The National Park Foundation and Carhartt are looking to fill more than 500 Service Corps jobs across United States national parks this summer, said NPF and Carhartt in a news release on Friday.

More visitors to Washington state national parks and climate change have created a need for workers at Washington’s Youth Conservation Corps and Northwest Youth Corps to handle conservation projects at parks like Mount Rainier National Park, said the release.

Hundreds of workers are in extreme demand at some of the nation’s most historical sites like Joshua Tree, Grand Teton, and Pictured Rocks National Parks. Jobs range from field crew members, trail maintenance workers, invasive plant workers, logistics coordinators, and everything in between, said the release.

A study from Carhartt that came out in February showed that nearly half of Gen Z and Millenials would prefer to work outdoors over a traditional office job.

The study also found that 85% of Gen Z and Millenials are somewhat open to jobs in nature conservation or the outdoors and 74% feel climate change and/or the environment is a top concern for current and future generations.

44% of Gen Z and Millennials said “finding a job that aligns with my values” was a top challenge in today’s job market.

Projects and job opportunities with NPF can be found at carhartt.com/NPF.

An often overlooked but relatively simple form of revenue generation in small park foundations is through memberships. Memberships offer your community supporters the opportunity to receive special benefits in return for a monthly or annual financial contribution. It is important to think holistically about the membership program you want to set up and to plan out the entire process before you launch it.

To create memberships for your small nonprofit park foundation, you can follow these steps:

Determine the benefits: First, you should decide what benefits members will receive. Will they receive exclusive access to certain parts of the park, discounts on merchandise or events, or other perks? Make sure the benefits are compelling enough to encourage people to join.

Continue reading on the forum.

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness started from the desire to bring no-cost exercise opportunities to public spaces with the goal that they be enjoyed by all, regardless of physical ability or fitness experience.

The NAPF sought a strategic partnership with Greenfields Outdoor Fitness because our association recognizes the importance of physical activity and seeks to promote products and services that open physical activity opportunities to all who seek it. We're especially interested in Greenfields' line of outdoor gym equipment for disabled and differently-abled people.

Let's learn more about Greenfields Outdoor Fitness and their products.

Sam Mendelsohn, president, and CEO, has a passion for both fitness and the outdoors, and saw in outdoor gyms a way to help people overcome obstacles to leading healthier lives.

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness is headquartered in Orange County, California, with a distribution network all over North America and installations stretching all the way to Australia.

Greenfields’ initial product line, now known as the Legacy Series, was designed to provide the public with not only the means but also the motivation to exercise. To that end, it was designed to be intuitive to use, thereby helping users overcome intimidation. In addition, most units feature a multi-user design, allowing several individuals to exercise together and thus increasing enjoyment and motivation.

To expand exercise options available to those with disabilities, Greenfields developed the patented Signature Accessible line (U.S. Patent 9,079,069 and 11,130,039). The unique design provides those with mobility impairments the opportunity to exercise not just in the same area but on the very same units as others. A second innovation was the Professional Series, featuring a mechanism allowing users to adjust the resistance to their ability level. These two lines were subsequently combined; after consultation with U.S. Paralympian Jen French, Greenfields debuted several new wheelchair accessible units with adjustable resistance. Greenfields now offers 10 separate exercises for those using wheelchairs.

Responding to the strong functional fitness trend and desiring to provide more activities to advanced users, Greenfields then developed the Functional Fitness line, which expanded over the next few years from a few simple fitness rigs to the current product line including kettlebells, suspension training apparatuses, and much more – all designed to weather the outdoor environment. Greenfields’ Functional Fitness units are highly customizable and ensure that all projects receive the perfect solution for their unique goals.

Most recently, Greenfields’ innovative X-Treme Ninja Courses have brought the excitement and competitive spirit of ninja training to public spaces. The X-Treme Ninja Courses successfully bridge the gap between play and fitness, offering an experience that’s supremely challenging yet reminiscent of a playground.

Greenfields is also proud to support the U.S. military with a specially designed Military Line, which today is used by all five branches of the Armed Forces on military bases worldwide.

Greenfields’ strength lies in its ability to create fitness areas customized to the unique needs of each individual project. Knowing that a gym is not a one-size-fits-all amenity, our team takes the time to design exercise areas with each specific community in mind. This results in inclusive, multigenerational fitness areas that can be enjoyed by teens, adults, and seniors together. For those new to the outdoor fitness experience, the Greenfields App provides video tutorials for exercises available on each unit and allow users to search for gyms, design workouts, and track their progress.

Over the years, Greenfields has partnered with many park foundations nationwide to help them advance toward their goals, and in so doing, we have gained knowledge and understanding of the challenges that park foundations face. We bring this experience to this partnership and are ready to support NAPF members with complimentary gym design services and multiple national purchasing contracts.

Let us help you create an outdoor gym designed just for your community! For more information or to start your own project, reach out to us by phone at 888-315-9037 or email info@greenfieldsfitness.com.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) can be an important tool for clarifying the roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit and a government agency, facilitating collaboration, ensuring compliance, and providing a legal basis for the partnership.

An MOU is a written agreement between two or more parties that outlines the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of each party. It can be used to formalize the relationship between a nonprofit and a government agency, and to ensure that both parties have a clear understanding of their respective responsibilities and obligations.

