Park & Recreation Month - Celebrating Our Staff

Each July, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) celebrates Park & Recreation Month. With the hurdles we have faced this year, the NRPA chose the theme of "We Are Parks and Recreation" in order to celebrate the people who make parks the best places for families to get outdoors, have fun, and enjoy time together. In sticking with this theme, we want to take this opportunity to thank the Monmouth County Park System staff that make our parks into places that attract over seven million visitors throughout the year.

It's important to note that there are many roles that go into making your Monmouth County Park System one of the best around. It takes a variety of staff to facilitate different tasks so visitors have plenty of places and activities to enjoy. Take these roles for example:

• Park Rangers make our parks a safe place to visit, but they also maintain the grounds and buildings at over 40 sites, inspect and maintain recreational facilities, establish and protect natural resources and wildlife habitats, assist visitors when they are lost, hurt or just need a helping hand, and much  more.
• Programmers from our Visitor Services department create and plan the thousands of programs, camps and events our visitors attend each year, as well as teach some of them too. 
• Marketing & Communications staff keep you in the know with duties such as keeping our website up-to-date; publishing our Parks & Programs Guides, newsletters and brochures; taking photographs to keep a visual history of the parks; sending out emails to remind you of upcoming activities; and maintaining our social media presence.
• Administrative staff gets you the information you need. Whether sending out camp forms or fielding your questions over the phone or via email, they're always happy to assist.
• Reservations staff will not only help you reserve a spot in your favorite programs, but they also help with getting you permits to take those special photographs in the parks or to rent space for your special day with a gorgeous park as the backdrop. 
• Our graphic design team uses their artistic talents to design the banners that remind you of upcoming events, the signs that point you in the right direction, and the brochures that give you the information you're looking for.
• Acquisition & Design staff has a huge role in creating the parks you've come to love, from acquiring park lands to designing buildings or positioning the perfect playground, this team is behind so much of what you see in the parks. 

But these are only a few of our staff divisions. It takes a variety of staff with different skills and ideas to give Monmouth County Park System visitors the experiences they've been enjoying for the past 60 years. We hope when you're out in the parks and you see one of our staff members you'll offer them a smile or a wave; we're sure it will make their day.