MNCPPC – Montgomery County Parks – �鶹��Ƶ

Messaging Sustainability for Environmental Health

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:29 +0000

The Montgomery County Department of Parks has asked our team of Environmental Science and Policy majors at the University of Maryland, to assist in developing creative ways to effectively message sustainability as a way to protect the health of County citizens. This paper highlights suggestions for ways to effectively do so. It focuses on the best communication channels, specifically comparing mediated vs. in-person modes of communication, and then dives deeper to examine specific demographic groups to reach the most diverse population possible. The demographic groups targeted are various religious groups, the Hispanic community, lower-income communities, and waterfront communities. These specific demographic groups were chosen because, according to peer-reviewed research, they tend to be disenfranchised, and therefore, should be targeted and engaged in communication efforts. Analyzing these communities provided insight and novel ideas for connecting with a wide range of audiences with sustainability messages. Ultimately, the Department of Parks should focus on creating an emotional connection with residents, incorporating a mediated mode with specific strategies to reach the largest number of people with high engagement, while using community events to reach a more targeted audience. In addition to connecting with residents, community events are extremely impactful for engaging Hispanic communities. Ensuring that a multicultural and empowering environment is created when organizing such events is critical. Similarly, the waterfront communities also respond best to community events because hearing a message in-person forms a connection. It is also important to note the significant relationships between both poverty and religion with sustainability when considering ways to engage the County citizens; low income residents will respond well to community events because they will feel included as citizens in the County. Religion can play a large role in the sustainability movement, and the most effective ways to message sustainability to religious groups is to use techniques like message framing or to reach out to religious leaders and ask them to promote sustainability to their audience. In conclusion, there are multiple messaging strategies that Montgomery County Parks could use to reach County residents, as well as more specific techniques reach targeted audiences and demographics that usually feel left out of environmental conversations.

Greywater Implementation in Montgomery County

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:29 +0000

The Montgomery County Parks Department needs to adopt an alternative water source to secure the future of their water supply at their Damascus and Cabin John facilities. A greywater system is a viable option. Greywater is a sustainable, innovative water source collected from sinks and ice shavings for reuse options, conserving water, and reducing energy. Construction and design of these facilities will require new and retrofit strategies. As greywater contributes to a significant percentage of wastewater in public areas, including parks and ice rinks, a proper treatment system is required to remove bacteria and organic compounds. One such system is the Aqua2use Greywater Treatment System, which is a storage and sanitation system that is appropriate for non-potable water reuse and is economically beneficial. This document provides the blueprints, permits, costs, and the distribution and treatment processes for a greywater system for new and retrofit facilities. Case studies conducted at the Lee Valley facility in England and the Citizen Bank Arena in Ontario, California will aid in determining the design and construction of the greywater ice rink system. Studying the implementation of a greywater system in Spain will help determine the organization of a new or retrofit system. Quantitative assessments of water usage from toilets and ice rinks at the Cabin John facility, accompanied by indirect expense reductions that a greywater system generates, will aid in determining implementation costs. These systems will also comply with the plumbing code of Maryland, EPAâ€s 2012 water reuse guidelines, and the 2011 NSF/ANSI 350 for design, operation, and monitoring requirements. This paper aims to propose a system that provides alternate reuse options projecting at least a 30 percent reduction in water consumption. This result came from the Rockville 2017 Water Quality Report, which concluded that the use of an alternate toilet-flushing program resulted in a 40 percent decrease in water consumption when using an alternate non-potable water source.

Creating Connections Between Environmental and Human Health and Messaging a Call to Pro-Environmental Action

