I have always been reluctant to get too wrapped up in generalizing about age groups. Too often we run the risk of being flat-out wrong, insulting, or both. But, when a demographic tidal wave of 72 million enters its retirement years, it’s just too large to ignore. This is especially true for the field of parks and recreation.

And that’s not to say it’s an easy subject to take on. Our cover story this month reflects the complexities of reporting on Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964. We do know their traits and aspirations, and on balance, they are admirable. One trait of this generation, we learned, is its aversion to labels and monikers that typecast them. Marketers of goods and services know all too well the pitfalls of calling them seniors, mature citizens, active adults, or golden this-or-that.  Maybe such sensitivity is to be expected, given the size of the group. But for the purposes of parks and recreation, geography, education, and income all are key indicators of who tends to be active and who is not. Many don’t want (or can’t) retire, most are significantly more active physically than preceding generations, and they want to give back to society. We also know that they are the best educated and wealthiest generation in U.S. history (partially made possible from the great wealth transfer from the Greatest Generation, the parents of Boomers). That’s a handy set of characteristics by which many park and recreation agencies can work. As our cover stories by Beth Beard and Maureen Hannan point out, Boomers are already making their presence known.

But as any demographer worth his or her spreadsheets knows, there is always the subset of older Americans—Boomers and their immediate predecessors—who don’t fit such an overall image. The confluence of low income, place of residency, and health issues are certain to limit access to parks and recreation resources. Either encouraging participation at facilities or taking the programs to the more homebound citizens is going to be the prime challenge and opportunity for park and recreation agencies everywhere.

With a mandate to further the parks, recreation, and conservation efforts that advance the quality of life for all people [emphasis mine], you can expect NRPA to be at the forefront of these efforts. After all, how a society treats its oldest members is one of the greatest measurements of its integrity.