{"id":155023,"date":"2026-03-11T15:37:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T22:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/?p=155023"},"modified":"2026-03-12T19:24:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T02:24:28","slug":"parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/","title":{"rendered":"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\"a
Photo by Coldwater Collective.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Name<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alanna Smith<\/p>\n

Passions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surfing, community building, solo backpacking<\/p>\n

Favorite wildflower<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calypso orchid<\/p>\n

Favorite park history<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sam McDonald’s legacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Alanna Smith was 22 when she stumbled upon a National Parks Service internship near her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. \u201cI applied on a whim,\u201d she says. \u201cThe posting didn\u2019t say \u2018big deal internship that\u2019s going to launch your whole career.\u2019 But it ended up being just that.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a decade as a national park ranger, mostly working in the Virgin Islands, Alanna exchanged the beach for the forest. She\u2019s now a member of the Parks & Community Engagement team at Save the Redwoods League, leading public hikes, organizing campouts for young people, and collaborating with local groups to help design welcoming redwood parks where everyone can experience awe and belonging.<\/p>\n

Alanna spoke with us about the joys of working directly with the community, the importance of inclusive and impactful encounters with nature, and how she finds inner peace outside.<\/p>\n

Q: What drew you to your role at Save the Redwoods?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A: My work had mostly focused on leading visitor programs, but I was also interested in crafting the visitor experience from the perspective of infrastructure. I wanted to figure out where trails go, what kind of signs get put up, what\u2019s there to welcome people and help them have inspiring experiences outdoors. This job seemed like a perfect blend of community engagement and park planning.<\/p>\n

\"A
Save the Redwoods’ Alanna Smith guides a group of hikers through the magnificent Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve. Photo by Jennifer Charney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What have you learned about planning for a new park?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Get to know the local community and find out what people are looking for. It\u2019s easy to make the mistake of prescribing what you think the park needs to be. So it\u2019s really important to take a step back and let the people who are familiar with the area share how the park can best meet their needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For example, the conceptual plan for Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve<\/a> had a lot of exciting, flashy components at first, but things changed after we started inviting the public to the property.<\/p>\n

During hikes through the reserve, people would say, \u201cOh, this is great. Just leave it natural. We don\u2019t want a lot of development.\u201d They were seeking adventure and awe and a kind of wildness. They didn\u2019t want a manicured experience. They were looking for a place they could kind of get lost in\u2014 not literally, but just escape from whatever stressors they’re experiencing. Now that we have this important feedback, we\u2019re adjusting our plans.<\/p>\n

Tell us about working with young people at Harold Richardson.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I help organize campouts for community groups like Girl Ventures and Real Options for City Kids. I usually greet the group at the reserve and then lead them on a hike to the biggest tree on the property. It\u2019s over 1,640 years old, and I love seeing the awe and wonder on the kids\u2019 faces as they gaze up at this beautiful, ancient giant. I wish I could stay for the entire campout, so I could see how they react to the stars coming out, too. Usually several kids have never camped before.<\/p>\n

What has kept some of these kids from camping? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

For some, it\u2019s a lack of opportunity, lack of resources, lack of transportation. Getting all the gear together\u2014tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad\u2014can be intimidating.<\/p>\n

Camping reservations can be very competitive, too. Not everybody grows up in a household where their parents can be on the registration website at 7 o\u2019clock in the morning, six months in advance.<\/p>\n

And there are definitely some worries about the unknown, especially for groups that have historically been excluded from outdoor spaces. It can be a lot. We\u2019re always trying to find ways to lower these barriers.<\/p>\n

\"A
Inspiring future park rangers at the Children’s Career Fair at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Photo by Deborah Zierten.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You also helped facilitate outings with young adults of color for the health study <\/strong>Reclaiming Nature<\/strong><\/a>?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes, we supported a study exploring stress reduction in nature. These students from San Francisco State University would come out and kind of bask in the redwood forest at one of our properties in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was really cool to see them become totally immersed in the forest, not stressing about school or work or anything.<\/p>\n

