Parks: This Land Really is Your Land
They became the last refuge for magnificent species of animals that otherwise would have vanished forever. And they remain a refuge for human beings seeking to replenish their spirit . . .. National Parks . . . are "the best idea we've ever had." Ken Burns, The National Parks.
Ken Burns was almost right, except it's not only national parks that deserve our appreciation. All public parks do.
Good things are happening in Saraota's parks right now, and some very cool events are coming up, both for adults and for kids. Before getting into a few of these, a word about public lands -- especially parks and nature preserves.
All kinds of studies show that parks offer a huge boost to the health and emotional well being of the nation's' kids. Public parks offer the amenities of open space, fresh air, exercise and natural beauty to us all, but they especially benefit folks without private property of their own. As the populations of the cities of the world continue to grow in density, having open space to breathe isn't an amenity, but a necessity. Parks, often thought of as places where crimes are committed, have been found to lower stress and reduce crime.
The benefits of public lands give a boost not just to health and environmental elements, but also can be catalysts of economic development, fostering the very sense of community a city or county wants to have. In Sarasota, the development of Nathan Benderson Park offers a prime example of a community investing in parks as a win for the outdoors, for people, and for the local economy.
National Public Lands Day
It's with all this that in mind that every September, people all around the country celebrate National Public Lands Day. Over 150,000 people are expected to fan out out across many cities and counties for a day of straightening up our national, state and local parks.
National Public Lands Day this year falls on September 24th, a Saturday. Sarasota County will mark the occasion with a morning of trail trimming, sign installation, planting and more at Sleeping Turtles Preserve North in Venice, according to Brie Ondercin of Sarasota County Parks and Rec.
"Volunteers will be asked to arrive no later than 8:45 a.m. so that they can be briefed on the volunteer work scheduled for the day," said Ondercin. Look for registration for the event on the County Calendar -- space is limited to 25 volunteers.
The NPLD celebration at Sleeping Turtles includes a program for kids, Ondercin added. It's actually part of an expanded "Little Naturalist" series of events planned for kids throughout the fall, at several parks and land preserves. Each of these is set up to accommodate three different age groups -- get all the info here.
More cool things coming up
For the athletically inclined, challenging events will be springing up all over the county:
- In North Port on Oct. 23, they're holding the second annual Tour de North Port, an organized bicycle race that offers a choce of 15, 35, or (for the extra-masochistic) 65-mile rides, a continental breakfast and more. Details at the link.
- In Venice Labor Day Weekend, it's Hoop It Up and Let It Fly -- a pair of basketball and flag football contests for kids 8 and up. Great fun on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3-4.
- Also in Venice: On Sept. 3, Labor Day celebrants will be swimming 400 meters in the Gulf, then bike 12.5 miles, then run through the new Maxine Barritt and Casperson Beach parks, in the Venice Triathlon.
- Finally something a bit less strenuous: Oct. 4 is National Night Out, an annual event dedicated to strengthening anti-crime efforts. This year it will offer even more activities for children, and the venue has changed to Urfer Famly Park at Honore and Bee Ridge Road.
Speaking of Urfer, it's been nominated and is doing pretty well in an America's Favorite Park contest from Coca Cola. One of the county's newest parks, Urfer features a great children's play area, pavilions, the historic Wilson House, walks and running paths, wetlands, and wooded areas that abut a pasture with actual grazing cows. If you've not been there, it's worth a trip. The contest, by the way, comes with a $100,000 prize. More reason to click over there and vote. When you get there, type Urfer Family Park and click GO.
Keeping up with parks
There's much, much more going on thanks to our parks than can possibly be noted here. One way to get involved or just keep up with events is to join Friends of Sarasota County Parks, or FOSCP. The group serves as an umbrella for some 30 active volunteer chapters, each of which focuses on a particular park. They publish a free newsletter each month (disclaimer: I help out with it) and it's easy to subscribe on the home page of the FOSCP site.
The parks are ours - let's use them well.
Links
