7 Things "Parks & Rec" Taught Us...About Parks

We’ve got to hand it to Parks and Recreation for managing to make us laugh, cheer, and cry at the happenings of the Pawnee Parks Department. We didn’t know we could feel so many things about public land maintenance, and Parks and Rec definitely taught us a lot. Here are the things we learned about parks from some of our favorite Parks and Rec park moments.

If you want to take a cue from Leslie Knope and show your own love for a local park, go there and pick up at least 10 pieces of trash through our Huddle Up to Play It Forward campaign, powered by the NFL Huddle for 100. You’ll join thousands of young people making cleaner places to practice and play across the nation.

1) We play a big part in park safety.

Jerry told everyone that he was mugged at the park, and it led to a whole lot of hubbub about how safe it was. As it turned out, he actually got hurt falling into the creek while trying to retrieve a dropped burrito -- proving that sometimes, the biggest danger to park safety...is ourselves.

2) Some parks are worth journeying for.

Andy and April drove 30 hours to see the Grand Canyon, and the views from this National Park were too beautiful for even April to clown on. It was definitely worth the trip (even if Andy was actually thinking of Mount Rushmore the whole time).

3) No one is above the park rules.

We thought it was a convincing permit, but Ranger Patrick didn’t end up letting Ron slaughter and cook a pig in the middle of Ramsett Park. The annual Parks Department Employee Appreciation Barbecue may have been set back a bit, but rules are rules.

4) Take care of the parks you love.

Leslie wasn’t satisfied with waiting years for her federal grant proposal to clean up the Pawnee River to go through, so instead she took matters into her own hands, picking up trash with anyone who would help. And you can do the same!

5) A park is better with friends.

The pit was what started Ann and Leslie’s friendship in the first place, and it was only fitting that they be together to see it finally turned into the park they’d imagined it could be.

6) Parks are all about community.

Maybe Ted Party Day (when the citizens of Pawnee dump a man named Ted into the lake) is an unconventional kind of community gathering, but it gets everyone celebrating together in Ramsett Park, and that’s what really matters.

7) When it comes to parks, size doesn’t matter.

Ben and Leslie worked together to make the smallest park in Indiana, and it turned out SUPER cute. Even cuter was the fact that they got back together while hanging out there. Good things do come in small packages sometimes!