Land&People, Vol. 32, No. 1 - Spring/Summer 2020

SPRING/SUMMER 2020 A BENEFIT TO MEMBERS OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

+ TEN YEARS AFTER DEEPWATER HORIZON + COLORADO‘S NEXT STATE PARK + A RIVERFRONT REVIVAL FOR CHATTANOOGA

COOL SCHOOLS THE NEIGHBORHOOD C L I M AT E S O L U T I O N

6 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

adair f reeman r u t l e dg e

conserve land ...

and your retirement.

charitable gift annuity rates by age A charitable gift annuity with The Trust for Public Land can provide you with income for life while helping to conserve

65

70

75

80

85

90

5.1%

5.6%

6.2%

7.3%

8.3%

9.5%

land for generations to come. Here’s how: 1. Make a gift to The Trust for Public Land.

2. Receive a charitable deduction.

3. We invest your gift.

4. We pay you a percentage of the original gift for the rest of your life.

5. We apply the remainder toward achieving our mission of creating parks and protecting land for people.

to learn more, please contact: Christine Lambert Pentino, Director of Planned Giving 202.543.7552 or plannedgiving@tpl.org

contents

30

c h a r lo t t e k e s l

the trust for public land

F EAT U R E S

“We can’t leave other Chattanoogans behind.”

42

doug strickland

min d th e g a p, p g . 5 2

52

Beyond the Horizon................................................................................................... 30 Ten years after the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, Gulf Coast communities return to the waterfront.

Hot Spots....................................................................................................................................... 42 As the planet heats up, public schoolyards will be part of the problem … or part of the solution.

Mind the Gap. ........................................................................................................................ 52 Trails powered Chattanooga’s revival—but some neighborhoods have yet to see the benefit.

T P L. O R G · 1

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

M AY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Through uncertain times, monthly donors sustain our work protecting land for people today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Become a monthly donor today.

tpl.org/monthlygiving 2 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

D E PA RT M E NTS

of change.

istock user ivan-96

An invaluable constant in times

j o s h u a d o b ay

From the President · 11

contents

Board Spotlight · 13 Get to know Jody S. Gill.

Contributors · 14 Mailroom · 15 First Look · 17

21

Just how narrow are Zion National Parkʼs “Narrows”? Whatʼs growing at do you get organized?

Insight · 25

Tackling the thorniest questions about climate change through art.

Member Center · 62

c o u r t e s y m a ' o o r g a n i c fa r m

Hawai‘iʼs biggest organic farm? How

24

Offices · 63 Trail’s End · 64

When camping with your kids is an act of defiance.

o n t h e cover

America has over 100,000 public schoolyards. How many of them are protecting kids from climate change?

Photo: Getty

JOI N U S ON FAC EB O O K

Stay tuned to our latest news, videos, contests, and more. facebook.com/thetrustforpublicland

18

T P L. O R G · 3

4 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

cameron davidson, courtesy of the nature conservancy

contents

FISHER’S PEAK RANCH, TRINIDAD, COLORADO The 9,600-foot Fisher’s Peak is the

backdrop to daily life in Trinidad, a small town in southern Colorado.

“That mountain is the symbol of

our town,” says Cy Michaels, president of the local tourism board.

“The view from the top is so beautiful it makes me cry.” But the land between the town and the peak

has always been off-limits … until

now. Trust for Public Land supporters helped protect a 30-square-

mile ranch, and we’re working with Trinidad residents to transform it

into Colorado’s newest state park.

Page · 20

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T P L. O R G · 5

i s t o c k u s e r fa t c a m e r a

6 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

contents

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH Talk about getting your feet wet:

in some spots, the so-called Zion Narrows—a slot canyon popular with hikers—are so narrow that

hikers share the trail with the river itself. Thanks to Trust for Public

Land supporters, the whole Zion

Narrows Trail is now protected and open to the public forever.

Page · 24

24

T P L. O R G · 7

joe martinez

8 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

contents

P.S. 156/M.S. 392, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK For too many communities in

America, school is the opposite of cool: asphalt yards, brick

facades, and not enough shade mean that over a third of U.S. schoolyards are significantly

hotter than their surrounding

neighborhoods. Trust for Public

Land supporters are powering a growing movement to fight the

“heat island effect” in our cities, starting with cooler, greener,

more welcoming schoolyards.

Page · 42

42

T P L. O R G · 9

OFF I C E R S pre si d e n t an d c hi e f exec u t i v e o ff i c er

Diane Regas vice p re s i d e n t an d dire cto r o f co n s e rvat i o n f i n a n c e

Will Abberger s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t o f n atio n al p ro g rams

Adrian Benepe s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t , g en era l couns e l, an d co rp o rat e sec reta r y

D. Malcolm Carson s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t of f i e ld p ro g rams

Jeff Danter vice p re s i d e n t an d d i recto r o f philan t hro p y p ro g ram s

Jeff Hauk s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t o f poli c y an d g ove rn me n t rel at i o n s

Bill Lee vice p re s i d e n t an d ass o c i at e ge n e ral co un s e l

Margaret Madden s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t a n d c hie f fi n an c i al an d ad m i n i st rat i v e o ff i c er

James Obendorf vice p re s i d e n t an d dire cto r o f fi n an c e a n d acco u n t i n g

Michelle Pandori

our mission:

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND CREATES PARKS AND PROTECTS LAND FOR PEOPLE, ENSURING HEALTHY, LIVABLE COMMUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

vice p re s i d e n t an d d i recto r o f human re s o urc e s

Carrie Speckart s e n i o r vi c e p re s i d e n t a n d c hie f marke t i n g an d co m m u n i cat i o n s o ff i c er

I Ling Thompson

how you can help: Our work depends on the generous support of people like you. donate: Use the envelope inside this magazine, or visit tpl.org/donate for other easy ways to give. lea rn more: Get timely updates on our park and conservation work near you.

Sign up for our e-newsletter at tpl.org/enews. share: Help us make the case for parks and open space. When you’ve finished reading this issue, pass it on!

Land&People magazine is a benefit to members of The Trust for Public Land.

1 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

executive editor Eliza Sarasohn

AN INVALUABLE CONSTANT IN A TIME OF CHANGE

managing editor Julia Busiek

i’m writing this in march, and you won’t

art director Gerardo Garcia-Jurado

changed in the last few weeks alone, it’s folly to

media production manager Elyse Leyenberger designer Rachel Barnes digital production Whitney Kolterman Jeremy Sammons

read it until may. Given how fast the world has make any predictions.

But through the tumult of this uncertain time, I am finding solace in the constant of nature. All my life, no matter the challenge at hand, spending time outside—even just a quick walk in the fresh air—remains the fastest and surest way to clear my head and calm my mind.

As a Trust for Public Land member, I know you feel the same. Many of you have reached out in recent days to tell me you’re more grateful than ever for your neighborhood park or trail. It is said that adversity strips away the inconsequential and helps us focus on what’s really important, and I believe we are all finding that to be true now. Perilous times like these show us how interconnected we all are, how we’re only as strong as the weakest among us.

Now imagine what it means that 100 million people—including 28 million kids—don’t have a park close to home. Maybe you’re one of them,

© 2020 The Trust for Public Land.

All rights reserved. 10-Minute Walk, Conserving Land for People, Conserving Nature Near You, Creating Parks and Protecting Land for People, Fitness Zone, Land for People, Land&People, LandVote, Northwoods Initiative, Our Land, Parks for People, ParkScore, The Trust for Our Land, The Trust for Public Land, TPL, and The Trust for Public Land and LandVote logos and all other names of The Trust for Public Land programs referenced herein, as well as their logos, are registered or common-law trademarks of The Trust for Public Land.

nicholas lea bruno

from the president

and you know exactly what it feels like not to have a place to get outside and find respite.

The driving goal of our mission at The Trust for Public Land is to create healthy, livable com-

Our commitment to you is that Trust for Public Land staff, volunteers, partners, and the extraordinary communities we serve are working harder than ever to rise to the challenge of this unprecedented moment, and to bring parks and green spaces where they’re needed most.

You’ll read some of these stories in this issue of Land&People. Having visited many of these communities around the country, I have been heartened by the power of people to overcome impossible odds, and I hope you’ll find inspiration in their triumph.

As a valued contributor, you are the fuel that makes this success possible. So as you’re reading, consider joining The Trust for Public Land as a monthly sustaining member at tpl.org/monthlygiving. Your continued support of our urgent and meaningful work will make a difference now that will resonate for generations to come.

Wishing you well,

munities, and we know that great communities are built around great parks. In the weeks and months to come, our nation’s parks, trails, and green spaces will be integral to how we cope and recover. Every child, every family—indeed every person in America—deserves access to the out-

Diane Regas president and ceo

doors and the countless benefits parks provide.

T P L. O R G · 11

M EET YO UR MATCH

This year, an anonymous donor will generously match your gift—dollar-for-dollar—if you send it before June 15. Your donation will go even further to help The Trust for Public Land protect more parks, gardens, and other natural places. That’s one good thing made that much better.

Give your EarthShare.

1 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

An EarthShare payroll deduction is one simple way to donate to The Trust for Public Land or more than 400 other environmental and conservation charities. Many corporate and government employers support EarthShare payroll giving. If yours doesn’t, ask them to start. If they do, simply decide on a single deduction or a recurring small one from every paycheck. Then designate us, member number 11440, as one of your conservation charities. For more information visit earthshare.org or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

terray sylvester

800.714.5263 · donor.outreach@tpl.org · tpl.org/match

Get to know

board spotlight

Jody S. Gill

jody is a graduate of Northwestern Univer-

eric l au r it s

B OA R D OF D I R E CTO R S

sity and Boston University Law School. She’s worked as an estate planner at Choate, Hall and Stewart; a prosecutor at the Middlesex County Court House in Cambridge; and a

chair

sole practitioner, specializing in criminal

Thomas S. Reeve

defense and civil rights litigation. She

Stephen W. Baird

retired in 1998 to sail across the Pacific with her husband. Jody has served on the boards

George Bell

of Connecticut Bank & Trust Company;

Page Knudsen Cowles

Nantucket Cottage Hospital; NAACP Legal

William Cronon

Defense Fund; Milton Academy; Cambridge College; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston;

Jody S. Gill

and the Esplanade Association. She and her

F. Whitney Hatch

husband, Tom, reside in Boston and West

Christopher G. Lea

Palm Beach.

