Our Normal

We meet often overlooked communities where they are, everyday.

Basic Humanity

Everyone deserves to benefit from what parks can offer people and communities. To include economically stressed communities, parks must remove barriers to participation and foster health, belonging, and community.

Community-Led Decision Making

Empowering communities to decide what happens in their parks ensures park initiatives reflect individuals' needs, gifts and interests. When people and communities are actively involved, parks reflect the people they serve.

Connection First

People need meaningful relationships with nature before being inspired to contribute. A sustained connection to natural spaces propels community members to invest their time, talents, and money in their parks.

Love and Reciprocity

Parks are places to practice reciprocal love in economically stressed communities. When people experience a park's gifts and have the opportunity to give back, park love expands. Reciprocal love ripples outward, impacting how people feel about themselves, their communities, and their world.

Trauma-Informed Engagement

Incorporating trauma-informed engagement and programming ensures that parks are safe, supportive spaces for individuals who live in stressed communities. Understanding and responding to the effects of trauma promotes healing, resilience, and a sense of safety and belonging.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Restorative engagement requires continuous learning and adaptation. Parks must be dynamic spaces that evolve with nature and the community's changing needs and feedback. Regular feedback and flexibility in programming and design ensure that parks remain relevant, resilient, and beneficial.

Trusted Partnerships

Authentic relationships are essential to restorative park engagement. Respecting various perspectives, lifestyles, abilities, and roles leads to richer bonds that inspire individuals to show up, shift, contribute, and collaborate.

Mellie Harris

2026 Fellow

“Parks are a legitimate care environment. This is what that looks like in practice.”

Busy Bipolar

Park-based wellness sessions, open access

More Options Wellness

Healing practitioner network (in development)

Through her work with Busy Bipolar, Mellie Harris creates park-based wellness programs that treat parks as legitimate care environments — expanding what care can look like beyond medication and clinical settings. Using mindfulness and movement practices, including yoga, Reiki, meditation, kickboxing, and interactive tools, she helps participants release stress, regulate emotions, and heal in accessible, outdoor settings.

Mellie Harris participating in a group activity — Caption

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