Park Bench Chat: Outside for all – Investing in parks to build community power

The Horace M. Albright Lecture in Conservation – Presented in partnership with the UC Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources

What does conservation have to do with community? Everything, says Diane Regas. As President and CEO of The Trust for Public Land, Regas leads a national nonprofit dedicated to using parks and public land as a means to create healthier, stronger neighborhoods. Since 1972, The Trust for Public Land has pioneered a “land for people” movement, working alongside communities nationwide to create and advocate for the parks and open spaces everyone needs. In this time of public health emergency, economic freefall, and worldwide demand for systemic social change, America’s parks, trails, and open spaces are more vital than ever—providing spaces for respite, exercise, recreation, and community assembly. And yet, great parks are not distributed equally, and too often the people who need parks the most have the least access. On August 26, 2020, Regas delivered UC Berkeley’s Rausser College Albright Lecture in Conservation. She was joined in conversation with community leaders Taylor Toynes, Executive Director of For Oak Cliff in Dallas, and Teresa Bendito, co-founder of Parque Padrinos in Wenatchee, Washington. They discussed how great parks can unite us, amplify our voices, and create community power.