Joseph E. Lipscomb Ignacia S. Moreno Caroline P. Niemczyk Michael Parish Michael E. Patterson

I BELIEVE IN PROTECTING LAND AND CREATING

school playground, or creating an urban park, the

PARKS BECAUSE … access to green space should be

commitment to engaging the community in the

a fundamental right enjoyed by every single person

design process ensures that every park will reflect

in America.

the needs and culture of the people it serves.

I SUPPORT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND BECAUSE …

THE KEY CHALLENGE FACING THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC

Diane Regas

of its commitment to put a climate-smart park

LAND IS … ensuring the parks we create contribute

Jeffrey A. Resnick

within a 10-minute walk of everyone in America.

first and most meaningfully to the well-being of

With social equity as a core principle, The Trust

long-term neighborhood residents.

Laura Richards Lex Sant Lucas St. Clair Sheryl Tishman F. Jerome Tone Susan D. Whiting

for Public Land builds parks in underserved urban areas, making a daily difference in millions of lives.

I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE NATURAL WORLD WHEN … I was a small child. Growing up in a rural

MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AS A BOARD

area isolated from other children, I was never

MEMBER HAS BEEN … participating in the creation

lonely climbing trees, damming brooks, watching

of the organization’s 2020–2025 strategic plan. With

spiders, or going wherever my imagination would

social equity, climate resilience, and human health

take me. My wonderment of the outdoors remains,

as primary drivers in decision-making, the plan’s

and is central to my decision-making in our

focus will bring land to people on a much greater

retirement years.

scale and to those most in need.

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND’S WORK IS UNIQUE BECAUSE ... community is central to its mission.

Whether developing a town forest, refurbishing a

?

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Tell us how you connect with nature.

Join the conversation on Facebook: facebook.com/thetrustforpublicland

T P L. O R G · 13

contributors

Rebecca Burtonssss

Kate Harrison Belzsssssssstttt

Doug Stricklandt

story:

story:

story:

Beyond the Horizon

Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap

30

52

52

Rebecca Burton is a Pensacola, Florida, native

Kate Harrison Belz is a Tennessee-based

Doug Strickland is a documentary and edito-

whose love for her hometown beaches in-

freelance journalist. A former newspaper

rial photographer based in Chattanooga,

spired her to become a science writer with a

reporter, she is most interested in the

Tennessee. A former daily newspaper photo-

focus on our natural environment. She is the

relationships between public health, the

journalist and native southerner, he focuses

cofounder of The Marjorie, a women-owned

environment, sustainability, and localism.

on social, economic, and environmental

reporting nonprofit that promotes a greater

She is happiest when she is puttering in

issues facing communities in the southeast-

understanding of issues related to women

her garden or hiking a mountain trail with

ern United States.

and the environment in Florida through

her family.

dougstrickland.com

storytelling and community building.

kateharrisonbelz.com

themarjorie.org

WANT EVEN MORE LAND&PEOPLE? The digital edition of Land&People includes all the stories you love, optimized for your device—plus bonus content like video, easy social media sharing, and instant links to learn more.

Explore the digital edition at tpl.org/magazine.

Wherever you see the pointer icon in this issue, you’ll find bonus content in the digital edition. Go online to dive deeper into the difference you make as a Trust for Public Land donor.

learn more @ TPL.ORG/MAGAZINE

1 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

mailroom

richard freeda

LOOK CLOSE R Join us online to explore the latest in outdoor inspiration, big news for public lands fans, and unforgettable stories about the communities where

st even g n am

your support is making a difference.

ALL ABOARD!

Room to grow: Trust for Public Land supporters are helping Connecticut residents triple the size of Mono Pond State Park.

Tell us what’s on your mind! We want to know what you think of the people and places in this issue of Land&People magazine. Send us a letter, email

bruce muhlbradt

mailroom@tpl.org, or find us on social media.

The Story begins

Teaching the kids how rewarding

Bozeman, Montana, residents chime in

it is to grow food is so awesome. I

on the new Story Mill Community Park.

hope the rest of the country can be inspired by this project and create

+ Thank you for creating such a won-

their own parks.

derful and versatile outdoor space in

E. Voght

Bozeman. We know it was a tremendous undertaking, and a labor of love,

+ Story Mill Community Park is a

for many people over many years.

confluence between a park as a com-

Paula Clearly

munity gathering place and a park as an ecological preserve. If parks are

+ I love the park Bozeman has created.

expressions of local culture, Story Mill

You had the scenic beauty already and

expresses Montana’s culture very well.

cleaning up the water and incorporating

Pat Byorth

something for everyone is wonderful.

T P L. O R G · 15

mailroom

rachid dahnoun

+ What an amazing gift you are leaving to your community now and the generations to come. You are all an inspiration!

Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Jamie Brown

+ I love to see our people getting involved in making our neighborhoods cleaner, greener, and safer for our families. This is a great project on many levels. I’d love to see it spread throughout L.A. P’alante!

Querido Galdo

+ Que bueno por lo que estan hacienda!

Es un buen ejemplo para nuestros niños y la comunidad en general y ojala

A walk to remember

+ And this is why your organization is

Readers relayed their own trail tales

in my will! Thank you for all you do.

when they heard we protected 17

Carolyn Trimble Botell

Good for what they are doing! It is a good

miles of the Pacific Crest Trail along

example for our children and the commu-

¡Sí, se puede!

Trinity Divide in Northern California.

nity in general and hopefully more people

You loved reading about the Parque + Thank you for protecting this area PCT from Mexico to Canada, once in

Padrinos (Park Godparents) and Equi-

Iris

uniting their communities behind the

+ Congratulations to the Equipo Verde!

power of parks.

1979 and once in 1981. Our daughter

You have done an excellent job and I

hiked the PCT four years ago. It is

am sure you are an inspiration to many

important to preserve and maintain special areas such as this.

join. Congratulations!

po Verde (Green Team)—two groups

along the PCT. I have twice hiked the

more people who would like to see nonprofit us postage

National Office 101 Montgomery St. Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94104

mas personas se unan. Felicidades!

paid

F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 19 A BENEFIT TO MEMBERS OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

the trust for public land

their alleys improved so that they may become useful!

Tim Higginson

Karen Kauffman

F OR PUBLIC For now, I continue north LAND. on the PCT! Our public lands are the pride of the nation. But powerful politicians are working to convert this public property to private profit. We believe this agenda is out of step with the needs of everyday Americans.

IF YOU AG RE E , TAK E ACT I ON NOW.

N EIG HB ORHOOD AT A T IME

+ Thank you so much for helping to clean up our world! It won’t EVER get done if we don’t do it.

Madeline Loder

VOL. 31, Nº2

+ Future PCT'ers will appreciate the

ON E

F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 19

Laurie Ann

HOW TO BUILD A MOVEMENT

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

TA K E A STAND

return to explore more on future trips.

land + people

What a stunningly beautiful area. I will

m ike sc hir f

+ We just finished that section yesterday.

protection and preservation of our beautiful country. Thank you to everyone involved.

tpl.org/donate

LAND&PEOPLE IS LISTENING!

YO U R G I F T B E F O RE D E C E M B E R 31 W I LL B E M ATC H E D TO P ROT E CT P U B LI C LA N D.

Marlin Miller 1 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

+VERMONT'S FRIENDLIEST TRAIL RACE

+HIKING NYC

+GOOD NEWS FOR THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Send letters to the editor or change your mailing address: mailroom@tpl.org.

turn the page for … aloha ‘āina brave backflips colorful colorado

i’m not afraid of storms, for i’m learning to sail my ship.

In Spokane, Washington, residents weren’t content to let Dutch Jake’s Park fall into disrepair. So 1,700 people pitched in to reinvigorate the park, which recently reopened to a very enthusiastic audience.

mae wolfe

lo ui s a m ay a lcott

T P L. O R G · 17

edible conservation

PRIDE an d PRODUCE

ma ‘o organic farms wai ‘anae, hawai ‘i

the first shift at ma‘o organic

to travel a long way in search of fresh,

by 11 acres in 2008 and seven acres in

farms starts at 5 a.m. It’ll be a few

healthy food.

2010. And late last year, we helped MA‘O

hours until the sun rises over O‘ahu’s

MA‘O farmers are fighting this prob-

acquire 21 more acres.

leeward coast, but the farmers—

lem through CSA shares and at farmers

It’s now the largest organic farm in

mostly in their late teens and early

markets around the island. Along the

Hawai‘i, employing over fifty local

twenties—are awake and ready to

way, the farm has shaped a future for

youth. “We wouldn’t be able to do what

work. They fan out into the rows of

the hundreds of local youth who’ve

we are doing if it wasn’t for The Trust

beets and kale and through orchards

worked the soil.

for Public Land,” says the farm’s founder

of citrus and ‘ulu (breadfruit) trees,

Since the farm’s inception as a five-

Kukui Maunakea-Forth. “They’ve provided

dragging hoses, pulling weeds, and

acre operation in 2001, demand for its

us the space to focus on innovation,

harvesting and packing produce.

produce—and the pathways to opportu-

which for us means returning to the

Fruits and veggies can be hard to come

nity it offers Wai‘anae youth—has tended

traditional practices that are inherently

by here on O‘ahu’s western coast, home

to outstrip supply. So over the years,

so simple. The impact we have on the

to one of the largest Native Hawaiian

Trust for Public Land members have

students is because of the land you’ve

populations in the islands—and, accord-

pitched in to help the farm expand,

helped provide.” arna photography, inc.

ing to the U.S. Census Bureau, some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the nation. Not coincidentally, health researchers describe the nearby community of Wai‘anae as a “food desert,” where fast-food chains outnumber

arna photography, inc.

grocery stores and families might have

1 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

istock user studio light and shade

word watch

i s t o c k u s e r s m i n d k lo n g d a n , o l e k s a n d r h r u t s , a n d w u n d e r v i s u a l s

Veggie sushi with pickled roots This refreshing snack goes great with MA‘O’s own “Farm 2 Fork” dressing.

