Events

The Trust for Public Land is proud to collaborate with communities – block by block, park by park, and city by city – to restore the public parks and outdoor spaces that gather us together. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event, whether in your neighborhood or online.

Past event recordings: National

February 23, 2021

Park Bench Chat: Preserving Black history for a more equitable future

Join us for a Park Bench Chat about the growing movement to preserve and lift up a more accurate, equitable public memory of America. We’ll be in conversation with Keith Weaver, Trust for Public Land board member and executive vice president of Global Policy and External Affairs for Sony Pictures Entertainment; and Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and author of Preserving African American Historic Places. They will share insights about places that tell the story of Black life in America, highlighting centuries of activism, achievement, creativity, and community. And we’ll discuss how equity in historic preservation revitalizes communities, enriches our culture, and helps shape a more just and prosperous future for all.  

January 26, 2021

Park Bench Chat: Public Funding for Parks and Climate in 2021

Please join us for a virtual event on the future of public funding for parks and public lands. Learn how The Trust for Public Land donors helped us pass all 31 ballot measures we campaigned for in 2020, generating over $3 billion in new public funding for parks and conservation.  We’ll analyze recent policy wins made possible by our donors, with a focus on equity and climate, and discuss opportunities for expanded public support at the federal, state, and local levels in 2021 and 2022.

December 8, 2020

Parks Unite Us: Creating social change through parks and community

Thank you for joining us on December 8 at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. MT/11:00 a.m. PT for a Park Bench Chat with corporate and advocacy leaders to discuss addressing social inequalities through philanthropic investments in communities, brand positioning, and fostering more welcoming and inclusive environments outside, within the workplace, and beyond.

October 26, 2020

Park Bench Chat: Solutions for wildfire, climate change, and voting “green” this election

Join us on October 26 at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET for a Park Bench Chat on solutions to wildfire, climate, and voting “green” this election.

August 26, 2020

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 and deserves.

July 13, 2020

Park Bench Chat: Reimagining Community Resilience

Featuring: Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome, senior program officer for the Kresge Foundation’s portfolio on Climate Resilient and Equitable Water Systems, Abbey Cofsky, managing director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work to promote healthy, equitable communities, and Trust for Public Land President and CEO Diane Regas.

June 29, 2020

Park Bench Chat: Rising to the Challenge - Supporting Communities Through Crisis

Featuring:  Ohio State Director Shanelle Smith Whigham, Cecilia Muñoz, vice president for public interest technology and local initiatives at New America, and Trust for Public Land President and CEO Diane Regas

May 22, 2020

Park Bench Chat: Staying safe outdoors during COVID-19

On Earth Day, Trust for Public Land CEO and President Diane Regas and Director of Community Health, Sadiya Muqueeth DrPH, MPH, joined Nooshin Razani, MD, MPH, founder and Director of the Center for Nature and Health at the University of California, San Francisco, for an online conversation about health and nature in the time of COVID. 

May 14, 2020

Park Bench Chat: The Great American Outdoors Act -Vital to recovery and our future

On Thursday, May 14, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), coauthor of the Great American Outdoors Act, joined Lise Aangeenbrug, Executive Director of the Outdoor Industry Association, and Trust for Public Land National Board Member Lucas St. Clair for a Park Bench Chat on the Great American Outdoors Act.

April 7, 2020

Park Bench Chat: Nature and community in the time of COVID-19

Park Bench Chat #1

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Past event recordings: Local

January 28, 2021

Illinois: Chicago - Virtual Tavern Talk: The Superpowers of Parks: How access to greenspace affects mind and body

Pour your favorite drink and join Caroline O’Boyle, Chicago Program Director of The Trust for Public Land, for a Virtual Tavern Talk with Dr. Frances Kuo, Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick, and Dr. Sadiya Muqueeth who will share their research and observations about the connection of health and parks.

TX_Cool School Event
January 16, 2021

Texas: Let’s Get Outdoors: How to Enjoy Nature Close to Home

In our first Cool School park bench chat, we will explore how we can start off the year enjoying nature close to home. Join Susana Cruz from Chicana in Nature to learn about the benefits of spending time outdoors and how you can become a nature expert in your own backyard.  After this discussion, Veronica Torres-Hazley from Healthy Latina Lifestyle will be leading the community through a calming virtual yoga session in a Cool School Park.

January 12, 2021

Washington: The economic benefits of conserved lands, trails, and parks on the North Olympic Peninsula

The Trust for Public Land released a new report on Jan 12th, 2021 entitled “The economic benefits of conserved lands, trails, and parks on the North Olympic Peninsula.” The report highlights the important role these resources play in the regional economy and will be used to help make the case for funding for conservation in the region with legislators, but also support community conversations around how best to intentionally plan for growth and conservation in this region. The project was the result of an essential partnership between The Trust for Public Land, Jefferson Land Trust, and North Olympic Land Trust. The effort was supported by public and philanthropic funding, including grants from the WA State Department of Commerce and Land Trust Alliance.

November 18, 2020

New England: Parks Unite Us: From Main Streets to Mountain Tops

What does a vacant city lot in the middle of Boston have in common with a private forest in rural Maine? They’re both being transformed into vibrant community spaces by The Trust for Public Land. Join the Trust for Public Land to learn from three community partners who have worked with us to create treasured public spaces in Maine, New Hampshire and Boston.

November 17, 2020

Washington: Green Schoolyards: Investing in Communities

If you care about kids, education, health, equity, or the environment, Green Schoolyards are the solution hiding in plain sight. Transforming dated schoolyards into vibrant green spaces can create healthy communities. Join the Trust for Public Land for a virtual event to learn how you can help renovate five schoolyards in south and east Tacoma, some of the most park-poor areas in Washington State. Your support can put a great park within a 10-minute walk of 40,000 people!