Having an MOU can help to:

Clarify Roles and Responsibilities: An MOU clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of each party, reducing confusion and misunderstandings.

Facilitate Collaboration: An MOU can facilitate collaboration between a nonprofit and a government agency by establishing a clear framework for their partnership.

Ensure Compliance: An MOU can help ensure that both parties follow relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

Facilitate Resource Allocation: An MOU can help to ensure that resources are allocated and used effectively, by specifying how resources will be provided and used.

Provide a Legal Basis for the Partnership: An MOU can provide a legal basis for the partnership between a nonprofit and a government agency, which can be used in the event of disputes or misunderstandings.

In essence, an MOU between the park foundation and the agency sets both organizations up for a fruitful and mutually rewarding relationship that improves outcomes in park spaces and facilities.

Reach out to executive director, Kevin D. Korenthal, CAE to learn about the ways that the NAPF can help your foundation create an MOU with the governing park agency at execdir@the-napf.org.

What does a tennis-loving married couple made up of a software engineer and a sales and marketing guru do when they become frustrated with outdated reservation technology at their favorite tennis facility? They design and sell a high-tech solution to the problem. 

NOTE: The National Association of Park Foundations is launching strategic partnerships with product and service providers in the park and recreation community that possess valuable solutions and park space improvements that members of the NAPF should be aware of. 

Reservation-based racquet sports such as tennis and pickleball require a means by which players can reserve and then gain access to the court. The owners of these facilities want security and happy customers. Customers want a hassle-free means to reserve, pay for and enter the court. 

CourtReserve offers a host of different solutions based on the needs of the client. In fact, it is the clientele, such as tennis and pickleball instructors, directors, and facility managers that have helped CourtReserve to develop the products that solve the problems they experience running and operating tennis and pickleball facilities. CourtReserve is a web-based software platform and mobile app that seamlessly orchestrates court management/utilization, program/event management, pro scheduling, member management, financial accounting, and more. The platform is used by over 800 facilities in over 19 countries. The company, which was started in 2016 by Tim and Ashley Owens, has developed a reputation for excellent customer service and product development that is driven by the needs of their clients. 

A growing worldwide resurgence of racquet sports is driving the innovation that CourtReserve is harnessing in its web and mobile applications. Park and recreation agencies and park foundations that manage court space can benefit from CourtReserve’s products to enhance revenue and security within their racquet sport assets. 

Stay tuned to your email and this blog for announcements about more strategic partnerships between the NAPF and product/service providers in the park and recreation community.

Learn more about CourtReserve & their products by visiting their website or socials:

Website:  https://courtreserve.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtreserve

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtreserve/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourtReserve 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/12610332

Phone: (844) 407-3737

Email: Info@courtreserve.com

This live feed is owned and operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

The nest is located in Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. It is about 145 feet up in a Jeffrey Pine tree. The nest is the current home for Jackie and Shadow, a local bald eagle pair.

Click here to go to the live YouTube feed of the nesting bald eagles.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston County Parks is introducing a new music event for people with disabilities and their families and friends.

The inaugural Inclusive Silent Disco will be held on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Edisto Hall at James Island County Park.

Click here to learn more.

This is an occasional series in which we highlight an NAPF member that does something worthy of getting a story in the media.

Oswegoland Park Foundation presents $25,000 check to park district to help local families in need

The Oswegoland Park Foundation (OPF) has, for the second time, completely funded the Oswegoland Park District’s Financial Assistance Program.

In a presentation to park district leadership on Oct. 27, OPF President Karen Kelly and board member Sudeb Chatt delivered a check for $25,000 to cover expenses for local families and individuals who rely on the program to cover the costs of Kids Connection, team and individual sports and other activities available through the Oswegoland Park District.

Continue reading here.

Are you curious how the NAPF supports and grows park foundations around the country? Are you a non-member interested in learning how you can get 3 months of NAPF membership for FREE? Are you a member that wants to learn more about your benefits?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you should watch this 30 minute webinar where we ask and answer critical questions about foundations, the mission and purpose of the NAPF and membership in the organization. Just click the link and enter the passcode.

Membership at The NAPF: What’s In It For My Foundation?

Passcode: Cy7pS=E!

Don't miss out on our September new Member Special!

Buy a 12-month membership and get 3 months free

This promotion runs from September 7th through October 7th, 2022.

This promotion is for non-members. We will have a promotion for renewing members at the end of the year

Any new member that pays for their membership during the promotional period is automatically enrolled. Your renewal date will be adjusted to 15 months out

Dues must be paid by October 7th, 2022, in order to qualify

Previous members whose membership expired prior to January 1, 2022, qualify for this promotion

The value of this promotion is approximately $100.

Kaleidoscope Park Foundation (formerly Frisco Park Foundation) is an NAPF member. -KK

An upcoming 5.7-acre park located near the intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and Warren Parkway has a new name and a park foundation, according to a Communities Foundation of Texas news release.

Kaleidoscope Park, located within the Hall Park office district in Frisco, is slated to open in late 2023, according to the news release. The park will feature free year-round public programming including weekly films and concerts, fitness and well-being activities, and performances.

Keep reading here. More reporting here.