Welcome to Washington Parks & People!

Think Outside!

DC is America’s greenest major city, with the highest percentage of public green space. Yet we invest very little in taking care of these spaces, let alone protecting, connecting, and programming them for the benefit of all.

For 25 years, Washington Parks & People has worked with the DC and federal governments, hundreds of partner organizations and businesses, and tens of thousands of volunteers to help change this, breathing new life into some of the most forgotten and frightening green spaces in the city. We’ve helped begin to transform over 200 green spaces across DC. Now we need your help to take this work deeper and broader.



Think Outside Initiative

Think Outside...


THE CLASSROOM – because expeditionary learning outdoors helps many people learn better.

THE RECREATION CENTER – because children need nature to play in every day.

THE EMERGENCY ROOM – because parks advance health and prevent illness.

THE PRISON– because parks nurture community and prevent crime.

THE CARRY-OUT – because we can access much healthier food by growing our own.

THE CONCERT HALL – because the arts can best reach everyone by coming outside.

THE HEARING ROOM – because community insight comes from those outside in it.

Please help us think of other ways we can all make a pledge to #ThinkOutside


Get Involved!

Phone: 202-462-7275
Email: [email protected]


Washington Parks and People in action!

City of Trees
www.vimeo.com/169484219


Jobs and Economic Needs
www.vimeo.com/17054724


Youth and Education
www.vimeo.com/27511234


Environmental Justice
www.vimeo.com/27508360


Park-Based Health
www.vimeo.com/26805500


Anacostia Paddle
www.vimeo.com/16807999


A Struggle for Peace in the Park www.vimeo.com/95047204


Park Action
youtu.be/AB6c9ge9uus

Community Harvest
vimeo.com/17054724


Join Us!

Phone: 202-462-7275
Email: [email protected]


How We Do It: Park Ideas That Work

Our efforts to revitalize greenspaces and communities across the city have been featured in numerous articles. Read a few of them, here:


Parks & People’s history and approach to public green space was featured in the June issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine.


Read about the Watts Branch stream-valley revitalization in the April 2005 issue of the UK’s Spaces & Places magazine. (NOTE: Scroll past the first page to see the full article.)


“Dark Side of a Park”
Part 1 | Part 2
Washington Post
August 30, 1981
by Linda Wheeler


“New Spark in an Old Park”
The Shuttle Sheet
August 2001
by Karen Feld


“Ganging Up for Restoration”
Part 1 | Part 2
Washington Post
July 4, 2002
by Tani Kahan


The Capital Hills
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/06/11/the-capital-hills/467a0132-4c15-4add-9cf4-13d9271ed3b5/?utm_term=.70b7177395fc

Washington Post – Lifestyle
June 11, 2003
by David Montgomery


“Urban Nature, A Monthly Feature Exploring Washington’s Wild Side”
Washington Post, Kids Post
October, 2003
by Patterson Clark


“The Invisible Park: Revitalizing the Ten Invisible Landscapes” [Place Views]
https://placesjournal.org/assets/legacy/pdfs/the-invisible-park-revitalizing-the-ten-invisible-landscapes.pdf

Places : Peer reviewed journal
2013
by Steve Coleman


How One Of D.C.’s Worst Heroin Markets Became A Sustainable Food Source”
ThinkProgess.Org
by Jeff Spross


Stream of consciousness . Marvin Gaye Park is ready for its next act.” Washington City Paper
May 29, 2015
by Sarah Anne Hughes


Partner Resources:


Partner With Us

Phone: 202-462-7275
Email: [email protected]


Legacy Giving & Matching

A charitable bequest is one of the easiest ways to plant the seeds for a greater, greener Washington, DC for years to come. You may use the sample language below in your will or trust, or you may consult with a legal or estate advisor.

I give and bequeath to Washington Parks & People, a Washington, DC, non-profit corporation whose federal tax identification number is 52-16811110 and whose address is 2437 15th Street., NW, Washington, DC, 20009, the sum of $____________ (or ________% of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate) to be used towards the agency’s greatest need, as determined by its Board of Directors.

For assistance with customized bequest language, please contact Steve Coleman, executive director at [email protected].


Ensure Your Legacy

Phone: 202-462-7275
Email: [email protected]

Employer Matching

Our friends in the business community understand the importance of giving back. If you volunteer with us or make a donation, your employer might be willing to honor your commitment to our work with a matching gift. You could double – or even triple – your support!

To find out if your company has a matching donation or volunteer gift policy, please contact your Human Resources Department or mail to [email protected]. The impact of your gift may be doubled or possibly tripled at no cost to you! Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.


Support the Mission

Phone: 202-462-7275
Email: [email protected]