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:29 +0000

The Montgomery County Department of Parks, and other environmentally-oriented organizations, have historically had a difficult time communicating the importance of environmental issues to the general public. A major reason is that much of this communication has promoted environmental protection for the intrinsic sake of the environment, and not for human well-being. As a result, people who are not already environmentally inclined may not be interested in protecting it; they are unaware of how environmental crises may impact their own well-being. If they were made aware of such impacts, they might be more invested in environmental protection. To address this issue, we investigated the connections between environmental and human health, and determined how those connections should be crafted and messaged, to initiate a call to pro-environmental action among diverse groups in the Montgomery County public. We carried these tasks out in the context of a park system and focused our work on how parks are beneficial to both human and environmental health, and how they can be used to message human-environment connections and pro-environmental behavior. We researched the history of environmental communication in the U.S., current environmental-human health connections in water and air quality, and communication strategies that could encourage sustainability and support for parks in the County. This research culminated in a set of final recommendations for optimizing the pro-environmental messaging of the Department of Parks. Research into the history of environmental communication revealed wide variety of message types to gain support for sustainable behavior. Since the 1950s, messages catering to human valuesâ€”altruistic or egoisticâ€”and messages in line with social and media norms, have been prevalent. We believe that such messages could be used by the Department of Parks to promote park visitation and support. The investigation of environmental-human health connections revealed water and air quality deterioration as strong forces that are affecting both environmental and human health. Such forces, ranging from lead poisoning in water to carbon emissions in air, were found to be detrimental to both environments and humans, thus connecting the twoâ€”when environments are damaged, human health is damaged as well. However, parks can help mitigate these forces in a variety of ways. Finally, the most effective forms of communication are those that are simple; messages that are straightforward and easy to understand by varied audiences. Furthermore, we found that messages that encourage environmental-human health protection were most effective when crafted as a social norm or human value, not by using information alone. Based on of these findings, we devised a set of recommendations for Department of Parks messaging that include four steps that should be used in crafting Department messages: begin with an introductory hook; describe environmental-human health connections; craft environmental-human health connections; conclude with a call to action. We hope that these steps will help the Department garner optimal public support for its parks and natural environment.

Silver Spring Connect: People and Places on the Purple Line

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

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Locust Grove Nature Center

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

Today Locust Grove Nature Center is housed in a small, aging retrofit facility adapted from a toboggan run that opened its doors in 1972, operating for a few short years before shuttering in 1977. The current demand for year-round programming and multi-functional event space far exceeds Locust Groveâ€s capacity. The location of the nature center uniquely positions Locust Grove to serve as an in-demand local resource that draws a diverse array of visitors from across Montgomery County. One of its primary advantages is its proximity to Cabin John Creek, and thus also its position within the greater Cabin John Regional Park. The ecological amenities of Cabin John include unique natural landforms and wildlife habitats associated with Marylandâ€s Piedmont region. Locust Groveâ€s trail system and grounds present the rich story of natural heritage located well within the urbanized boundaries of the county. Another significant benefit of Locust Groveâ€s location is its position along Democracy Boulevard near the I-270 interchange with the Capital Beltway. This immediate proximity to the Beltway, the backbone of D.C. metro areaâ€s circulation, provides convenient access from most areas of Montgomery County and the greater D.C. metro region. Locust Grove has excellent visibility from this major arterial road which is unique among comparable nature centers in this region. In addition, its topography is naturally suited for supporting a large structure. Locust Grove has ample acreage of high quality, gently sloped land available to suit a major new facility that could meet the growing demand for this type of facility. This report reviews a series of high profile nature centers recently built across the United States including two prominent facilities located in Maryland: Robinson Nature Center in Howard County and Irvine Nature Center in Baltimore County. It also examines the natural features of Cabin John Park to identify opportunities and constraints related to nature center design. Additionally, one chapter is devoted to reviewing important design standards including site accessibility, vehicular circulation, stormwater management, and habitat restoration. Finally, three alternative conceptual designs are presented as an exercise in generating idea for the design of a new nature center for Locust Grove.

Parks & Open Space: A Demand & Supply Analysis of Existing Public and Private Open Space in Montgomery County, Maryland

