I have played golf with the same group of guys for almost 18 years. Recently, one of my buddies noticed my America's Backyard decal on my car and asked what that was.

One decal led to a conversation with my friend. A conversation we had not had before.
This got me thinking, who else should I—could I—be talking to?

Occupy Wall Street has been much in the news and has created quite a stir. Most people I know, while supportive of the right to gather and protest, are unsure exactly what the protest is about.

Whereas many of the objectives of the Occupy Wall Street Movement are ambiguous, our goals as advocates for parks and public lands are clear-cut.  The problems may be daunting, but we have a message that is compelling to anyone who has ever enjoyed a public park. And not only is our message relevant to the entire public—it is also anchored in the solid ground of federal legislation and the concrete of dollars and cents. Park and recreation budgets are still under siege at every jurisdictional level. Parks are being closed—or, in many cases staying open only under the condition that they cover their costs through fees and private funding. The Senate and House are looking to cut trails from the Transportation Bill, despite the important role that trails have in non-vehicular transportation. And, perhaps most alarming of all, our federal lawmakers are also looking to use what is left of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to pay for projects unrelated to the preservation of public lands. Remember that LWCF was originally created with the intent of enriching our lands, coastlines, and communities by collecting money from those who were profiting from our natural resources.

What if we had an Occupy Parks movement? With the purpose of protesting the threats to our public spaces? Of refusing to stand by while community resources are stripped away or shut down? Of insisting on our right to open, natural areas?

Joe Turner, Director of Houston Parks and Recreation and member of NRPA's Board of Directors, recently shared an insight from Fred (“Mister”) Rogers. The words resonated with me as I considered my own outrage over what is happening to parks in our country:

"The values we care about the deepest, and the movements within our society that support those values, command our love. When those things that we care about so deeply become endangered, we become enraged. And what a healthy thing that is. Without it, we would never stand up and speak for what we believe."

Are you enraged enough to speak out about the fates of parks in your communities? Have you engaged your community champions to help fight for our rights?

Parks and recreation contribute priceless benefits to our communities. They enhance our quality of life. They improve our health. They make our society more equitable. They provide the settings where we can play—and learn—in safety.  They need care and protection—it is not as though we can allow our parks to simply go dormant until we are ready to make them a priority again. We will lose them if we are not willing to pay for them now.

Start a conversation with your friends. Continue that conversation with your legislators. Perhaps it is our turn to Occupy Parks.