Ingredients ●

1 bunch each: turnips, carrots, daikon radish, kale

●

1 cup each: white vinegar, sugar, hot water

●

2 tbsp sesame oil

●

1 cucumber, sliced into long matchsticks

parkour

●

1 avocado, sliced

●

Minced garlic

(n.) \ pär-ˈkur

●

Cooked rice 1 package sushi nori (seaweed)

A sport in which athletes traverse the built environment by running, climb-

●

ing, and leaping.

Grate turnips and carrots. Dissolve

Parkour originated on city streets. But if you’re just starting out, it’s nice to

sugar in hot water and vinegar. Mix

have a purpose-built space to build strength, flexibility, and confidence.

in root veggies and refrigerate overnight. Slice kale and daikon.

That’s the idea behind the parkour course at WOONASQUATUCKET

Sauté with garlic until tender.

ADVENTURE PARK in Providence, Rhode Island. The new park—created

Turn off heat and add sesame oil.

with help from supporters like you—is a space for local teens to test their

Cover a sheet of nori with a layer

limits through parkour, skateboarding, BMX, or cyclocross.

of rice. Arrange veggies in a line.

Roll tightly, sealing edge with water. Slice rolls into 1-inch rounds and arrange on a plate to serve.

learn more @ TPL.ORG/WOONASQUATUCKET P L. OORK G ·· 19 19 F I R ST TLO

buzzworthy

Making

c ha n ge weir farm national historic site wilton, connecticut heads up, coin collectors: In April the U.S. Mint unveiled the latest in its “America the Beautiful Quarters” program, commemorating WEIR FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE. J. Alden Weir’s farm was the inspiration for a generation of American impressionist painters.

But by the 1980s, developers planned to pave rachid dahnoun

over this legendary landscape. Through dozens of land deals, we reassembled the original farm and advocated for its designation as Connecticut’s first national park.

“Fisher’s Peak is a big win for Colorado. Now get ready to explore.”

– The Denver Post “Colorado is built for adventure,” the Post wrote. “But as more folks u.s. mint

discover the magic, the need for open space grows.”

Thanks to you, we’re working with The Nature Conservancy to create COLORADO’S NEXT STATE PARK: a 30-square-mile wildland three hours south of Denver, with miles of roads and trails that will soon be open to all.

2 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

learn more @ TPL.ORG/WEIR-FARM

good news

ALLEY-OOP!

lakeview terrace basketball courts cleveland, ohio

j o s h u a d o b ay

j o s h u a d o b ay

“I’m trying to get everybody to interact with each other— that’s my goal.”

Coach Jeffrey “Shorty” Lee

the way coach jeffrey “shorty” lee

munity. Basketball teaches teamwork

his Wildcats got together to help The

sees it, at least one good thing came

and respect, Lee says—and by getting

Trust for Public Land design a vibrant

of the old, neglected basketball court

kids together for games, he’s creating

mural for the surface of their freshly

at LAKEVIEW TERRACE: “It used to

opportunities for families from differ-

repaved court.

be all un-level, with big chuck-holes

ent buildings to get to know each other.

Now, Lee says, he looks out his win-

everywhere,” he says. “They constantly

“We all live down here together. I’m

dow and sees six or seven kids out on

had to be avoiding obstacles, so my

trying to get everybody to interact with

the court any day of the week—and

players learned to dribble.”

each other—that’s my goal.”

their families are getting together to

Lee is the volunteer head coach of the

Ball-handling benefits notwithstand-

watch. “More kids are coming out to

Lakeview Terrace Wildcats, a basketball

ing, the outdoor spaces around Lake-

play ball!” he says. “By the court being

club for kids aged 7 to 18 growing up

view Terrace have long been in need

fixed up, I feel as though these Wildcats

in this Cleveland public housing com-

of a little T.L.C. So “Coach Shorty” and

can only get greater.”

P L. OORK G ·· 21 21 F I R ST TLO

meet our staff

buzzworthy

istock user tetiana lazunova

joshua kissi

“A good organizer keeps the community’s needs at the center.”

“We really just

DID NOT GIVE UP.” – Kay Haynes Save Cougar Mountain volunteer It took over two years, 2,600 petition signatures, and 20 city council meetings—but a grassroots group of neighbors in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah managed to block plans for a luxury subdivision on the slopes of COUGAR MOUNTAIN REGIONAL WILDLAND PARK.

AAMINA MOHAMED

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND'S AMERICORPS INTERN BUILDS MOMENTUM FOR PARKS IN THE TWIN CITIES.

Big picture, what does a community organizer do?

Organizing is all about getting people headed in a direction toward some sort of change—whether it’s building momentum behind a political cam-

Now, thanks to donors like you, weʼre help-

paign to change who represents you, or catalyzing your own community

ing transfer the property to public owner-

to advocate directly for what you need. That can mean organizing meet-

ship, making way for a new transit-accessible trailhead leading into the 3,000-acre park.

ings, showing up at community events, or going door-to-door. As a digital organizer, I’ve even helped create a hashtag that went viral. At The Trust for Public Land, we’re organizing for equity, climate justice, and health, through parks and public lands.

2 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

What are you working on?

and have led a three-year participatory

These days I’m helping organize a

design process, to make sure the park

Why are parks and public land important to you?

stewardship group for MIDWAY PEACE

reflects the priorities of the people who

I’m passionate about land justice—in

PARK, a new park in St. Paul that will

first dreamed it up. Now, after a decade

America, decisions about how we use

open this summer. It’s next door to Sky-

of organizing, neighbors are so excited:

land and who has access to it are at the

line Tower, one of the largest affordable

there will be a walking path, a stream,

foundation of society. As someone who’s

housing buildings in Minnesota. Almost

an amphitheater, and the biggest slide

been displaced multiple times through-

ten years ago, Skyline residents started

I’ve ever seen! But the thing I’ve heard

out my life, I’ve always been looking for

talking about parks in their neighbor-

from the most people is what a big deal

a genuine connection to the land—and

hood, because basically, there weren’t

it will be to have a safe, shared place

as I’ve grown up and expanded my

any. Kids were stuck playing soccer in

where people can meet their neighbors.

horizons, I’ve been able to find that con-

the hallways. Meanwhile, these three acres in all—sat just across the street,

Why did you come to organize for parks and nature?

fenced off and unused. Residents started

I grew up in a low-income refugee com-

big vacant parcels of land—about five

nection, and it’s been so valuable for my understanding of myself.

asking, “Could we turn that space into

munity in Washington State, right on

What skills do you bring as an organizer?

a park?”

a highway, with nowhere near enough

Sometimes I feel like I’m a detective. All

access to parks and nature. I know what

day I’m out talking to people, asking

it’s like to not have that source of relax-

questions, listening, gathering perspec-

What has The Trust for Public Land’s role been?

ation, that place to imagine or play or

tives, and improving my understanding

just take a break from the stress of your

of the community I’m representing,

The Trust for Public Land got involved to

daily life. Now, I want to help people

and how I can best support them—or

bring our resources and expertise to help

who come from communities like mine

if I can’t, I’ll try to connect them with

meet the need. We raised money to buy

overcome those barriers and have their

someone who can. A good organizer is

the vacant land and transfer it to the city,

own connection with nature.

a collaborator who helps put the pieces

The community identified the need, and

andy richter

together and keeps their community’s needs at the center.

What do you like about being an organizer?

The humanity of it all. It’s a very emotionally engaged job: every day I’m asking for people’s trust and for them to share their experiences with me. That ability to be vulnerable makes it so rewarding. If I’m doing it right, I can offer resources, or connections to resources, that will help people thrive.

We’re organizing for new parks along the Green Line—a new light rail route that’s driving investment and development in St. Paul neighborhoods that have historically lacked access to green space.

P L. OORK G ·· 23 23 F I R ST TLO

istock user andrew opila

why we give

“We wanted to do our part for clean water—as brewers and as Mainers.”

– Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing This beloved Portland brewery pitched in to help create the new TIGER HILL COMMU-

NITY FOREST in Sebago, Maine. The region’s

forests filter water flowing into Sebago Lake,

the water source for one in six Mainers … and every Allagash beer.

22feet

The width of the aptly named “Zion Narrows.”

We recently protected the last private property along the ZION slices through the heart of Utah’s Zion National Park. So while the hike may feel a little cramped at times, youʼll never again have to worry about “No Trespassing” signs blocking your access to this unforgettable adventure.

2 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

istock user homunkulus28

NARROWS TRAIL—the famed 1,300-foot-deep canyon trek that

insight

"Climate how do we reckon with chAnGE Is the global scale of HaPpeNing this new reality? rIght now."

To tackle the defining challenge of our time, we’re going to need to get a lot more creative, says artist and activist Eve Mosher.

# T P L. O R G · 25

It all started with a thin blue line.

j ay m e g e r s h e n

Eve Mosher had been following the news, studying the science, and burrowing into the reports: The planet was warming, and the seas that surrounded her New York City home would rise. Areas of the city that had been known to flood once in a century—areas now ten feet above sea level—could start to expect inundation every four years.

Mosher had a successful career as a studio artist. But the more she learned about climate change, the more she worried about how her city would suffer.

In 2007, she drew a chalk line 70 miles through Brooklyn and Manhattan, following a map marking ten feet above sea level. The project—which she titled “HighWaterLine”—was a vivid, approachable depiction of New York’s future on a warmer planet, a line of demarcation showing the parts of the city predicted to be under water.

She’s since grappled with the climate crisis through participatory art, partnering with scientists, storytellers, and communities from Miami to Honolulu to Bristol, U.K. Closer to home, her ten-year-old son is following in her footsteps, becoming a climate striker in his own right.

Now, Mosher is collaborating with The Trust for Public Land on a new public art project called “Heat Capture,” to call attention to rising temperatures in three Philadelphia neighborhoods.

We caught up with her to talk about creative approaches to the climate crisis.

"Art can build social resilience."

HighWaterLine participants push a chalk-marking device—normally used for drawing lines on sports fields—through city streets

2 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

to draw attention to sea level rise.

Why did you create HighWaterLine?

Government and media portray climate change as if it’s both

Eve Mosher

huge and distant: polar ice caps, atmospheric carbon, future projections. But we know it’s affecting people already, right where they live. New York City is a coastal community, and I wanted to use art to show how sea level rise will affect New Yorkers in the future.

That future ended up being nearer than you’d imagined.

