there to enjoy the park, not look for the people cleaning and maintaining it. And that’s just what parks and rec employees do, at least the ones you might see. They maintain the grounds of public spaces like playgrounds, and community recreation centers.
Any public space in your community, whether in your city, state, or even a federal park, is planned, designed, and maintained by a parks and rec department. These public employees ensure the swing sets are safe, the grass gets cut, the trash is picked up, and the flowers and trees are pruned. When they’re not on the grounds, they’re in offices organizing and budgeting funds for special events like holiday concerts, citywide barbecues, and firework displays.
The Goal
The overarching goal of the parks and rec offices in the community is to create and maintain outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed by the public at a low cost or free. A world without parks and rec departments could be overrun with garbage, weeds, and an overgrowth of plants that wouldn’t allow you to participate in nature, particularly if you live in an urban area. If you wanted to enjoy a park, you’d likely have to pay a steep fee to a business that privatized the area.
Instead, the United States decided to ensure the American people could benefit from time in nature without having to worry it would be sullied by human encroachment. This decision dates back to 1872 when U.S. leaders declared Yellowstone a national park. Since that time, presidents and other government officials have continued to establish public lands so Americans can hike, swim, and simply bask in nature.
The Vision
It is the parks and rec departments that meet those goals virtually every working day. The vision, implemented by government leaders, is one of happy citizens recreating in spaces that are protected from corporate profit and political misconduct. That vision is upheld by the workers of your local parks and rec department and by those at the federal level. They plant native trees and flowers, cut through fallen tree trunks, and repave sidewalks and parking lots.
Today, protected public spaces take up almost 40% of United States territory. This protection is critical as Americans build more houses, more shopping malls, and more business districts. You might not realize it, but without parks and rec departments to keep this vision alive, your waterways could be polluted, the air you breathe could be much dirtier, and the rivers, lakes, and streams may have no wildlife in them.
The Staff
So who’s doing all this work? Much like the devoted and honorable Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, the parks and rec departments around the country are run by civil servants. Because the land being maintained is public land, it is government offices that must maintain it. That means the park rangers, gardeners, landscapers, designers, and officials are all government employees.
While parks and rec employees likely won’t get rich doing the important work they do, the United States government typically offers a living wage, health insurance, and other benefits. Most government employees are also members of a labor union, so they can collectively bargain and expect to be treated fairly at work. Some positions require specialized degrees, but the most important factor is a desire to serve your community and your country.
The Public
So, what’s your role in the parks and rec department, as an average, everyday citizen? While you might feel twice removed from the government process, the truth is you have much more power than you realize. If you ever wondered if your vote counts, you will see its power most in the way your local government is run. Your city officials are the ones who appoint and hire the people in charge of your parks and rec departments.
If you don’t like the way the playgrounds, hiking trails, or natural spaces are managed or maintained in your city, call your parks and rec department. Get involved, ask questions, and if you don’t like what you hear, take your issues to the ballot box. Now more than ever it can feel like your voice doesn’t matter on election day at a federal level, but you can be sure it matters at a local one. City and county officials can win or lose elections by just a few votes.
If you are a nature lover, have kids that want to play on playgrounds, or just want your city to look nice, look to your parks and rec department. The employees in those offices and on the ground taking care of your space every day are the ones responsible. They do far more than you might realize because you may never see them. Just remember for every magical playground and every breathtaking hike there’s a parks and rec department to thank.