To understand the value of parks to a community one need only imagine what it would be like without them. Just think about it. There would be far fewer places for picnics, running the dog and playing baseball. There would be no playgrounds for the youngsters. There would be far fewer trees, shrubs and flowers. Outdoor summer concerts would have to go somewhere else. Worst of all, there would be one less place for a young man to steal a kiss from his best girl. Yikes! It's not a pretty picture. I know I certainly wouldn't want to live in such a place.
     It really is no stretch to say that parks are a big part of the glue that helps tie a community together-physically as well as culturally. Indeed, parks serve as the social gathering point for many towns. Just think about all that goes on in the park and then try to think of another community resource that sees more activity. Other than schools, I can't think of any.
     Pick any town in Nebraska and I'll show you a place with at least one nice park (most have more than one). Where I live in Waverly, for example, there are three very nice ones. The main community park (Wayne Park) bustles with activity on warm days (and many cool ones as well). Of course the swimming pool sees its share of activity, but so do the basketball and tennis courts, the new roller hockey rink, several picnic shelters, the walking paths, the baseball and soccer fields and the Frisbee golf course. There really is something to do for everyone.
     I grew up in the Panhandle of Nebraska and I still have very fond memories of some parks there. Central Park in Alliance is vividly burned in the youthful corner of my mind. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the old junipers that my friends and I made forts in, I can see the creek that we splashed around in, I can hear the rustle of the cottonwood leaves from many big and beautiful trees and I can feel the spinning of the old slingshot swing that would be an insurance adjustor's nightmare in this day and age.
     Kimball's parks also bring back great memories. I especially like to think back about the halcyon days before video games when my brothers and friends spent as much free time as possible playing football and baseball (never soccer!). A big Siberian elm marked one goal line and I've still got a scar on my forehead from a nasty run-in with that tree. When I got a little older, I grew especially fond of a secluded corner in Gotte Park that made for a great place to spend time with my best gal (I guess you could say I moved on to a sport of a different nature). Without parks, I wonder where teenagers would gather to socialize, show off their cars and work on their complicated courtship rituals.

The Colorful History of Nebraska Parks
      As long as there have been communities in Nebraska, there have been areas set aside for parks. In fact, most original town plats in the mid and late 1800s included land set aside for public parks. Much of the enthusiasm for parks in Nebraska's developing days can be traced to the Village Improvement Movement of the late 1800s and the City Beautiful Movement of the early 1900s. These national efforts were aimed at improving the health and visual qualities of cities and towns that had long been stained by the impacts of the industrial revolution and its many smokestack industries. Beautification and development of parks in communities across the country was a high priority. Nebraska's settlers were just as eager to help make their communities as livable as possible and to show the rest of the country that sophistication had indeed reached the middle of the continent.
     Nebraska's strong tree planting heritage also played a role in the development of parks. Important figures such as Jules Sandoz, J. Sterling Morton and Governor Robert W. Furnas advocated the planting of trees in parks throughout the state. The promotion and planting of trees by these and other sylvan minded people was a regular, if not jealously competitive, activity in Nebraska's early days. Of course parks benefited from this fervor as well with the planting of many thousands of new trees. I have heard many entertaining stories of early tree enthusiasts who first planted our parks and their incredible efforts to keep trees alive before the advent of convenient irrigation systems.
Ironically, no single event had a bigger impact on the development of parks in Nebraska (and the rest of the country) than the Great Depression. In an effort to help pull the country out of its economic slump, the federal government instituted several programs that employed out-of-work people to help develop public resources. Much of this workforce was involved in improving and creating public parks. Thanks to Depression-era laborers, great plans were drawn up and many features such as shelters, fountains, pathways, retaining walls, benches, tree plantings and ponds were added to parks across the state. Although many individual features may have been lost to time, many older parks in Nebraska still retain much of the rich character from this effort. Good examples include Central Park in Alliance, Harmon Park in Kearney, McNish Park in Fairbury and Chautauqua Park in Beatrice.
     Unfortunately, some of the enthusiasm for parks and open space was lost after World War II. The country had changed. We had become a much busier society with global priorities. Television and air-conditioning conspired to keep people inside more and easy transportation took us farther away for leisure activities. Add to that the many social upheavals of the 1960s and 70s and parks and open spaces just didn't seem as important anymore. Many parks across the state and the country were neglected and became rundown. Several were completely abandoned. A few new parks were developed, but they no longer seemed to be the cultural mixing places they once were.
Thankfully, the pendulum has begun to swing back and within the last twenty years there seems to be a renewed enthusiasm in parks and open space throughout Nebraska. Many new parks are being developed, walking/biking paths have become a popular item, sports such as soccer, roller hockey and Frisbee golf are bringing people back, plans are being implemented to improve older parks, tree planting and other landscape improvements are a high priority and kids are once again gathering at the park for games and socializing. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has been a proud supporter of this rebirth.