Some of them had never been in a redwood forest before, so it was also energizing for them. In the morning, a lot of banana slugs would be out, and it was fun to see the students\u2019 reactions. I also witnessed them really relaxing. One person brought an inflatable lounger. I don\u2019t think she actually took a nap, but she got super comfy.<\/p>\n

\"A
A programming workshop at Save the Redwoods’ Alder Creek property adds community insights to future park plans. Photo by Alanna Smith.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s it like to work alongside these old giant trees?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When we\u2019re out there bushwhacking, trying to decide where the trail is going to go, I\u2019m always gleefully thinking, \u201cI can\u2019t believe this is my job!\u201d I feel so lucky to spend time with these ancient, towering beings. They have seen and lived through so much, and their resilience is so inspiring.<\/p>\n

Your first permanent assignment as a park ranger was in a pretty dreamy location, Virgin Islands National Park. What was that like?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I loved the slowness of life on a small island, where watching the sunset was the evening\u2019s main event. You don\u2019t have shopping malls, movie theaters, and all these fancy things, but you have super clear night skies for stargazing and clear water for swimming. When I got off work, I would go to the beach and dive in and feel enveloped by the cool water. I remember thinking it doesn\u2019t matter what is going on, I\u2019m always going to be okay, because I can find this restorative experience in nature.<\/p>\n

Has the redwood forest helped you get through any challenging times?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Oh, yeah. I started solo backpacking right before the pandemic. It can be challenging to find people to go with, so I just started going by myself. And I found that I really love it. I can bring my books and my journal and have all this time alone to think through anything that is bothering me.<\/p>\n

