During a recent catch-up with Park Pride, we got a glimpse into what it takes to take care of 250 parks in the Atlanta and DeKalb area. With Earth Day right around the corner on April 22, 2023, Hands On Atlanta has our Sustainability work at top of mind, and our local parks are a huge part of that work. Parks are not only natural habitats for plants, trees and small creatures, but they’re crucial gathering spots for our communities, that we all have a responsibility to take care of.

We popped by a Saturday morning volunteer day over at Herbert Taylor Daniel Johnson Park, and got to chat with Ellen Bruenderman, Director or Community Services, and Joanna Patterson, Volunteer Associate – read on to find out how Park Pride leverages volunteers.

TL;DR – Sign up here to volunteer + support the nearest greenspace or nature center to you.

Claire, Hands On Atlanta: Ellen, I’m starting simple… talk to us about Park Pride’s philosophy on the ‘power of parks’. I love this phrase I found on your website. What does it mean to you all?

Ellen, Park Pride: Our mission is to engage communities to activate the power of parks, and one of the things we like about that is that it conversation, because the power of a park means something different to everyone. For me, the power is that parks are places for people to connect in lots of ways. People can connect with nature, with their roots, their neighborhood, their place, and with others their community. It’s a place for neighbors to meet each other and come together.

Claire: I like that concept of connectivity, both human and natural – it’s a great way to say that parks are more than a safe home for plants and trees.

Ellen: Yeah, and even in an urban world, parks connect habitats, so it’s not too fragmented and our natural neighbors can also live here with us.

Claire: Now let’s get into the work you all do, every day. We know there are hundreds of parks that y’all support – what does that look like? How do you do it??

 Ellen: We do our work through partnership with communities. We could not do this work without our Friends of the Parks groups. We work with a network of over 130 registered groups – and we know there are others, it’s really closer to 150 – and those are all volunteer-led groups. They give their time and energy to care for their local parks, just like Marti is doing today, leading volunteers to remove invasive species at Herbert Taylor Daniel Johnson Park. They advocate for resources, fundraise, and transform parks to reflect the character and needs of the surrounding community. These are people who care a lot, and put a lot of energy into their neighborhoods. And we support them with our programs and resources.

Claire: And what do you mean by programs and resources?

Ellen: It can mean a lot of things. Some resources apply across the network, like workshops, networking opportunities, and bringing Friends groups into our own thought leadership programming like our annual conference, which is a regional greenspace learning opportunity. We also offer individual group guidance and consultation. We have a grant program that helps make capital improvements possible. Our Park Visioning department does planning and design services – it’s comprehensive facilitation, and relies heavily on community input. And, we’re announcing a new leadership program soon – our Park Stewardship Academy, which will offer deep dives into technical expertise for Friends group members.

Claire: That’s awesome – having community members inform park features, based on their unique needs, totally goes back to that original sentiment of connectivity. Switching gears – talk to us about the importance of volunteerism in the parks.

Joanna, Park Pride: Now that we’re more in person, we’re focused more on volunteerism as a stronger resource for Friends groups. This is individuals corporate and civic groups, and more – it can make a huge difference to have a surge of volunteerism with a large group, to make a dent at what sometimes feels like endless work to do to maintain the parks. Matching these groups and volunteers up with parks is always a win.

Ellen: We have some really strong Friends groups that lead their own workdays, and just need more hands to get the work done – and one resource we provide them with is Hands On Atlanta, to help them recruit volunteers. These Friends groups typically are doing regular work days and know how to coordinate and manage a project. They’ve got tools and know what to do – they just need more people to accomplish the goal.

Claire: So, how could I get involved with my local park and Friends group? And what about Earth Day – it’s right around the corner on April 22nd, 2023!

Ellen: Most projects are Hands On – we regularly host Greener Good Days, which are open to all volunteers. We have one coming up for Earth Day! And of course, you can get outside and volunteer with one of our Friends of the Parks groups. For volunteers able to make a longer commitment, the Friends groups have behind-the-scenes needs like communications, flyering, raising awareness as well as projects to complete in the parks. We’re just finishing up our new directory of Friends groups – it’s on our website. You can find specific parks and groups and join from there.

Joanna: For Earth Day, we’re partnering with Trees Atlanta – they’re doing invasive removals, and we’re focusing on trash pick up in Stone Hogan Park! That’s Saturday, April 22nd, and you can sign up here. This park was identified on the City of Atlanta’s new data equity tool, and that’s why we chose it. This tool helps prioritize parks that have not received a lot of investment and are in areas of town with greater inequity. Stone Hogan was near the top of that list, and so we’re working with our Friends group there to make this day happen. It'll be really impactful.