When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, the neighborhoods I’d drawn this line through flooded, as the reports predicted they would. Even back in 2007, when I was walking through Brooklyn, I talked to people who already knew about the risk because their flood insurance had been revoked the year before.

Why do you think HighWaterLine made such an impression?

In part because it was so approachable, and it sparked curiosity. At first some people who encountered me were sort of antagonistic, like, “What are you doing? Are you with the city or something?” But many people were just genuinely curious.

And we could connect because I’m the same way: I’m not a scientist. I just want to find out: what do you know? And how can I use what I’ve learned, and the resources I can bring, to help you?

There is a deep knowledge that exists in communities about the effects of climate change. Decision-makers need this information, as do other impacted communities and activists who can use these stories and knowledge as a tool

Philadelphia, and Fairhill. These three neighborhoods have

to advocate for policy improvements. Art is one more way

less shade and more concrete than the city average, or happen

we can share the community’s hard-earned knowledge and

to be in low spots that trap heat.

perspective more widely.

We’re starting with a hypothesis that public space is a resource that can be used to build social resilience. We’re not

What do you have planned for your next project in Philadelphia?

going into this project with a predefined outcome in mind

In Philadelphia, climate change is an environmental chal-

yet. It really is about the community and strengthening their

—so we’re not really sure how the work is going to turn out

lenge stacked on top of a history of pollution, disinvestment,

ability to advocate for themselves. I can’t wait to see what

and discrimination. And people there are already suffering

direction this work takes.

its effects. ing affect the city. Through data and the relationships the

Why approach climate threats with art, instead of science or policy?

organization has developed in its years of working in public

Art can facilitate valuable conversations that build social resil-

The Trust for Public Land has mapped how heat and flood-

space, we know that not all Philadelphia neighborhoods

ience within communities and between communities. And

experience heat equally. We’re in three neighborhoods where

social resilience is a key factor in weathering the changes that

The Trust for Public Land has built parks: Gray’s Ferry, South

we’re facing.

T P L. O R G · 27

What does social resilience have to do with weathering climate change?

It seems like you’ve had an impression on your son.

Zayne has been hanging around me his whole life so he’s

When you’re in times of stress, that’s when you need stronger

picked up some awareness, but he’s also been learning about

relationships most. I get a little woo-woo about some of this

climate change in school and through podcasts—he’s ten—

stuff, but I really believe that whatever happens in the future,

and it all added up to some anxiety for him. At the same time,

it won’t be scientific breakthroughs or government policy

he was undergoing diagnosis for autism and had recently

that will make the most difference for people—though those

been diagnosed with ADHD. So he’s been asking, “Does this

are critically important. It’ll be our relationships. Our relation-

person have autism? Does this person?” Kind of looking for

ships will see us through.

other people like him.

Take Occupy Sandy: these were people who'd gotten to

In 2018, I read him a news story about this Swedish girl

know each other through the Occupy Wall Street protests

named Greta Thunberg, who’d been striking for climate

the year before and established a way of working together

action in front of the Parliament House in Stockholm. The

and communicating. Because of that they were able to

article talked about how Greta’s Asperger syndrome informed

mobilize so efficiently. After Hurricane Sandy, they got out

her view of the world and contributed to her decision to

to the Rockaways on cargo bikes loaded with food and water

strike. My son immediately said, “I want to do that.”

and were able to respond faster than the government. Then

So since December 2018, Zayne has been striking every

there are the studies that show neighborhoods with higher

single Friday, holding a sign in front of City Hall. He was one

measures of social resilience have fared better during heat

of the first activists in the United States for what’s become

waves—in part because if you know your neighbors, you’re

the global Fridays for Future climate protests.

likelier to go knock on the door and see if everything is okay.

How does that make you feel as a parent? j e n n a s ta m m

I’m so incredibly proud of him. But it’s also heartbreaking.

Because it really shouldn’t be up to the kids. But there’s precedent for this: think about the Birmingham Children’s Crusade during the civil rights movement, when the bravery and activism of incredibly young kids shocked Americans out of their entrenched beliefs.

What do you think the world will be like when he’s your age?

We’re at the point where so much change has been locked in already. Regardless of whether we stop emitting carbon tomorrow, sea levels and temperatures will rise. That’s a lot to grapple with! You can’t find all the answers for this in science or in the media. Art can create space to express this radical grief. That isn’t necessarily just sadness, though it’s important to be sad, or mad even. Radical grief means recognizing that the future we might have expected for ourselves when we were growing up may no longer exist. We have to let go of it.

And then let’s start thinking really differently. Sometimes the way to get generative is to walk in your neighborhood with someone else, learn from each other, and start brainstorming ideas. Art can be an integral part of our society’s response to climate change. Art can show inspiration for what’s possible, given what’s really true.

2 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

rachid dahnoun

BE A LEADER. Become a Conservation Champion and help The Trust for Public Land connect even more people to nature. With your annual leadership-level contribution of $2,000 or more, you will receive invitations to special events and insider updates on our park and conservation strategies.

Learn more about the impact you will have as a Conservation Champion.

Contact Emily Falk 415.800.5193 or champions@tpl.org.

conservation champions t p l .or g/ champi o n s | champi o n s@tpl.o r g

T P L. O R G · 29

Beyond the

Horizon

t e n y e a r s a f t e r t h e d e e p wat e r h o r i z o n o i l s p i l l , pa r k s h e l p g u l f c o a s t c o m m u n i t i e s r e c o v e r — a n d s u s ta i n — t h e i r way o f l i f e .

By Rebecca Burton Photos by Charlotte Kesl

3 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

F

On a sunny, seventy-degree day in December, I met Destin

ishing is in dewey destin’s dna.

In 1835, fed up after a poor fishing season, Destin’s great-

great-grandfather Leonard left New England and set his sails

on the boardwalk outside the restaurant to talk about his town’s history, its luck, and the ways that luck continues to

south, seeking richer waters. After surviving some trials and

be tested. A tall, slender man with white hair, polarized sun-

tribulations—a hurricane, a shipwreck, and a dreaded yellow

glasses, and a relaxed manner, Destin gently shooed a seagull

fever season—he eventually made his way to a tiny peninsula

trying to snatch a shrimp from a nearby plate before joining

on the Gulf of Mexico, sixty miles east of the Florida-Alabama

me at a picnic table.

line. There he built a home on a sandy strip of land facing the

“You take fishing out of Destin and it wouldn’t be what it

translucent emerald waves of Choctawhatchee Bay.

is today,” he told me, looking out over Choctawhatchee Bay

This spit of sand would eventually come to be known as

while we snacked on fried gulf shrimp and hushpuppies. Easy

Destin—the “world’s luckiest fishing village.” And for Leon-

access to a productive fishery is the reason the largest recre-

ard Destin, these waters were certainly a fortunate find. Just

ational charter fishing fleet in North America docks right here

offshore, the gulf drops precipitously to deeper waters that

in Destin. The chance to hook a huge sailfish combined with

nurture schools of red snapper and Spanish mackerel—a sea

the opportunity to enjoy white sand beaches and sparkling

of plenty for a fisherman like Destin to build a business, sell-

waters is what draws millions to visit the town each year.

ing his catch to market in nearby Pensacola.

Today, tourism accounts for nearly a third of the jobs in this

Growing up in the lucky fishing village named for his

county of 68,000 residents.

forebearer, Dewey Destin followed in his family’s footsteps,

“Our natural resources are what built this economy,” says

learning to catch crabs and mullet. Today, he owns a string of

Kathy Marler Blue, director of the Destin History and Fishing

local seafood restaurants, including one next door to the spot

Museum. “Having good water, a good fishery, and beautiful

where his great-great-grandfather Leonard first settled.

beaches helped us become the world-class resort we are today.”

p h oto : a to x i c s h e e n o f o i l f ro m a ru p t u r e d w e l l c i r c u l at e s i n to t h e g u l f o f m e x i c o o n m ay 12 , 2010 . credit: noaa

T P L. O R G · 31

You take fishing out of Destin and it wouldn’t be what it is today.

So you can imagine how Destin residents felt when they woke on the morning of April 21, 2010, to news of a disaster unfolding just offshore. The night before, the Deepwater

President Obama declared it the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

As the slick spread, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Horizon oil rig had exploded out in the gulf, killing 11 crew-

Administration closed more than a third of the gulf ’s

men. The complicated machinery that had tapped into an oil

fishery to protect consumers from contaminated seafood.

deposit deep under the sea floor collapsed. Crude oil gushed

Instead of hauling in their catches that summer, gulf fisher-

from the hole and seeped into the currents circulating around

men put their boats to work installing floating barriers,

the Gulf of Mexico.

trying to prevent oil from reaching their home shores. The

Satellites would eventually capture horrifying images of an oily sheen extending across an estimated 68,000 square miles

region’s commercial fishing industry lost $1.6 billion in the first eight months.

of the gulf. Oil coated the beaches from Louisiana to Alabama,

“Fishing seasons are good and bad. Hurricanes come and go,”

causing mass mortality among fish, seabirds, and marine

Destin said. “But that’s the first time in my life that I realized

mammals. In Louisiana, oil choked the plants that were

we had the potential to really ruin Destin and what it was—

holding together the state’s already-disappearing coastline.

perhaps permanently.”

3 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

g e n e r at i o n s o f d e s t i n r e s i d e n t s h av e r e l i e d o n a c lo s e c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e sea. dewey destin (left) runs a s e a f o o d r e s ta u r a n t n e x t to h i s a n c e s t r a l h o m e s t e a d . k at h y m a r l e r b l u e ( a b ov e ) k e e p s h e r i ta g e a l i v e at t h e d e s t i n h i s to r y a n d f i s h i n g m u s e u m .

T P L. O R G · 33

jeff hutchens/getty images

c a r o ly n c o l e / lo s a n g e l e s t i m e s v i a g e t t y i m a g e s

People stopped going to the beach. They stopped fishing.

o i l e v e n t u a l ly wa s h e d u p o n s h o r e l i n e s f r o m l o u i s i a n a to f l o r i d a , a n d t h e f i s h i n g i n d u s t r y l o s t $1.6 b i l l i o n i n t h e f i r s t e i g h t m o n t h s .

