U.S. parks need security improvements, GAO says
Homeland Security Today
U.S. national parks are not as secure as they could be because the U.S. National Park Service has not fully implemented good security planning across them and they do not share information with one another, congressional investigators said last week. The National Park Service, the police service of the U.S. Department of Interior responsible for protecting U.S. parks, has not conducted a thorough risk management review and does not make best cost-effective use of information technology, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report, titled "Homeland Security: Actions Needed to Improve Security Practices at National Icons and Parks." More

Ohio education efforts combat Nature Deficit
Toledo Blade
With its focus on getting children outside as often as possible to see, smell, and touch their world, the Preschool at the Toledo Zoo’s theme easily could be "no child left inside," tying in neatly with the zoo's goal to reconnect children with nature. Go-outside-and-play initiatives are being cultivated across the country as teachers, community leaders, parents, park directors, and others coax kids off couches and away from computer screens to help address what author Richard Louv in Last Child in the Woods identified as nature-deficit disorder. More

Nature brings out the best in people, cities the worst, study finds
Science Line
We all love nature--we put plants in our windows and parks in our cities, and what high-rise dweller doesn’t secretly yearn for a lush, green backyard? Now, a study published in the October issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin gives us one more reason to escape the urban jungle in favor of the real McCoy: Nature makes us better people. More

No surprise: State park visitors purchase more green, organic items
Environmental Leader
Businesses seeking to leverage their environmentally-friendly initiatives and products will find the ideal target market at their local state parks, according to a five-year study on state park visitors. Conducted by the Government Solutions Group (GSG), a marketing agency that facilitates cause-related marketing partnerships between corporations and state parks, the research also reveals that these consumers purchase organic food twice as often as the rest of the U.S., and 61 percent make purchasing decisions based on a product or a company’s environmental impact compared to 23 percent of the general population. More

Disc golf finds strong following
The Herald News
Joliet, Ill.'s abandoned Highland Park -- with its rolling hills, creek and centuries-old oak trees -- now sports one of the more interesting disc golf courses in Northern Illinois, where flat land is the rule for similar disc links. And it has Gary Lewis, 59, of Joliet, to thank for it. More

Tucked into neighborhoods
Branson Tri-Lakes News
While there is a list of popular large parks throughout Branson, Mo., there are also many parks that are tucked in several Branson neighborhoods, providing a place for area residents to enjoy the outdoors without travel. "They offer an opportunity for a social and recreational focal point in a neighborhood," said Cindy Shook, Branson Parks and Recreation director.More

Stimulus can't ease job pain for U.S. states and cities
Reuters
The fiscal crisis hitting most U.S. states and cities is now adding to the country's workforce woes, with more than 20 percent of the jobs the country lost last month coming from the government sector, according to Labor Department data released on Friday. Even after receiving billions of dollars of stimulus funds, state governments lost 10,000 jobs -- all in education -- and the trend may get worse in coming months. More

Resistance to rec plan
Denver Daily News
In an effort to avoid having to reduce hours, eliminate summer day camps or close recreation centers altogether, Denver city leaders are looking to fast track a proposal that would hand over operational duties of four Denver recreation centers to non-profit agencies. Resistance to the plan has cropped up around the La Alma Recreation Center, one of the four proposed "transition centers." More

Get outside and take a stroll through nature
NWI Times
The mild fall weather is perfect for hiking. Not too hot, not too cold and hopefully not too muddy. Hiking is a great family activity that promotes fitness and gives parents and children a chance to interact and talk while exploring the natural beauty around them. Not sure where to roam for a nice hike? Checking with local and county parks and recreation departments is a good place to start.More

Parks programs pay for themselves
NWI Times
Reducing activities offered by the Merrillville, Ill., Parks and Recreation Department could decrease funds the department generates, town officials said. The Town Council is considering restructuring the parks department to save money. Decreasing the number of classes offered at the department and having a few large festivals or other events instead has been suggested as one way to change the department. More

Games swimmers play
Athletic Business
When designing a leisure aquatic facility, both passive users and active swimmers ought to be able to partake in recreational activities. The challenge is that in the college recreation market, these two types of swimmers are very different. Passive users look for soothing experiences without exerting significant amounts of physical energy; thus their needs are being met with the status-quo leisure pool. Passive swimming encompasses casual fitness experiences; the passive swimmer is primarily a pleasure seeker.More

Green up
Recreation Management Magazine
Although constructing recreation buildings (or sprucing up the ones you have) in a green or sustainable way still takes some extra planning and effort, it's not a task reserved solely for those who crunch granola while hugging trees and admiring their huge budgets. Costs are coming down, and in a lot of ways, green design just makes sense—whether it's saving on energy costs, conserving water, providing a healthy atmosphere for patrons or being a good steward of resources that tops your list of priorities. More