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

Montgomery County Planningâ€s Energized Public Spaces Functional Master Plan (EPS FMP), which focused primarily on the Silver Spring Central Business District, inventoried the supply of existing parks and open spaces, estimated the demand for parks and open space based on the presence of population and jobs, and identified areas where service gaps exist. The Fall 2017 URSP688L PALS program took the same approach as the EPS FMP, but expanded the study to the whole County, establishing a Set 1 Data and Map. We then created an alternative framework analysis using additional variables to further expand the studyâ€s scope to establish a Set 2 Data and Map. In this alternative framework analysis (Set 2), the park supply for Montgomery County was determined by assigning a score based on amenities in each park. A walkshed was created for each park and the acre grid of Montgomery County in which it is located using a walkshed network analysis that calculated a one mile walk distance from each grid. Park demand was determined by including the following variables: population density, housing density, age, zero car households, and access to private gardens/yards, based on whether a property was multi-family or not. By analyzing the data on public and semi-public parks and factors known to influence their demand, we developed a composite scoring system to identify current service gaps in park lands within Montgomery County, and compared the Set 1 and Set 2 Data. The Set 2 data indicated more significant service gaps in park supply and demand throughout the County, but both Set 1 and Set 2 data indicated a need for more parks in the Countyâ€s more rural north and west areas. We recommend undertaking further research using additional variables and advanced analysis tools as this project proceeds into Spring 2018. Part II: http://hdl.handle.net/1903/21108

Exploring and Expanding Park Use Through Interactive Game Apps

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

This report compiles ways to use technology, specifically a scavenger hunt game, to bring new audiences to Montgomery County parks, in an effort to promote increased engagement and longer park visits. This project capitalizes on the popularity of the interactive game apps and uses a similar game to entice people into the parks and to expand their visits. This report is the initial data collection of a larger effort to create a scavenger hunt application (â€œappâ€) that will be developed by another class in Spring 2018. The data comes from 19 park visits and gathers data on location and features within each park. From the field survey, we gathered coordinate information and pictures of the features as well as information was used to create educational and other questions that will be part of the future game app. The fieldwork focused on specific background questions, and key features were mapped for example, the relationship to population density and the distance to park entrances. The analysis and findings resulted in several recommendations, most notably to consider multiple versions of the app based on age group and categories such as walkable urban parks or historic sites. Other recommendations include suggestions for a continual reevaluation of park amenities, increased promotion, and new ways to market the parks and create new partnerships.

Montgomery Parks Outreach Strategy and Implementation Plan

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

CJRT is developing a long-term minority outreach engagement strategy and implementation plan for Montgomery Parks, an agency within the Maryland-National Capital Planning Park Commission (M-NCPPC). Montgomery Parks is a bi-county governmental agency serving over one million Montgomery County, Maryland residents as well as residents from the larger Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. metro area. Over one third of Montgomery Countyâ€s residents are foreign-born and approximately 14 percent have limited English proficiency according to Montgomery Countyâ€s Limited English Proficiency Annual Report (2011). M-NCPPCâ€s mission is to: â€œProtect and interpret our valuable natural and cultural resources; balance demand for recreation with the need for conservation; offer various enjoyable recreational activities that encourage healthy lifestyles; and provide clean, safe, and accessible places.â€ As in many communities, Montgomery Parks faces challenges attracting and developing long-term engagement with specific underrepresented groups, which is a direct threat to their ability to provide accessible parks and facilities. This outreach and engagement issue, while pervasive among many state-run and national agencies, stems from a complex array of barriers including: language, culture, geographic location, economic status, values and perceptions. Alongside the social and economic barriers, improving long-term engagement with these underrepresented groups will have to address and ameliorate beliefs that agencies do not care about them, do not listen or are irrelevant to them. Overall, the goals of this effort are to provide our client with a cost-efficient, effective, and sustainable communication strategy, and to provide an implementation strategy to achieve improved outreach, engaging non-typical park users. The report provides the following recommendations: Increase and expand translation, focusing first on â€œhigh-touchâ€ resources; Increase targeted advertising to populations (we focused on three large populations, American born African-Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, and Chinese): African-Americans: through schools, churches, and national Pan-Hellenic council, Latinos/Hispanics: churches and public schools, Chinese: ethnic grocery stores/markets, language schools, public schools, and community centers; Hire full-time staff with expertise in minority outreach, preferably bilingual, to help Montgomery Parks navigate and oversee community outreach to minorities; Hire â€œhubsâ€ (community brokers) or community residents to act as ambassadors and help create pilot outreach programs; Require cultural competency training for Montgomery Parks staff. Additionally, to ease implementation, we recommend a phased implementation of the above initiatives with the associated baseline costs: Phase 1: includes hiring new personnel, requiring cultural competency, starting translation of key documents in key languages ($77,090); Phase 2: includes hiring the hubs and beginning pilot outreach programs, as well as expanding translation services ($99,650); Phase 3: expansion of previous outreach programs, development of the Community Engagement Office ($92,850).