3 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

O O

n July 15, 2010, 87 days after the explosion, crews finally capped the well. But that was just the first step

funds from BP to compensate for those lost recreational uses.”

Rick O’Connor is an educator and naturalist in Pensacola.

in a complex and hard-fought recovery that has played out in

When BP money began flowing into the area, he feared it

courts, statehouses, and communities across Alabama, Florida,

would be used to put up more high-rise condominiums with

Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas ever since. In 2011, the Deep-

private beach fronts—as he’s watched happen elsewhere in

water Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee

Florida, particularly in Destin.

Council reached an agreement with BP, the company that had

“We had to convince decision-makers that keeping [the water-

hired Deepwater Horizon. BP agreed to front a billion dollars

front] wild was just as economically viable,” O’Connor says. His

for restoration, research, and land protection throughout the

colleagues conducted a study showing that 40 percent of the

region. And in 2016, a federal judge in New Orleans ordered

region’s visitors sought nature-based experiences as part of

BP to pay $20 billion to help Gulf Coast communities recover.

their vacation packages. Armed with those findings, he’s been

It was the largest environmental settlement in U.S. history.

promoting ecotourism in the area and has helped established a

The Florida Panhandle—the part of the state stretching

new paddling trail along the Perdido River. “The nature-based

roughly from Tallahassee west to the Alabama border—is far

tourism economy is critical to many Panhandle communities,”

enough from the spill’s epicenter that its beaches escaped

says O’Connor. “Parks are the key to sustaining it.”

severe contamination. But the disaster still brought the

The Trust for Public Land has helped Floridians create and

economy to a halt, says Phil Coram, program administra-

protect great places to get outside for more than 40 years.

tor for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Since 2015, the organization has drawn on funding from BP’s

Florida’s beaches and waterways are the primary attraction for

settlement to build or expand waterfront parks in six commu-

the more than 100 million tourists who flock to the Sunshine

nities in western Florida. This winter, I took a drive along the

State each year. After the spill, “People stopped going to the

Panhandle, visiting these new parks and meeting with locals

beach. They stopped fishing,” Coram says. “And so we sought

who are envisioning a more resilient future for the Gulf Coast.

bp’s settlement funded i n n e r a r i t y p o i n t pa r k in pensacola.

T P L. O R G · 35

We finally got back to normal. And then HurricaneMichael hit.

FF

loridians are no strangers to disaster—and recovery. And

our parks were truly, truly damaged. [Before the storm], that’s

as the climate changes, many are reckoning with the

where folks spent most of their time.”

threat of a new, more hazardous normal. That’s true in Lynn

As Michael brewed out in the Gulf of Mexico, crews had

Haven, a small city sixty miles east of Destin. The city’s hard-

already broken ground on the new Lynn Haven Bayou Park and

working, residential way of life sits in sharp contrast to the

Preserve, one of the waterfront parks made possible by Deep-

perma-spring break vibe in neighboring Panama City Beach.

water Horizon settlement funding. Along with so many other

Even still, the oil spill upset the status quo.

aspects of life, the storm threw the project into chaos, pushing

“When the oil spill hit, we spent millions of dollars trying to

its scheduled opening back into late 2020—another blow for

clean up beaches everywhere,” says Vickie Gainer, city manager

the already-battered community.

for Lynn Haven. “It felt like a never-ending story, but we finally got back to normal. And then Hurricane Michael hit.”

On October 10, 2018, the eye of Hurricane Michael came

When I visited this winter, the park was still under construction. But as I toured the 97-acre site, I imagined the day when people will be able to meander the palmetto-lined trails

ashore at Mexico Beach, Florida. It was the first storm to make

through the tall pine forests sprinkled with fragrant magnolias.

landfall in the United States as a Category 5 hurricane since

Families will climb to the top of the wildlife overlooks to spot

Andrew in 1992. The storm claimed 16 lives and caused $25

manatee, bear, and deer. Kayakers will use the docks and ramps

billion in damage, including destroying 85 percent of Lynn

to access North Bay. This will be a place where residents and

Haven’s homes and 50 percent of its businesses.

visitors alike can take a break from their daily challenges and

“To this day, there are still people who have not moved back

find solace and inspiration in the natural world.

into their homes,” says Gainer. “I’m one of those folks. But 3 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

silver linings Six new parks in western Florida are keeping people connected to their home coast.

i n n e r a r i t y p o i n t pa r k

i s l a n d v i e w pa r k

Kayakers can put in at new docks on the Old River in Pensacola and head for the open waters of Perdido Bay.

This park in Carabelle opened just weeks before Hurricane Michael devastated the region. It remains closed while the county gathers FEMA funding to rebuild.

n ava r r e b e a c h m a r i n e pa r k

This vast white sand beach is already a mainstay for Santa Rosa County locals and visitors alike. BP’s settlement funded a five-acre expansion.

ly n n h av e n b ay o u pa r k a n d p r e s e r v e

This 97-acre landscape was once slated for subdivision and development. Instead, it will remain a waterfront haven where people and wildlife meet.

c a p ta i n l e o n a r d d e s t i n pa r k

A much-needed patch of public land on an increasingly developed waterfront ensures equitable access to Choctawhatchee Bay.

s a l i n a s pa r k

A half-mile boardwalk winds through coastal wetlands and pine forests, paralleling the shore of St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County.

T P L. O R G · 37

“ w h e n y o u s e e p l a c e s b e i n g r e s to r e d , i t b r i n g s b a c k n o r m a l c y , ” s ay s d way n e p i e r g i o va n n i .

Aq

s you leave Lynn Haven and drive along Highway 98, the

blue crabs, marsh wrens, and seaside sparrows, he tells me

storm’s impact is still brutally apparent. Boarded-up

his grandfather raised nine children as a commercial fisher-

pastel houses sit on stilts waiting to be fixed. Most of the trees

man on this bay. When he was old enough, Yeager helped his

are snapped into splinters. But for many residents, addressing

grandfather reel in his catch. “To say this park holds a special

this physical toll is just one aspect of the long, challenging

place in my heart would be an understatement,” he says.

recovery ahead.

Lifelong Cape San Blas resident Dwayne Piergiovanni agrees.

“People from outside don’t really realize how deep the

He stuck it out through both the oil spill and Hurricane

scars are,” says Patricia Hardman, who lives in the small

Michael, which closed the restaurant he owns and operates

town of Cape San Blas. “There is a lot of hidden depression

for six months. “When you see places being restored after

in this community.”

Hardman is one of the many residents who’ve provided input and ideas for an addition to nearby Salinas Park, another BP-funded park project delayed by Hurricane Michael.

I strolled along the park’s fresh boardwalk parallelling St.

being destroyed, it brings back some normalcy and helps people see that things will get better,” he says.

Back in Destin, people counted their blessings. The brunt of the hurricane—like the worst of the oil spill— had spared them.

Joseph Bay with Warren Yeager, a Gulf County administrator.

But in a region where prosperity is intertwined with visi-

As we passed signage educating park visitors about the local

tors’ perceptions, there’s no such thing as escaping unscathed.

3 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

“Even though we didn’t have oil here, they showed oil on the

munity’s plan to ensure everyone benefits equitably from the

water everywhere on the news,” Destin says. “It scared people

area’s natural riches. These days, private condos, restaurants,

and they just didn’t come.” A 2010 study found that lost tour-

and shops line much of Destin’s waterfront. Paying customers

ism was projected to cost the Gulf Coast up to $22.7 billion

can find plenty of places to reserve a fishing boat for a day on

over three years. Dewey Destin estimates his restaurants lost

the deep sea, but those looking to launch a kayak into Choc-

more than 60 percent of their usual business that summer.

tawhatchee Bay can be hard-pressed to find public access.

In his lifetime, Destin has seen the town named for his fore-

“Access to the waterfront: that’s the main thing we need,”

bearers grow from a remote fishing village to a vacation desti-

says Captain Jerry Anderson. He’s owned a commercial and

nation that draws millions of visitors annually. Many of those

recreational fishing charter business in western Florida since

visitors—and the people who live in Destin year-round—will

1978. “All over the East Coast, our working waterfront is van-

welcome the new Captain Leonard Destin Park, created with

ishing—investors come in and build subdivisions on lowlands

funding from the Deepwater Horizon recovery settlement.

and wetlands, instead of making a park there for the aver-

The new park—built on the same spot where Leonard Destin first built his home in the mid-1800s—is part of the com-

age Joe. That’s where The Trust for Public Land came in, and thank God for that.”

Access to the waterfront: that’s the main thing we need.

t h e w o r l d ’ s l u c k i e s t f i s h i n g v i l l a g e i s g r o w i n g u p fa s t , a n d p r e s e r v i n g p u b l i c a c c e s s to t h e wat e r f r o n t i s to p o f m i n d .

T P L. O R G · 39

Back at the Destin History and Fishing Museum, Kathy

City Manager Vickie Gainer worked long hours passing out

Marler Blue affirmed that life here revolves around a shared

supplies to her neighbors in need. Likewise, Cape San Blas

connection to the gulf, and to each other. “The families

resident Pat Hardman helped organize a holiday toy drive

who founded Destin knew the sea could provide for them,

for the Gulf County families who lost their belongings. And

and they knew it could take them just as quick. They

they’re two of the many who’ve given their time and input to

shared and rallied and helped each other meet their basic

shape the future of their new shared waterfront parks.

needs,” she said.

“Sometimes we become very jaded to the beauty of nature

This interdependence is part of the reason Gulf Coast com-

because we’re so busy trying to clean up and rebuild,” Gainer

munities have been able to bounce back from both natural

says. “These types of parks show that there’s still hope. That

and manmade disasters. After Hurricane Michael, Lynn Haven

there’s beauty even after a storm.”

4 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

melina meyer

They shared and rallied and helped each other meet their basic needs.

T P L. O R G · 41

WANT TO PREPARE YOUR CITY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE? START HERE.

B Y J UL I A B U S IE K PHOTOS BY AN G E L A D E C E N Z O 4 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

© mapbox, © openstreetmap

HOT SPOTS

ASPHALT SCHOOLYARDS TRAP HEAT FRO M THE SUN , EVEN ON MILD DAYS.

N W

e register the pain of burning when our skin touches surfaces hotter than 111 degrees Fahrenheit. Prolonged

contact with a 118-degree surface puts us at risk of first-degree burns. At 130 degrees, a second-degree burn can happen in under ten seconds.

