Webinar with Mark Davison, Park Planning, Design and Construction Manager, City of Boulder, Colorado

As the dad of a daughter who experiences disabilities and as a professional who has spent his career working in National, state and city parks conserving nature and designing parks, I have found my professional and personal life at odds. My career path has focused on park planning, park design, visitor experience, land management, and environmental conservation. However, much of the great work I believed I was doing in my job seemed to only create additional barriers for my daughter Lydia to access nature, from added steps on trails to inaccessible environmental education programs.

Over the years, Lydia has inspired me to think of and conceptualize accessibility in new ways within my professional role as the park planning manager at the City of Boulder, Colorado. She has been a crucial influence in this journey to ensure that not only she, but all children can universally access the many benefits of being in nature, feel welcome in parks, and be able to join her siblings in nature based settings to fully enjoy play.

In supporting Lydia having a voice in this world, the three main outcomes that would be nice to emerge from describing this journey are:

Understanding the Dignity of Risk for youth experiencing disability

Overcoming barriers that are both physical and imagined

Employing a sensory input method for design to create fully inclusive parks and play areas

Webinar offered at 2:00 and 7:00 Central on March 5, 2025

Ticket Sales will end on March 4, 2025

Webinar will be recorded

A Zoom link will be sent to registrants prior to the webinar

Registration: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/texaschildreninnaturenetwork/the-dignity-of-risk-making-parks-fully-inclusive