Economic Impacts of Montgomery County’s Parks

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

This projectâ€s goal is to analyze how the presence and quality of local parks and open spaces affects adjacent property values and the local economy, and to gauge the public perception of parks in Montgomery County to better understand public opinion and concerns surrounding parks. This project will also recommend how those concerns can be addressed to make stakeholder groups more likely to support the activities of the Countyâ€s Department of Parks. We assessed opinions of property owners, businesses, developers, and residents in Montgomery County and beyond through on-line and in person surveys. Respondents were asked to assess park amenities by personal preference, state their willingness to pay a premium to live and work near a public park, and share other information on their perceptions of public green spaces in their area. Using these survey result as well as literature reviews, we found a trend of increasing property values near parks, a perception of increasing business activity due to the presence of parks, and an increased attraction of visitors and residents to an area because of parks. We also determined that parks benefit the natural ecosystem in a way that offers significant monetary value and that can benefit the local economy in the form of saved public utility costs and personal health benefits. The surveys also provided information on trends in public opinion about parks. The most favored park amenity was paved trails, while the least favored amenity was skateparks. Overall, respondentsâ€ opinions were quite positive and any concerns they had were related to safety in parks. Our research and surveys enabled us to determine four distinct recommendations for the Department of Parks. The first is to implement popular amenities. The surveys showed that paved trails were the most popular amenity, followed by family-oriented activities and dog parks, and these amenities can greatly help to generate a more positive perception of parks. The second recommendation is to create educational programs to help people better understand the economic and social benefits parks can provide, especially their benefits to the natural ecosystem. When people better understand those benefits, they will be less likely to oppose new park plans. The third recommendation is to continue to develop a safe atmosphere within parks. One of the main concerns is that parks can foster crime, so if the Department of Parks were to heavily advertise their safety measures, such as displaying signs about security camera systems or advertising that the parks are under constant surveillance, people may feel safer and be less concerned about a park in their neighborhood. Finally, more surveys should be conducted. By continuing to survey the publicâ€s perception of their parks, the Department will be able to tailor services to residents and visitors as preferences and demographics change. We believe that following these suggestions will increase the economic benefits of parks in Montgomery County.

Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse in Montgomery County Parks

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:28 +0000

Stormwater management is a vital practice that allows urban areas to mitigate negative water quality impacts associated with urban development. The Montgomery County Department of Parks seeks to increase their reuse of stormwater as part of its commitment to furthering sustainability practices within the parks system and to minimize their impact on the environment. The project seeks to assist the Department of Parks by researching possible stormwater harvesting and filtration systems to implement in Cabin John Regional Park. This paper examines stormwater reuse for irrigation on Shirley Povich Field, a baseball field located northwest of the ice rink. The four objectives for this research project were as follows: (1) assess current stormwater flow and collection potential off of hardscape around Cabin John Regional Park, (2) analyze similar projects elsewhere to build the groundwork for developing a plan to harvest stormwater, (3) develop a generalized set of procedures that provide options for stormwater harvesting at different locations within Montgomery County Parks using the data gathered in in Objective 1, and (4) develop the most efficient and cost effective system to harvest and filter stormwater. This paper will provide suggestions on possible placement of a system, ways to store the collected stormwater, and other recommendations for components of a stormwater reuse system. The processes used to generate these plans for Cabin John are summarized in Appendix A so that they can be applied to other Montgomery County Parks locations. This project comprises a number of fields related to environmental science and policy, scientific analysis of water quality, biological and ecological studies, topography analysis of the terrain of the park, the mechanics of stormwater management structures, economic analysis, and research of applicable policies and permitting processes associated with implementing such projects. Based on the research findings, a rainwater collection and reuse system for irrigating Shirley Povich Field would not be a financially reasonable decision for Cabin John Regional Park due to the high upfront implementation costs, which include retrofitting required and a low return on investment. However, this type of system may be more cost effective at new parks where retrofitting would not be required. A more cost-effective way Cabin John Regional Park could reduce its water demand would be investing in a smart irrigation system with a soil moisture sensor that would reduce water use without the prohibitive retrofitting costs.