Valuable Botanical Resources
      For me, one of the best things about our parks is the botanical resource they have become. Many parks across the state have an incredible diversity of trees, shrubs, flowers and ornamental grasses within their boundaries. Not only are these parks beautiful, they have become wonderful educational resources for people to come learn about plants and how they grow. Although there are far too many great parks to mention, just a few of the more inspiring ones for me include:
     Gilman Park in Pierce where an incredible diversity of trees, shrubs and flowers are on display for all to enjoy. The gardens near the nursing home and historic bridge are especially nice. Along with an incredible diversity of trees and shrubs planted within the last ten years, the park is home to one of the biggest butternuts (Juglans cinerea) in the state and a wonderful tall and narrow Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra).
     Harmon Park in Kearney. This wondrous old park is one of the best places to see preserved features of Depression era improvements including ponds, meandering waterways, great rockwork and even a lighthouse. Check out the big ginkgo (Gingko biloba) tree growing over a pond near the lighthouse. The big coffeetrees (Gymnocladus dioicus) along the tennis courts are also incredible.
     Norris Park in McCook is where majestic hackberries (Celtis occidentalis) line the walks creating a wonderful shaded glen that protects visitors from the often-scorching southwest Nebraska sun. When there, take a look at the beautiful old bandstand and surrounding historic neighborhood.
     Wilson Park in Chadron boasts of a beautifully landscaped drainage corridor that was recently revitalized with assistance from NSA. Some of the park's oldest trees date to the early part of the 1900s when the park's caretaker kept trees watered with nothing more than a bucket.
     Chautauqua Park in Beatrice is home to one of the state's largest open-air pavilions. This historic structure is surrounded by a great variety of trees including huge bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) and white pines (Pinus strobus). The park also has rockwork, pathways and shelters left over from Depression-era improvements.
     Pawnee Park in ColumbusOis a wonderful place for the tree enthusiast. Historic plantings dating to the early 1900s give much of the park a great shaded feel. Hundreds of new trees have also been planted in recent years. Other great features of the park include a recently renovated lake, beautiful bell towers and the "Memory Meadows" tree grove.
     When people think of downtown Omaha, they likely think of the Gene Leahy Mall and its meandering walkways, impressive water features and many inviting trees. This greenway wonderfully ties the heart of urban Omaha with its Missouri River roots.
     Antelope Park in Lincoln. This park runs along Antelope Creek through the heart of Lincoln. The park is home to the city's well-known and beautiful Sunken Gardens as well as a rose garden, the Veterans Memorial Garden, the Folsom Children's Zoo, great playgrounds and many outstanding trees and shrubs.
     Steyer Park, Blair. This park is named for Ralph Steyer, who became one of Nebraska's foremost authorities on trees. Thanks to Ralph's efforts Steyer Park is loaded with many unusual trees that are not found anywhere else in the region. Some of my favorites include a pencil thin sugar maple that now reaches 40 feet tall and several unusual oaks.

What the Future Holds
      Who knows what the future holds. If trends continue, parks will be as important as ever-especially in growing communities. As Nebraska becomes more urban, people will need more places to escape from the urban life. They will need a place to play catch, a place to chase the dog, a place to watch a fireworks show, a place to swim, a place to hear the birds sing. Public green spaces will only become more important as our lives get busier and further removed from nature.
     Despite the importance of parks, funding for many of them has actually fallen in recent years and will likely continue to fall in the future. As such, great diligence and creativity will be necessary to insure that the physical qualities of parks are kept at an acceptable standard. There is no doubt that new public-private partnerships will need to emerge to help fund park development and maintenance. It is also quite likely that more volunteers will need to be recruited to help with maintenance efforts.
     One thing is for sure... Nebraskans take great pride in their parks and open spaces. The forward thinking folks from past generations did us all a great service when they set aside and developed our best park lands. Nobody wants to see these places deteriorate or become lost to changing demographics, politics or economics.                       Regardless of what the future holds, I have no doubt that Nebraska's parks will remain an incredible resource and an important escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.