As National Parks & Recreation Month began this month, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks will be handing out comic books and releasing an original video series to draw attention to the city's public offerings.
The video series, called My Park, My Story, will feature city residents discussing the impact local parks have had on their lives and will feature the Cylburn Arboretum, Gwynns Falls/Leaking Park, Roosevelt Skatepark and Union Square Park. The department also will target educating youth on sustainability and the environment by distributing thousands of superhero-themed comic books, created by the National Recreation and Parks Association.
"Baltimore is home to more than 260 parks and each is as unique as the many neighborhoods throughout the city," said Bill Vondrasek, the department's acting director. "It's important that we share how important urban parks are to the physical and mental health of Baltimore and it's residents."
The video series is the first of its kind the department has produced, said Gwendolyn Chambers, a park spokeswoman who created and oversaw the videos. The department will release one video on its website and Facebook page each Tuesday from July 5 through August 2.
"As we progress through the years, I've been looking at different ways to get our message out and educate," Chambers said.
The department hopes to increase resident's awareness of the services the park provides throughout the month – from free concerts and movie showings to playgrounds to a boxing center. Chambers said residents are always surprised when they learn how many different areas Recreation and Parks operates.
"They don't realize how many parks are actually right there in their neighorhoods," she said. "
July provides an educational opportunity for the department to engage with more residents than usual – and get more involved with the parks.
"We always want people out and active in the parks," Chamber said. "Sometimes people don't always understand the value of green space in general, particularly in an urban environment where there is a lot more concrete and buildings."