Parks Talk: A Sense of Discovery From Elevated Trails to Hot Lava Paths in Chicago
Schedule
Thu Nov 20 2025 at 05:30 pm to 07:00 pm
UTC-08:00Location
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts | Eugene, OR
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Celebrating our Parks Legacy Award Recipient:We’ll be honoring The Obsidians with the Parks Legacy Award, recognizing the people and the organization whose dedication to outdoor adventure, stewardship, and public service has strengthened our entire community.
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A Sense of Discovery: From Elevated Trails to Hot Lava Paths in Chicago
Join Eugene native and Chicago open-space organizer Ben Helphand for a lively look at how communities turn overlooked places into playful, people-powered parks.
Helphand co-founded The Bloomingdale Trail—the world’s longest elevated greenway—now celebrating its 10th anniversary and more than 12 million visitors. He’ll share the project’s community roots (including neighborhood activists and “trespasser” origins) and how it’s inspired a wave of new urban trails across Chicago.
From citywide trails to neighborhood nooks, Helphand also leads the creation of NeighborSpace—will take us inside the making of six community-managed nature play gardens, where kids build new worlds with sticks, seed pods, boulders, and “hot lava” stepping stones. No swings or slides—just imagination, discovery, and joy.
Hosted by Sapient
This Parks Talk is sponsored by Sapient Private Wealth Management. Learn more at sapientpwm.com.
RSVP: https://www.eugeneparksfoundation.org/a-sense-of-discovery
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Featured Speaker: Ben Helphand, Co-founder, The Bloomingdale Trail; Executive Director, NeighborSpace
Parks Legacy Award: The Obsidians
https://obsidians.org/
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Where is it happening?
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, 285 E Broadway, Eugene, OR 97401, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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