The wilderness has always been that place I run to when I\u2019m seeking something, especially when it\u2019s something within. It feels like a timeout to reconnect with my senses. I want to provide these kinds of experiences for other people, because I know how transformative they can be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Name Alanna Smith Passions Surfing, community building, solo backpacking Favorite wildflower Calypso orchid Favorite park history Sam McDonald’s legacy Alanna Smith was 22 when she stumbled upon a National Parks Service internship near her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. \u201cI applied …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":155024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1515],"tags":[15742,3064,567,15743,15744,1769],"class_list":["post-155023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-community-engagement","tag-harold-richardson-redwoods-reserve","tag-hiking","tag-park-design","tag-reclaiming-nature","tag-staff"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nParks program associate builds belonging outdoors | Save the Redwoods League<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alanna Smith shares insights on creating welcome redwood parks and meaningful outdoor experiences for all.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors | Save the Redwoods League\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Name Alanna Smith Passions Surfing, community building, solo backpacking Favorite wildflower Calypso orchid Favorite park history Sam McDonald's legacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Save the Redwoods League\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SaveTheRedwoodsLeague\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-11T22:37:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-13T02:24:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"779\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"779\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"April Kilcrease\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@savetheredwoods\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@savetheredwoods\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"April Kilcrease\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"April Kilcrease\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9661dc79ff8b7df81ec67fc3dc9cf5f8\"},\"headline\":\"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T22:37:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T02:24:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1165,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"community engagement\",\"Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve\",\"hiking\",\"park design\",\"Reclaiming Nature\",\"Staff\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/\",\"name\":\"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors | Save the Redwoods League\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T22:37:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T02:24:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alanna Smith shares insights on creating welcome redwood parks and meaningful outdoor experiences for all.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg\",\"width\":779,\"height\":779,\"caption\":\"Alanna Smith, parks program associate at Save the Redwoods League. Photo by Coldwater Collective.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/blog\\\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/category\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Save the Redwoods League\",\"description\":\"Protecting ancient redwood forests since 1918.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Save the Redwoods League\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022SRLeague_LogoGreen_lighter-grey-process-767a83-e1679459876663.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022SRLeague_LogoGreen_lighter-grey-process-767a83-e1679459876663.png\",\"width\":432,\"height\":239,\"caption\":\"Save the Redwoods League\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/SaveTheRedwoodsLeague\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/savetheredwoods\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/savetheredwoods\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/save-the-redwoods-league\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/savetheredwoods\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.threads.com\\\/@savetheredwoods\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/bsky.app\\\/profile\\\/savetheredwoods.org\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@savetheredwoods\"],\"description\":\"Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has protected more than 200,000 acres of redwood forest and helped create 66 redwood parks and preserves.\",\"legalName\":\"Save the Redwoods League\",\"foundingDate\":\"1918-01-01\",\"ownershipFundingInfo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/about-us\\\/publications\\\/annual-reports\\\/\",\"diversityPolicy\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/about-us\\\/diversity-equity-inclusion\\\/\",\"diversityStaffingReport\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/about-us\\\/diversity-equity-inclusion\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9661dc79ff8b7df81ec67fc3dc9cf5f8\",\"name\":\"April Kilcrease\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/author_Aprill_Kilcrease-150x150.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/author_Aprill_Kilcrease-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/author_Aprill_Kilcrease-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"April Kilcrease\"},\"description\":\"April Kilcrease is a writer, editor, and mother. She hopes her writing can help people form a deeper connection with the redwood forests, no matter where they live.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.savetheredwoods.org\\\/author\\\/akilcrease\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors | Save the Redwoods League","description":"Alanna Smith shares insights on creating welcome redwood parks and meaningful outdoor experiences for all.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors | Save the Redwoods League","og_description":"Name Alanna Smith Passions Surfing, community building, solo backpacking Favorite wildflower Calypso orchid Favorite park history Sam McDonald's legacy","og_url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/","og_site_name":"Save the Redwoods League","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SaveTheRedwoodsLeague","article_published_time":"2026-03-11T22:37:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-13T02:24:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":779,"height":779,"url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"April Kilcrease","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@savetheredwoods","twitter_site":"@savetheredwoods","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"April Kilcrease","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/"},"author":{"name":"April Kilcrease","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#\/schema\/person\/9661dc79ff8b7df81ec67fc3dc9cf5f8"},"headline":"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors","datePublished":"2026-03-11T22:37:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-13T02:24:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/"},"wordCount":1165,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg","keywords":["community engagement","Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve","hiking","park design","Reclaiming Nature","Staff"],"articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/","name":"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors | Save the Redwoods League","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-03-11T22:37:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-13T02:24:28+00:00","description":"Alanna Smith shares insights on creating welcome redwood parks and meaningful outdoor experiences for all.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Alanna_Smith_headshot-e1773368361747.jpeg","width":779,"height":779,"caption":"Alanna Smith, parks program associate at Save the Redwoods League. Photo by Coldwater Collective."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/blog\/parks-program-associate-builds-belonging-outdoors\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/category\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Parks program associate builds belonging outdoors"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/","name":"Save the Redwoods League","description":"Protecting ancient redwood forests since 1918.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#organization","name":"Save the Redwoods League","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022SRLeague_LogoGreen_lighter-grey-process-767a83-e1679459876663.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022SRLeague_LogoGreen_lighter-grey-process-767a83-e1679459876663.png","width":432,"height":239,"caption":"Save the Redwoods League"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SaveTheRedwoodsLeague","https:\/\/x.com\/savetheredwoods","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/savetheredwoods\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/save-the-redwoods-league","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/savetheredwoods","https:\/\/www.threads.com\/@savetheredwoods\/","https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/savetheredwoods.org","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@savetheredwoods"],"description":"Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has protected more than 200,000 acres of redwood forest and helped create 66 redwood parks and preserves.","legalName":"Save the Redwoods League","foundingDate":"1918-01-01","ownershipFundingInfo":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/about-us\/publications\/annual-reports\/","diversityPolicy":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/about-us\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/","diversityStaffingReport":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/about-us\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/#\/schema\/person\/9661dc79ff8b7df81ec67fc3dc9cf5f8","name":"April Kilcrease","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_Aprill_Kilcrease-150x150.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_Aprill_Kilcrease-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_Aprill_Kilcrease-150x150.jpg","caption":"April Kilcrease"},"description":"April Kilcrease is a writer, editor, and mother. She hopes her writing can help people form a deeper connection with the redwood forests, no matter where they live.","url":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/author\/akilcrease\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/145"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}