Around noon on a sunny day in late October, three students stood in a tight circle on the yard at International Community School in Oakland, California. “109!” yelled a fifth grader named Emmanuel, pointing a surface temperature thermometer at the concrete under his feet. He walked over to the

jungle gym and aimed the device at the plastic slide. “115!”

As his classmate Angelica recorded the measurements on her clipboard, another student, 10-year-old David, studied a map of the schoolyard and then sprinted across a wide stretch of asphalt to the next spot to take a reading. There, in the shade of a lone tree growing a few feet outside the fence line, he pointed his device. “72!” he yelled, reading the thermometer’s digital screen.

At recess the big yard was a sea of activity. Kids were swinging, sliding, tagging, and climbing, while a few adults with whistles around their necks kept an eye out from the perimeter. Every few minutes, a commuter train screeched through the elevated rail line paralleling Interstate 880, across a busy street from the school. It was a beautiful Bay Area autumn day, not a cloud in the sky, just 63 degrees. But despite the mild weather, the parts of the playground sitting in direct sun were almost hot enough to be dangerous.

T P L. O R G · 43

trees, swap hot concrete with soft grass, and build garden beds to grow fresh vegetables. The yard at International

direct sun. “There are only like two trees here,” says David. “It

Community School is one of the first in Oakland The Trust

gets pretty hot when we’re outside all recess.” On one hot day

for Public Land is helping to transform throughout the city,

a few weeks earlier, students measured surface temperatures

part of an effort to remake asphalt yards nationwide into cool,

on the yard as high as 132 degrees.

green places to play and learn.

“Right now it’s like: concrete, concrete, concrete,” says Prin-

“The default for schoolyard design in America is pave-

cipal Eleanor Alderman. “At recess I get kids crowded around

ment,” says Sharon Danks, director of the nonprofit Green

the door to my office, because it’s one of the only places on

Schoolyards America, a partner in The Trust for Public Land’s

the yard with shade.”

Oakland program. “And as the climate continues to warm, the

Angelica, David, and Emmanuel were gathering data to inform some important choices: exactly where to plant more

“THE DEFAULT FOR SCHOOLYARDS IN AMERICA IS PAVEMENT.”

4 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

need for more green space in our cities—anywhere we can put it—only grows more urgent.”

© mapbox, © openstreetmap

And here—like many sites throughout Oakland Unified School District—almost every part of the playground sits in

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL SITS IN ONE OF OAKLAND’S HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOODS.

Ss

language International Community

feel welcome. We feel loved. My kids

School special. She mentions small

are safe in this school.” But since her

classes helmed by deeply committed,

eldest son started here in kindergarten

veteran teachers who cover everything

seven years ago, she has always worried

from gardening to capoeira to hip-hop

about the playground.

dance to art. At least a third of the

“Because it’s horrible. Especially when

triding down the long main hall-

students have siblings at the school, and

it’s hot weather, the kids are out there

way at International Community

parents are attentive and involved in

playing, they’re thirsty, there’s no

School in dark jeans, colorful tattoos

extending beyond the cuffs of her gray

administrative decisions.

Since she took the head job here four

shade,” says Escobar. “When I ask them, ‘How was your day, baby?’ They say, ‘Oh

blazer, Principal Eleanor Alderman is a

years ago, Alderman has wished the

walking, talking command center. She

school’s grounds better reflected and

Mommy, it was so hot.’”

Escobar is one of the many parents

stops to chat with the janitor about an

nurtured the community she’s worked

who’ve helped plan improvements to

upcoming community event, switches

so hard to build. “This is a high-need

the schoolyard, which will likely go

to Spanish to take a call from a parent

area for environmental health,” she says.

to construction this summer. “We’re

on her cell phone, then puts her hand

“There are too few grocery stores, poor

going to get more trees, more shade,

over the receiver to slow two boys who

air quality, a lack of access to parks. The

take away some of the concrete, I

probably didn’t expect to encounter

schoolyard is the only safe place for kids

think, and make a soccer field,” she

their principal as they sprinted through

to play in the neighborhood.”

says. “We’re happy to have been a part

the doors at the end of the hall.

“This is a wonderful school,” says

of it, because we have to do something

Sonia Escobar, whose daughter is in

to help our kids.”

Alderman can talk at great length about the qualities that make the dual-

fourth grade. “We feel comfortable. We T P L. O R G · 45

Be

urns from hot surfaces are just one unintended health hazard of the standard asphalt schoolyard design. “Our kids were coming home sunburned and

dehydrated, even from just being out there for a short time at recess. They had headaches. We worried about heat stroke,” says Ricardo Cortes. He’s the parent of a kindergartener and a third grader at Melrose Leadership Academy in East Oakland.

Cortes loves his kids’ school and says they’re getting a great education. But just like at International Community School, the yard at Melrose is mostly concrete, surrounded by a tall chain-link fence.

Cortes works as a policeman. “I’ve spent some time in prisons. When we first started at this school, I thought, ‘Oh my god, it looks like a prison,” he says. “We say we care for our kids? Why are we putting them on slabs of asphalt that get horribly hot, with nothing for them to do?”

Researchers are learning more about how rising temperatures will affect all aspects of our lives—including kids’ ability to succeed in school. A recent study from UCLA’s Department of Public Policy and the Luskin Center for Innovation found that every one-degree increase in average outdoor temperature over a school year reduces student performance on standardized tests by one percent.

So Cortes joined a group of Melrose parents who’d long been fighting for a safer, more engaging schoolyard. “The administration was very supportive of us getting involved, but they made it very clear they didn’t have the bandwidth to do anything—we were on our own,” says Kim Walker, who helped organize Melrose parents around this issue when her daughter started kindergarten nine years ago. “I understand! We’re pushing for significant changes, and the district is strapped. They can’t take it on alone either. This should be a concern for the whole community,

RISING TEMPERATURES WILL AFFECT ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES— INCLUDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.

4 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

VOLUNTEER DAY AT MELROSE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

and not just up to the school district, when public education is already struggling so much.”

Walker has had to dissuade parents who, at wits’ end, imagined scaling the fence under the cover of darkness and taking a jackhammer to the concrete.

“I understand their desperation, but we were able to work a little more systemically instead,” she says. Parents applied for grants and lobbied at the district and state levels. They gathered input from teachers, neighbors, and the community to create a playground master plan. And they devoted hours of their weekends to making what changes they could: building garden boxes, planting, watering, and weeding.

“We were like the sea hitting against the seawall trying to find a crack. We went years without much progress,” says Walker. “Until we got connected to The Trust for Public Land.”

“THIS SHOULD BE A CONCERN FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.”

T P L. O R G · 47

Since 2017 The Trust for Public Land has been working alongside the Melrose school community to plan, fund, and build a greener schoolyard. “They gave us a big boost in terms of funding, technical expertise, and community organizing capacity,” Walker says. “They helped us take many more voices and perspectives into account.”

In late 2018, The Trust for Public Land completed the first phase of green upgrades at Melrose, replacing pavement with gardens full of native plants and planting 16 new trees that will grow to cover much of the yard in shade.

“The Trust for Public Land’s effort is a step in the right direction,” says Cortes. “But we still have a lot of work to do.” He means in terms of upgrades to his kid’s school but also a broader rethinking of schoolyard design, funding, and

resources to get deeply involved for years at a time. “The way it is now, change only happens at the schools where parents can afford that level of commitment,” he laments.

“That’s not right.”

i s t o c k u s e r a n d r e i s ta n e s c u

accountability. So much of the impetus for transforming the schoolyard came from parents like him—with the time and

AS TEMPERATURES RISE, IT’S TIME TO RETHINK SCHOOLYARD DESIGN, FUNDING, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

4 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

EAST OAKLAND OAKLAND HILLS

Vv

oid of trees, grass, and shade,

red, indicating they’re among the hot-

badly designed schoolyards—

test spots in the city.

along with blacktop highways, dark

“In Oakland, there’s that hills-and-flats

rooftops, and other city infrastructure—

dynamic,” says Cortes. The city reaches

trap heat from the sun, increasing

from the ports and docks of the bay

temperatures throughout the entire

shore, across miles of coastal plains, and

neighborhood. This is known as the

up the steep, forested front of the East

“heat island effect,” and it’s part of why

Bay Hills. “As you go uphill, you notice

cities are often much hotter than sur-

the houses and trees get bigger. The

rounding rural areas.

“IN AMERICA TODAY, WEALTH EQUALS RESILIENCE. WE'LL SEE THIS EXACERBATED IN COMING DECADES.”

schools don’t have fences around them.

They have greenery. It’s literally cooler

home ownership is not equally distrib-

widely. Neighborhoods with more

up there,” he says.

uted, and that is by design.”

mature trees, bigger lawns, and green

“In America today, wealth equals resil-

Even within a city, heat risk varies

Holmes is talking, in part, about

parks stay noticeably cooler than

ience,” says Matt Holmes. He’s director

redlining—the federal government’s

neighborhoods with more pavement,

of Groundwork Richmond, a youth

practice in the mid-20th century of rat-

denser buildings, and less shade. The

services and environmental justice non-

ing neighborhoods for mortgage lenders

Trust for Public Land has mapped the

profit in Richmond, California, a city in

by “risk” of investing, largely based on

heat island effect at a neighborhood

the flats a few miles up the east shore of

the number of African Americans and

scale for over 14,000 municipalities

San Francisco Bay from Oakland. “We’ll

immigrants living in a neighborhood.

in the United States. On the map of

see this [problem] exacerbated world-

“The fact is that federal policy caused

Oakland, the neighborhoods around

wide in coming decades, as tempera-

wealth to accumulate for the benefit of

International Community School and

tures rise. Wealth in the U.S. is created

white people, at the expense of people

Melrose Leadership Academy are dark

by home ownership—and access to

of color,” says Holmes. “We are battling T P L. O R G · 49

#

#

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND HAS TRANSFORMED 250 PUBLIC SCHOOLYARDS INTO GREEN PUBLIC PARKS.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BADLY DESIGNED SCHOOLYARDS ARE FUELING THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.

the effects of generations of discriminatory housing policies to this day.”

