What It Takes To Be a Park and Recreation Professional
National Park & Recreation Professionals Day Is July 19th
Water is the source of all life. It keeps us, and our plants and animals, going. But approximately 40% of it within the U.S. is too contaminated to swim, drink, or breed life in—lakes, streams, and others included.
We all know there’s nothing better than heading to your local park and sitting by a stream, listening to the rushing of the water over rocks and feeling the cool air. But with climate change and pollution continually rising, scarcity and quality of natural water is a dangerous threat. But the good news is that there are ways to combat this. The more educated you become on the treatment of water and all the natural resources within parks, the closer we all get to taking better care of our bodies (of water!) And that means more sweet summers spent by the lake with family and friends.
Water Quality
The quality of natural waters matters! Contaminated waters lead to dangers for the life living within — and it may even stop life from residing at all. That’s not to mention our own safety. Without clean, healthy water, there’s no way we can swim or fish. In fact, 76% of our state’s rivers and streams were deemed to have PFAS chemicals. But how can we take an active part in making sure our park waters are clear and uninfected?
One of the clearest paths to cleaner water is less litter. Did you know that aquatic garbage affects the oxygen levels, meaning fish become endangered and new life can be unable to grow? Most of the garbage found in natural bodies of water are from our own activities on land. If you’re hiking or picnicking in the park, be sure to dispose of your waste right away. And if you’re not close to a trash can, hold on to it until you reach one!
Why not join a water clean-up initiative? There are plenty of programs throughout PA that bring together volunteers to help rid natural water of the waste that’s built up within. Clean Water Action offers a huge amount of resources for different programs and educational tools for learning more about aquatic trash pick-ups. And it will be just in time for National Water Quality Month in August!
Water Conservation
When we waste water, we’re not only running up our bills, but we’re also making parks run out. By keeping faucets going, flushing multiple times in a row, and leaving the kitchen sink flowing when we’re not using it, we’re also using up extra energy, which in turn, harms our natural resources. Last summer, Pennsylvania American Water asked PA residents to voluntarily conserve their water due to a threat of a drought. But there are ways to conserve water for years to come. Just one gallon can amount to even more before you know it.
The California Department of Water Resources lists out some integral ways us citizens can go about conserving water, both in our indoor and outdoor lives. Some of these include shorter showers, fixing leaks, and avoiding overwatering your garden or plants.
Water Education
We’ve listed out some specific ways you can work to keep park water clean and abundant. But something as simple as educating yourself can make all the difference. Once you know how park bodies of water work and ways that we can potentially harm it, you can be all the more ready to keep them looking and operating well!
The Department of Conservation & Natural Resources gives some insight into all the PA programs you can look into that have to do with water education. It’s even their theme for the month! If you work in education, this can be a great tool to not only educate yourself, but to instill good principles into our future generations.
Our state also has the Office of Water Programs and the Office of Water Resources Planning, two fundamental offices meant to work hard daily to keep our water clean, both in parks and our homes. If you’re looking to learn more about how to get involved in the water of our parks, this may be a great place to start. What’s more, our local parks with pools are looking for lifeguards and other aquatic pros, right now! Check out the Jobs Center on the PRPS website for more info and to apply : https://prps.imiscloud.com/myprps/PRPS_Jobs_Board.aspx
Did you know our Park Finder allows you to filter parks through water-based activities? If this got you in the mood for a murmuring brook or a steady stream, take a peek at some of the local parks near you that may offer bodies of water. Whether it’s swimming, sailing, boating, or anything else, there’s a PA park waiting for you.
