Coffee Talk Replay: Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change — Episode 090

On today’s episode of Open Space Radio,
we’re re-releasing one of our Coffee Talks from last year’s
NRPA Virtual, where we discussed the importance of park
and recreation professionals being prepared for disasters
due to a changing climate. We were joined by Kenny
Weigandt from Willamalane Park and Recreation District in
Oregon and John DiSpaldo, a regional preparedness liaison for
FEMA to talk specifically about the wildfires that were
impacting much of the western part of the country last year. We
chose to release this episode today because it aligns well with a
new tool NRPA just released. 


We know there is an increase in the number of climate events
we see each year — like wildfires, hurricanes, extreme wind
events and more — and that increase is directly related
to the impacts of climate change. We also know park
and recreation professionals, as managers of a large
percentage of our public lands, play a critical role in climate
mitigation strategies. One of these solutions is a
new tool called Climate.Park.Change., which was created
by the design firm Sasaki in partnership with NRPA.
This toolkit compiles data on how climate change is affecting
park and recreation spaces and offers physical design and
community engagement solutions to address climate impacts. The
tool currently covers 10 intermountain west states, but the
strategies can be applied throughout much of the
country.  


We encourage you to check out this tool after listening
to our Coffee Talk. Tune in below to learn how climate
change is impacting the work of park and recreation
professionals in the western part of the country, as
well as: 


How the Willamalane Park and Recreation District
responded to the wildfires in September 2020. 

How park and recreation professionals play a role in
disaster recovery efforts. 

How FEMA works with local governments and park and recreation
agencies in responding to and recovering from disasters. 

Why it’s critical for park and recreation professionals to be
prepared for disasters that take place due to a changing
climate. 

How the wildfires made Willamalane Park and
Recreation District re-evaluate their disaster preparedness
plans, and more! 



Other resources that may be of interest: 


New Toolkit to Assess Climate Threats and Park-Specific
Strategies 

Addressing Issues at the Intersection of Climate and Health —
Episode 089

Climate for Health Ambassadors Training