Welcome to the Sunday Dispatch. Here are our top finds for the week of Nov. 21.
The sun sets over a field of flowers. Photo by Ivica Golemovic.
01. Photographer pick: Ivica Golemovic
Ivica Golemovic is an ameature nature photographer based in Europe. While he has a knack for photographing animals and insects in action, he also has a sweet spot for watching the sun set over large natural spaces — and of course capturing amazing photos of it!
His colorful photos offer a sense of peace that so many of us look for in the outdoors. Check them out on his Instagram page at @golemovic_photo.
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends.
02. Audio pick: Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
A biweekly podcast hosted by journalist Cort Jones, Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends is the official podcast for the National Recreation and Park Association. By speaking with parks and recreation professionals and community members, Jones covers the news, latest trends and many unique stories related to all things parks/recreation in hopes to make a healthy difference in communities and their environments. Featured topics address a range of issues in the field — from green spaces and the climate crisis to transgender debate in sports. The episodes clock at about 30-45 minutes — short enough to listen on your commute to the office but long enough to hit all the talking points.
Our favorite episode so far is Ep. 89, Addressing Issues at the Intersection of Climate and Health. Runner up is Our Park and Recreation Story: How One Family Finds Peace in Parks, a bonus episode that came out in July. You can give them a listen here or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or iHeartRadio.
"Dyckman Haze" by Adam Pape.
03. Book pick: 'Dyckman Haze'
Through a series of black-and-white photos, "Dyckman Haze" features photographs by Adam Pape of the green and wooded spaces in Manhattan’s northern neighborhoods, presenting them as unique sites of activity for both humans and animals. The images have a mysterious feel and were taken by Pape over the course of several years.
We found this collection unique in that it examines the distinctive experiences Pape and others had in the public parks; ones that could not have been had in other parts of New York, a city mostly filled with tall buildings and high-trafficked sidewalks. It reflects how important green spaces are to urban communities and the magical exchanges that can occur between humans and animals in shared natural areas.
For more information, visit adam-pape.com/publications. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.
Redwood National Park Poster from the Fifty-Nine Parks Series. Poster by Jay Gordon.
04. Article pick 1: 'Dave Van de Mark on a mission to photograph 70,000 acres of redwoods he helped preserve 50 years ago'
Seventy-nine-year-old photographer Dave Van de Mark is known as a "living legend" in the areas surrounding the infamous California redwoods — and for good reason. Fifty years ago, Van de Mark trespassed on private land, chartered airplanes to get aerial views of clear cuts, slept on stream banks and walked over a 1,000 miles to capture more than 5,000 photos that exposed the destruction of these old-growth forests. After facing many obstacles and even death threats from timber companies, his photos circulated around the world, creating a massive global awareness about the sacred redwoods that would soon vanish if nothing was done. Redwoods National Park was established in 1968, five years after his efforts began. Many believe there would not be a Redwood National Park today without him.
Now at 79, the conservationist is taking on one last task, the "Fifty Years Later Project," to photograph the extraordinary changes and stabilization now seen in the very places that were badly eroding 50 years ago. This article tells the full story of Van de Mark's risky journey in helping save the redwoods as well as more information about his next project.
Van de Mark is seeking funding for the "Fifty Years Later Project." If interested in donating, you may do so through his Go Fund Me page and help this dream come true!
Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash.
05. Article pick 2: '4 ways urban green spaces can benefit the environment'
This straight forward easy read covers the key reasons why urban green spaces benefit the environment through research conducted by a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Check it out to learn how green areas impact: the urban heat island effect, carbon storage, water regulation and economic savings.