Since 1985, people in the United States have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote
building strong, vibrant and resilient communities. We want to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — that maintain our country’s local, state and community parks every year.
Through efforts by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the U.S. House of Representatives passed an official resolution for National Park and Recreation Month in 2009 and introduced the resolution in 2017 and 2018. Park and recreation agencies across the country are recognizing the month with summer programs, events, contests, commemorations and celebrations.
The services that park and recreation professionals provide are vital for our communities — from protecting open space and natural resources to helping fight obesity and providing activities and resources for all people. This has been especially true throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Park and Recreation Month encourages everyone to reflect on the exponential value park and recreation professionals bring to communities. July is the perfect time to see what your local parks and recreation have to offer and share your stories about what parks and recreation mean to you.
In honor of National Park and Recreation Month, don’t forget to visit Greensboro Parks and Recreation to explore local parks surrounding the UNCG community this July! Piney Lake, a part of UNC Greensboro since 1956 and housed in the Department of Recreation and Wellness, encompasses 40+ acres of beautiful park-like property situated eight miles south of campus near the community of Pleasant Garden. It is the perfect place for UNCG faculty, staff and students to unplug, recharge and get in touch with nature.
NRPA encourages all people that support parks and recreation to share their park and recreation story on social media using #OurParkAndRecStory. For more information about National Park and Recreation Month, visit www.nrpa.org/july.