A recent study in the journal Climate found that across the country, redlined

AFTER

more people in America than any other

Well-designed schoolyards with

weather disaster, and heat waves are

plenty of trees and green space have the

growing in intensity and frequency as

power to combat heat risk throughout

the climate changes.

the neighborhood. But schoolyards like

neighborhoods are hotter than their

The reasons for this green space

this tend to be more expensive to build

counterparts by an average of almost

disparity—everywhere from yards to

and maintain, explains Sharon Danks.

five degrees. The U.S. Forest Service led

sidewalks to parks and schoolyards—are

And because public schools are funded

another study showing that predomi-

many. “One result of that original sin

in part by property taxes in America,

nately white neighborhoods have twice

of racist zoning is that white folks are

access to all kinds of resources—from

as many trees as formerly redlined

much likelier to own their homes, and

safe schoolyards to extracurricular

neighborhoods.

people of color rent,” says Holmes.

activities—depends to some extent on

“That extra heat can be the difference

“Landlords aren’t always in the busi-

the local tax base.

between discomfort and illness, or even

ness of maintaining outdoor properties.

“Believe it or not, ours is a system that’s

death—especially for the elderly, kids,

Trees lift up sidewalks, and a poorer city

going to plan. This is not a system gone

and people with existing health issues,”

can’t afford to manage them. So rather

awry. We’ve set it up from the beginning

says Trust for Public Land Climate Direc-

than paying to keep trees healthy, land-

to be unequal,” says Danks.

tor Brendan Shane. Extreme heat kills

lords or city crews will cut them down.”

5 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

t p l s ta f f

BEFORE

Tz

he Trust for Public Land has been helping schools make the most of their outdoor space for decades. From New York to Philadelphia to

Dallas, the organization has transformed over 250 formerly asphalt school-

yards into green and leafy public parks.

“There are over a hundred thousand public schoolyards in America, and every single one has the potential to address climate injustice,” says Alejandra Chiesa, Bay Area program director for The Trust for Public Land.

But in too many cities, badly designed schoolyards are actually making the problem worse, putting students at risk and contributing to higher temperatures throughout the neighborhood. The organization recently analyzed data showing that more than one-third of public schools in the U.S. are in a heat island.

Protecting people from the risks of a changing climate is one of the reasons The Trust for Public Land is sharpening its focus on transforming neglected schoolyards into greener, healthier hubs for the whole community. The organization is working with longtime experts like Sharon Danks and public agencies like Oakland Unified School District and the California Coastal Conservancy to advance policies and funding for green schoolyards.

“The physical environment at a school makes a huge difference for our students’ health—physically, socially, and emotionally,” says Michelle Oppen, wellness coordinator for Oakland Unified School District. In 2019, the district adopted a new policy outlining how it will build and maintain greener yards for every school, in every neighborhood.

In the next five years, The Trust for Public Land aims to build green schoolyards in 20 more school districts, using cutting-edge data and mapping to pinpoint the neighborhoods at greatest need for cooling infrastructure.

“Public schoolyards are public land. It is a misuse of our public land to not use every bit of it we can to protect people from climate risks,” says Chiesa.

Back at International Community School, Sonia Escobar’s daughter Allison is looking forward to seeing her schoolyard transform. “I’m always thinking to myself, ‘Oh this is going to be so fun. It’s going to be nice for a

“PUBLIC SCHOOLYARDS ARE PUBLIC LAND.”

change!’” She’s a little sad that she’ll only be at the school for another year, before she heads off to sixth grade at a private academy in north Oakland where her mom has a job preparing food.

“The playground at my next school is amazing. They have two play structures, swings, tree houses, a place where you can build stuff out of wood, and it’s cool and breezy,” says Allison. At work, her mother Sonia harvests fresh herbs from the kitchen garden to use in the day’s lunch, which the students eat outside at benches in the shade of a tall redwood tree growing in the middle of the yard.

“I’m lucky and grateful that I can have my kids in that school, but it’s really expensive, and not all the people in this neighborhood have that opportunity,” Sonia says. “So I’m hoping we can have something like that, at least a quarter or half of that, here at International Community School.

Because our kids need it.”

T P L. O R G · 51

istock user kruck20

5 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

Waterfront trails powered C h at ta n o o g a’ s r e v i va l— but some neighborhoods have yet to see the benefit. by kat e ha rrison belz photos by doug st ric k la nd

T P L. O R G · 53

Oi

n a sunny afternoon last April, a dozen elementary-aged children traipsed onto the Tennessee Riverwalk on the

west side of downtown Chattanooga. They reached a bend in the river called Blue Goose Hollow, where they sat on rocks and took in the view.

To the south, Lookout Mountain ascended above the trees.

Across the river, barges lay moored against the shore. Behind

“

This is just a couple of miles from your house, but you had no idea it was here.

them, rows of new condos lined the path that led northeast

Today Chattanooga is at a crossroads. For thirty years, the

to the city’s center. Two large, colorful sculptures anchored

city—with help from The Trust for Public Land—has steadily

the trailhead, and the kids posed for a photo among the steel

grown its trail system, transforming the bones of its indus-

whorls of green, purple, red, yellow, and blue.

trial past into a thriving greenway network that has sparked

“They kept saying, ‘It’s so pretty,’” recalls Raquetta Dotley,

a remarkable urban renaissance. But many Chattanoogans—

who led the field trip. “I just watched them take pictures

especially those living in low-income communities of color—

and I kept thinking: ‘This is just a couple of miles from your

can’t access these trails and still don’t meaningfully benefit

house, but you had no idea it was here.’”

from the significant investments their city has made.

The children live in Alton Park, a neighborhood less than a mile from the Riverwalk, but the busy roads that surround

Now, The Trust for Public Land is helping Chattanoogans prioritize park investments and community engagement

the neighborhood make it difficult and dangerous to walk

with an eye to closing these gaps in access and opportunity.

to downtown. “These kids live so close to this trail, but they

The goal? Ensuring that all kids growing up in Alton Park,

are still so disconnected from it,” says Dotley, who directs

and every neighborhood throughout this city of 180,000, have

an Alton Park–based community organization called Net

a safe, healthy, convenient way to get where they’re going—

Resource Foundation.

and feel proud, welcome, and at home on their trails.

5 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

Ji

eannine Alday Grogg grew up near the Tennessee River in the 1940s and ’50s but can’t remember ever spending

time at the waterfront. Back then, that realm belonged to the booming foundries and factories that gave Chattanooga its moniker, “the Dynamo of Dixie,” and its reputation as one of the most polluted cities in the nation.

As coal furnaces died out and factories shuttered over the next decades, they formed a long barrier of warehouse hulls, wire fences, and boarded-up windows. Downtown commerce drained to suburban malls, and by the early 1980s local leaders worried about the city’s future. Where had they gone wrong?

“We realized we had turned our backs on our greatest asset,” says Grogg. “The river.”

As chief of staff for the county mayor’s office in the 1980s, Grogg joined the coalition creating a vision for a future

a ba nd one d ind ustria l infra structure l ines chatta nooga’s wate rfronts.

riverside park. Throughout the decade, hundreds of people showed up at planning meetings to share their ideas. And

“There were people there to exercise, and people there

in 1989, the first section of the Tennessee Riverwalk opened

to fish for supper. And I just thought—this, this is what we

northeast of downtown. Grogg remembers surveying the

wanted to do. One of our goals was to bring people together

crowd that opening weekend, her eyes welling with tears.

from all walks of life.”

T P L. O R G · 55

moon rive r music festival

i s t o c k u s e r e pa n t h a

stewart christian

south of downtown

riverwalk trail 5 6 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

south chicka mauga cre e k g reenway

Over the years, the Riverwalk stretched north to the Chickamauga Dam and south into downtown. In 1994, the Trust for Public Land opened an office in Chattanooga to support the expansion. Soon, the organization took the lead on creating the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway, a trail that runs perpendicular to the Riverwalk, reaching 13 miles into the southeastern outskirts of town. Together the Riverwalk and the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway form a 25-mile network of off-street trails winding along waterways, old rail lines, business districts, and residential neighborhoods throughout the metro area.

Today this trail network hosts high-profile events like the Ironman triathlon, which generates approximately $11 million for the city with each race. Music festivals, the Tennessee Aquarium, a children’s museum, and new hotels draw thousands to the waterfront each season. This riverfront revival is a case study for city planners worldwide, who call it the “Chattanooga Way.” But even as Chattanooga’s transformation is held up as a model, stark disparities persist in measures of mobility, education, and health. White households in Chattanooga earn twice as much as black households. Black residents are 30 percent more likely to die from strokes or heart disease. For working-class residents and minorities, wages have remained stagnant and housing prices have ballooned.

“Downtown has really been developed more for tourists and for attracting people to move here,” says Raquetta Dotley with the Net Resource Foundation. “We’re trying to help our kids to reclaim ownership of these spaces.”

Ii

nside the community center at Cromwell Hills, a public housing

l atoni a gra nt

community in northeast Chattanooga, Latonia Grant points to a big map of the city depicting the two halves of South Chickamauga Creek Greenway.

For 25 years, The Trust for Public Land has led the creation of this 13-mile trail, gradually cobbling together and paving abandoned rail lines and vacant lots to form a near-continuous route that cuts diagonally through the city from southeast to northwest.

All that remains is a single one-mile gap, scheduled to be completed later this year. It’s marked on the map by a dotted yellow line—running right past Cromwell Hills.

at l e ft: re stored an d rec l ai m e d wat erf ronts a re n ow th e fo u n dat i o n to c h attan o o g a’s publ ic l ife .

T P L. O R G · 57

cro m wel l h ill s res ide nt s a re s e e k i ng s a f e r, easier ways to g et aro u nd to w n.

“The map shows both how extensive the trails are, and how so many neighborhoods are cut off from them, even in the core of town,” says Jenny Park, The Trust for Public Land’s Tennessee state director, tracing a finger around the belt of busy roadways and industrial zones that isolate Cromwell Hills from the rest of the city.

Here, residents are surrounded by a quarry, a concrete manufacturer, and a FedEx facility—which means gravel trucks and 18-wheelers barrel 50 miles per hour down the road that’s also the main passage for people walking to the nearest grocery store. Grant, the longtime manager of the Cromwell Hills community center, has picked up residents on the side of the road because she is concerned for their safety. Traffic and infrastructure contribute to a sense of alienation for residents, especially kids, seniors, and others who don’t drive. “People here want to be more a part of their community,” says Grant in her office at the community center. “It’s just hard because of how we’re situated.”

