Parks and Rec.

My community partner is the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The Department of Parks interacts with a variety of citizens from various segments of society within San Mateo County. The Department of Parks is tasked with creating new public spaces as well as to maintain existing ones. One way the San Mateo  County Department of Parks interacts with the citizens they serve is through citizen volunteers. The Department of Parks relies on citizens for a variety of tasks, including acting as trail guides, maintaining trails and pathways, and cleaning up parks. In addition, the Department of Parks works with a variety of private sector organizations to help fund raise for the creation of new parks. These interactions all happen at the local level, throughout San Mateo County. The Department of Parks works with a variety of other local agencies to facilitate their mission. Citizen participation effects my community partner drastically. If no one used the parks, the county would likely shut them down. While using the parks might not be contributing to the betterment of the park, it is a way the public participates with the Department of Parks.