FEATURE ARTICLE

Is it the job of the park and recreation profession to protect our natural environment? Do we need to be concerned about the environmental impacts of our operations? Should we be helping to raise the consciousness of our patrons regarding nature and environmental issues?

A few decades ago, many in this profession would have answered "no" or shrugged their shoulders in response to these questions. Well, times have changed. The picture painted by a recent survey of park and recreation professionals in Illinois indicates we have taken the lead in helping solve local environmental problems and that the environment in most Illinois communities is in good hands.

Problems still exist, however, and not all agencies are doing all that they can. Most importantly, though, there is awareness among key staff that improvement is needed and interest in overcoming obstacles to make those improvements.

Is it the job of the park and recreation profession to protect our natural environment? Do we need to be concerned about the environmental impacts of our operations?

Environmental Policy Survey

The Environmental Committee of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) has been helping to promote awareness of these issues within the profession for the past decade. With the development of a "Model Environmental Policy" for parks and recreation agencies in 1992, members of the committee felt it was necessary to gauge the success of environmental efforts within the profession. Not only was awareness of environmental issues still lacking within some agencies but, also, certain park districts and conservation districts seemed to stand out as highly committed to the environment.

The committee wondered just how much awareness of the issues was out there. Additionally, among agencies with established environmental policies, how successful had they been at implementing those policies? In other words, who were not only talking-the-talk but also walking-the-walk?

To address these questions, committee members developed an Environmental Policy Survey, which was mailed to all superintendents of IPRA member agencies. The survey sought to determine what agencies were and were not doing via a checkoff list of practices employed. It also asked whether it had an existing environmental policy as well as if and how it was being implemented. Respondents also were given the opportunity to describe what has made their efforts successful, what obstacles exist to achieving successful policies and practices, and what they feel is needed in order for their agency to adopt more sound environmental practices. Finally, respondents were asked to rate the jobs their agencies and the profession in general are doing to protect the environment.

Since the responses represent the perspective of individual supervisors, this admittedly made them subjective. This especially was apparent when two responses were received

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SPECIAL FOCUS

from different supervisors within the same agency. Many comments cited awareness among staff as an obstacle. One would therefore conclude that each of the respondents answered the survey based on their own awareness of their agency's policies and practices.

Although it should be pointed out that the survey was not conducted scientifically, the number of responses received (365 mailed; 78 returned or a 21 percent response rate) provides a decent snapshot of the level of environmental commitment among park districts, conservation and forest preserve districts, and city recreation departments across the state. Take a look at the survey results and compare how your agency rates.

Survey Results

• 39% of respondents have an existing environmental policy; 51% do not; 10% were unsure.

• Of those with an existing policy, 70% felt that it was effective and being followed; 17% felt otherwise; 13% did not know how well their agency was doing.

• Only 30% of agencies with an existing policy had any sort of oversight committee or task force to ensure that the policy was implemented.

• 14% of respondents felt their agency was doing an excellent job in protecting the local environment; 50% felt they were doing a good job; 32% felt they were doing a fair job; 3% rated their agency as doing a poor job.

• On the same question, the parks and recreation profession in Illinois received a 5% excellent rating; a 64% good rating; a 21% fair rating; a 3% poor rating; and 10% were unsure how to rate the profession.

What follows is a partial listing of practices relating to environmental protection employed by agencies across the state and the percentage of respondents who indicated their agency were doing these things.

• 80% purchase products made with recycled content

• 74% use less hazardous or environmentally friendly cleaners, paints and solvents

• 86% practice soil management in landscape designs and erosion control during construction projects

• 72% use energy-efficient lighting

• 80% implement energy saving vehicle/fleet operation practices

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OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT CARD

• 85% properly recycle batteries and automotive fluids

• 81% utilize native plant species in landscaping projects

• 83% protect heritage trees and maintain a tree planting and replacement program

• 76% abide by laws meant to protect rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals

• 68% use environmentally friendly snow- and ice-melting products

• 67% use integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pesticide use in facilities

• 64% use IPM in maintaining park lands

• 67% landscape with shade trees and windbreaks near facilities to reduce energy consumption

• 68% actively establish and/or restore native ecosystems and wildlife habitat within natural areas

• 60% control exotic plant and animal populations that threaten native ecosystems

• 58% reduce the use of paper by using an in-house e-mail network

• 54% provide public environmental education programs

• 50% employ a comprehensive recycling program within facilities and parks

• 53% save energy by insulating hot water heaters and pipes

• 49% conduct facility energy audits

• 41% promote public awareness of the agency's environmental efforts and leadership

Note: Where respondents indicated that a practice was not currently in place but soon would be, this was tallied as a "Yes."

A perception still exists that most environmentally friendly practices are more costly than doing things the traditional way.

Factors that Help or Hindered an Agency's Environmental Efforts

The majority of respondents took the time to answer the request for information on factors that have helped or hindered their agency's efforts to apply environmental practices and policies. The most common factor cited as helping an agency succeed was board and administrative support. Incidentally, the lack of board and administrative support was also cited as one of the obstacles to effective implementation of environmental practices.

The commitment of staff and residents was also mentioned as a positive influence. One respondent stated what should become obvious to all of us in this profession: "Our mission is directed at enhancing quality of life through wise care of the environment."

Other reasons cited as obstacles to effective implementation of environmental policies and practices were:

• knowledge of proper practices;
• time to accomplish them;
• lack of awareness or interest by some staff;
• getting staff and patrons to change old habits; and
• money.

A few respondents mentioned the fact that their agency's environmental policy resulted from efforts to receive the Distinguished Agency classification from the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, but that little had been accomplished since then. As a follow-up to this question, respondents were asked what is needed at their agency in order to be more successful at protecting the environment. By far, the most common request was for additional knowledge and better education of staff. Others felt that if their agency had a well-defined environmental policy, they would do a better job.

Overall, the written responses illustrated an important point: parks and recreation professionals are concerned about the environment. However, many are unsure what they or their agency can do about it or how to go about doing it. Most parks and recreation professionals receive little or no training in environmental issues and management. They need help in figuring out where to dispose of hazardous wastes, how to design an effective recycling program, how a facility design can be both energy-saving and cost-conscious, how to treat weeds and pests without the use of chemical pesticides.

Also, a perception still exists that most environmentally friendly practices are more costly than doing things the traditional way. While this is often still the case for such things as recycling programs and products made with recycled content, many practices such as landscaping with native plants, using integrated pest management, installing energy-efficient lighting, and installing water saving hardware are actually long-term cost-saving measures (although, initial costs can sometimes look higher).

We should continue to be proud of the many things we do in this profession to improve the quality of life for those living in our communities. This survey should help to build on that pride. It should also serve to inspire agencies that have yet to address the environmental impacts of their operations and those that have just begun to implement efforts. The environmental challenges are great for all of us, but often no one in our communities is better suited to address environmental concerns than we are. •

DAVID BROOKS
is the manager of conservation services for the Schaumburg Park District. For more information about resources and best practices from the IPRA Environmental Committee, contact Brooks at 847.985.2100 or chair Rita Aken at 815.455.1763.

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