That’s why a completed greenway “could be a really big deal for folks here,” Grant says. Residents need safer routes for shopping, getting to Chattanooga State Community College, or commuting to jobs downtown. “It gets us connected to the rest of the city.”

Mn

ost mornings, Nelson Barrios bikes across the Walnut Street Bridge at sunrise. He lives in the North Shore

neighborhood, just a short ride from the Riverwalk. He has used the trail to commute to work for ten years—after dropping his children off at school, he rides the four miles to his job at a packaging manufacturer on Amnicola Highway.

“It changes my day. I arrive at work, and I’m smiling,” he says. As he rolls into work flush with endorphins, many of his

“

People here want to be more a part of their community.

It’s just hard because of how we’re situated.

5 8 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

colleagues enter battle-weary from the morning’s traffic. The interstate interchange in Chattanooga is considered one of the worst bottlenecks in the country, and still, 82 percent of commuters in the county drive themselves to work solo.

Barrios has come to recognize many of his fellow weekday commuters—some in medical scrubs, others in business wear— as they begin and end their workdays. One fellow commuter heading farther up the road is Chris Lykins, who regularly bikes seven miles from his home downtown to his work as a design instructor at Chattanooga State Community College.

In one of his classes, Lykins polled his students and found that most hadn’t ridden a bike in fifteen or more years, largely

because they were concerned about safety in traffic. The

access along a river long obstructed by industrial sprawl.

Riverwalk and South Chickamauga Creek Greenway provide

“We meet people who have chosen to pick up and move

that safety, but he contemplates how the city could make it a

close to the Riverwalk,” says Jenny Park, with The Trust for

viable transportation option for more people.

Public Land. “And then we find many longtime residents who

“One of the things we think about a lot at the college is

have never stepped foot on it, or even heard of it.”

how we lift up every person in this community,” he says. “If

That’s why, Park says, the next frontier of trail building is

you have a degree but don’t have a means of getting around

right in the heart of the city. With the South Chickamauga

and connecting, the education is meaningless. We can’t leave

Creek Greenway nearly complete, Park's team is turning its

other Chattanoogans behind. We have to find different ways

focus to creating a series of shorter greenways as Riverwalk

to connect, or else the Riverwalk will primarily be used by

“tributaries,” threading deeper into neighborhoods that are cut

people like me—someone who has a choice.”

off from the main stem of the trail by highways, rail lines, or

Oi

industrial zones. n one hand, that trailhead at Blue Goose Hollow shows

In Alton Park, Dotley and her neighbors are helping plan

how far the city has come since the 1980s, when work on

a mile-long path to the Riverwalk. The Alton Park Connector

the park began. The greenery, the views, the $200 million resi-

will follow an abandoned CSX rail line that arcs north of the

dential development, the direct link to downtown, the sculp-

neighborhood, creating a safe bypass of the five-lane thor-

tures—all are the fruit of decades of effort to carve out public

oughfare that is currently the main access to the trail.

co ol, cal m , an d co nne ct e d : ne l s o n ba r r i o s has a com m ut e to a s p i re to.

T P L. O R G · 59

raq u etta dot l ey

“

We want to break down those social barriers and help people feel welcome on trail.

6 0 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

outd oor a mba ssa d ors hike on the south chicka m auga cre e k gre e nway.

Dotley said that as news of the connector spreads in the neighborhood, excitement is growing about better access to grocery stores, pharmacies, and jobs along in the city’s burgeoning south side. But physical barriers like highways and train tracks aren’t the only hurdles The Trust for Public Land is working with Alton Park residents to overcome.

“It’s not enough to have this extensive trail system if people don’t feel welcome and comfortable once they’re there, or if our parks and public lands aren’t meeting the needs of all communities,” says Jenny Park. The Trust for Public Land has convened advisors from underserved neighborhoods to lead its next stage of trails planning. The organization is also helping with events—from after-school programs to church services—at Southside Community Park, the planned entry point for the Alton Park Connector Trail.

“Alton Park has been its own little bubble, and this finally offers hope that we get to be a part of our city,” Dotley says. “We need our kids to know that their neighborhood is important, but it’s also a part of a greater Chattanooga.”

Ti

he sun was finally shining after a week of rain, and three women strolled

While we navigated a flooded section of the trail, Lozano and Peterson told

along a bridge overlooking the swollen

me about an Outdoor Ambassador

South Chickamauga Creek.

who’d spent a bunch of time outside

“I would have never known this trailhead

before he emigrated from Mexico—

was back here,” said Vivian Lozano, who

but felt less comfortable on the trails

guided her dog, Gary, to a bend where the

around Chattanooga because he never

women paused to pass around a trail map.

saw anyone who looked like him.

They were each there as part of a Trust for

“He encountered this common nar-

Public Land–supported program called Out-

rative of, ‘We don’t do that, we don’t

door Ambassadors, which equips commu-

belong there,’” said Peterson, who

nity leaders with a broad knowledge of the

moved to Chattanooga from Chile. “We

city’s parks through hikes, paddling trips,

want to break down those social bar-

and other outings. “We’re sharing some of

riers and help people build familiarity

what we know, and inviting ambassadors

and feel welcome on trail.”

to go out and share with their communi-

I thought back to something Raquetta

ties—especially those who feel isolated

Dotley told me about her visit to the

from Chattanooga’s outdoor opportunities,”

Riverwalk last year: she pointed out how

said Daniela Peterson, an Outdoor Ambas-

special it was to see residents in the con-

sador leader who works for The Trust for

dos along the river hanging out with her

Public Land.

students, and people stopping to let the

That often includes immigrant families,

kids pet their dogs. It’s reminiscent of

said Lozano. “We all have parents or fami-

what Jeannine Grogg saw that first day

lies back in home countries who are really

on the Riverwalk thirty years ago: people

connected to the land. But somehow in the

of many ages and backgrounds all enjoy-

process of moving here, many of us have

ing a day at the park.

lost that,” said Lozano. “I think for most

“To me, it was what a community

families it’s just understanding where these

could look like,” Dotley said. “Should

spaces are, and how to get here.”

look like.”

T P L. O R G · 61

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6 2 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

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T P L. O R G · 63

trail’s end

WHEN CAMPING WITH YOUR KIDS IS AN ACT OF DEFIANCE we were walking along a trail sandwiched

the woods are silent. Would I serve him better

into a narrow strip of woods along the Tucan-

by spending my weekends, say, volunteering

non River. In a pack on my husband’s back, in

with climate justice campaigns, rather than

front of me, was our 13-month-old son. In the

teaching him to make s’mores and identify

moist air along the river, the mosquitoes were

constellations and bird songs?

out in force. One landed on the baby’s left ear

I try to justify it to myself with data. Re-

as I watched, and I wondered why the hell were

searchers have found a connection between

we doing this, but then a veery began sing-

early experiences in nature and environmen-

ing somewhere nearby, I caught sight of the

istock user frankramspott

sunlight glinting on the water through the brush, and for a moment everything felt okay.

tal activism later in life; kids who play in the

woods become adults who invest their time and energy in taking care of the planet. There’s also evidence that kids who

This was our first time taking our son camping. Not hav-

spend time in nature do better in school, are healthier men-

ing any experience doing this with a tiny human in tow, we

tally and physically, and are even more generous and altruistic

thought it would be sensible to start small, with a single night

than their peers.

at a state park about 30 minutes from our home in south-

That’s the kind of kid I want to raise. But ultimately, it

east Washington. It was really just a patch of trees by a river

wasn’t the statistics that made up my mind. It was a feeling—

surrounded by rippling green wheat fields, the campground

hope. Taking our son camping has become my stubborn way

populated mostly by RVers stopping over on cross-country

of hanging on to hope that a beautiful future is still possible.

treks. But in addition to the mosquitoes, it had yellow war-

So we went to the woods.

blers flying through our campsite, muskrats swimming in a

For the most part, it turns out, camping with a one-year-

side creek, and a reputation as a good spot for trout fishing.

old is not particularly relaxing. I struggled to entertain our

We figured it would do as well as anywhere for a test run of

energetic little boy while my husband put up the tent and

sleeping in a tent with an almost-toddler.

made dinner, and later it was a huge relief when he finally fell

It took me a while to decide for certain that I wanted to

asleep. But the weekend wasn’t really about relaxing; it was

do this at all. Nothing else in my life is quite as effective as a

about setting the tone for the kind of family we want to be.

walk in the woods for calming the clamor of my anxieties or

How can I help my son build a strong relationship with

quieting the never-ending to-do list in my brain. I never feel

something that’s changing before his eyes? How can I tell him

more content, more myself. I want my son to see that part of

to build his sense of self on something that won’t be there for

me, and I hope that a sense of kinship with the natural world

him in the same way in five years, ten, fifty? I’m still figuring it

might enrich his life, as it has mine.

out. But here’s the thing—change and loss are part of parent-

But I worry. By encouraging him to cultivate that same connection, am I only setting him up for a painful future? He’ll

hood, too. My son is changing every day, the tiny baby I held last year already has gone for good, and I can’t know what the

live to see the unfolding climate crisis diminish our planet’s

future holds for him. All I can do is try to take good care of him,

living beauty in ways that will be permanent and painful. I’m

advocate for him, love him, and teach him how to hope.

afraid that by teaching him to love streams full of salmon and woods full of songbirds, I’m betraying him, dooming him to a bitter, grieving adulthood when the streams are empty and 6 4 · L AND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2020

rebecca heisman is a science communicator and writer who lives in walla walla, washington. this story was originally published in high country news (hcn.org) on september 18, 2019.

thank you for reading this issue of land&people, and

thank you

you make the s e s torie s p oss ible . to s u p p ort ou r w ork, vis it tpl.o rg /d o nate.

for supporting The Trust for Public Land.

With your help, we’re creating parks and green schoolyards and connecting people to trails and the outdoors all across the country.

jerry and marcy monkman

As a Trust for Public Land member, you’re contributing to healthy, equitable, resilient communities. Because a just and vibrant society is built on

land for people.

T P L. O R G · 65

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