New Philadelphia, OH (July 27, 2022) Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation’s official Park and Recreation Month.
Created by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Park and Recreation Month specifically highlights the essential and powerful role local park and recreation professionals — such as the staff at the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) — play in building stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient communities all across the country.
We are bringing attention to how important it is to rise up and support the field of parks and recreation because every day, park and recreation professionals rise up for their communities in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being.
“July is the perfect time to share how our park and recreation professionals rise up for members of the community and provide essential services,” said Craig Butler, MWCD Executive Director. “The MWCD promotes physical activity by providing space for boating, fishing, hiking trails, and many other activities designed to support active lifestyles. In addition to helping connect people to nature, the MWCD parks and lakes create essential environmental stewards that advocate for and protect our most precious public resources — our land, water, trees, open spaces, and wildlife. We not only want to celebrate our hard-working staff who are dedicated to providing a wonderful experience at our parks and lakes, but to also invite you to come out and experience what we offer firsthand.”
MWCD is leading initiatives and providing opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and identities to achieve healthier lifestyles, promote and understand nature and environmental resilience, as well as bringing the community closer through a variety of programs and services. Programs range from guided kayak tours, day camps, Movies at the Lake, nature programs, and Yoga, to name a few. For a full list of activities and events, visit www.mwcd.org.
NRPA encourages everyone that supports parks and recreation to share how it has impacted their lives with the hashtag #RiseUpJuly. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org/July.
About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.
About Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
Enjoying the Outdoors is brought to you in partnership with Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.
The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state, was organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan to reduce flooding and conserve water for beneficial public uses in the Muskingum River Watershed, the largest wholly contained watershed in Ohio. Since their construction, the 16 reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region have been credited for saving over $7 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding, according to the federal government, as well as providing popular recreational opportunities that bolster the region’s economy. A significant portion of the reservoirs are managed by the MWCD and the dams are managed for flood-risk management by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and Twitter.
Learn More about Programs and events going on at MWCD with Newsymom here: Series - MWCD - Newsymom
