Items

• 
  April 5, 2020

  Cin 211 project

  a look at the pandemic through the eyes of youtuber @user-hm9gs8by5i
• 
  2022-02-06

  Nozomi park mask trash

  Mask trash by the parking lot at Nozomi Park.
• 
  2022-02-06

  Nozomi park mask trash

  Mask trash by the parking lot at Nozomi Park.
• 
  2020-10-06

  Bernd Geels Oral History, 2020/10/06

  C19OH
• 
  2021-10-07

  Positives of the pandemic

  This is a photo of a community garden at a park very close to me. Although this project existed before the pandemic, it has flourished much in this time to become a beautiful large garden with many different plants. I think this reflects some of the positive effects of the pandemic, as for some people, it gave them the chance to focus on things they might not normally have. Community engagement and connection in this way has provided hope for many people during this time.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Nature can boost your mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

  The pandemic has negatively affected many individuals' mental health. This article describes the benefits nature can provide in improving one's mental health during this time.
• 
  2020-04-09

  'It has become our sanctuary': The calming power of nature in a pandemic

  Many have turned to nature to combat the stresses and concerns of the pandemic. This collection of photographs from around the world illustrates the beauty of nature, the changes to the environment during the pandemic, and the human appreciation of the natural world.
• 
  2021-06-18T17:20

  Greenacre Park

  When I visited New York, one of the places I went to was Greenacre Park in Manhattan. The small, house-sized park is a wonderful example of nature in the middle of a mass of high-rises, with a wall of ivy, a waterfall, and many trees. There were about 15 people there, all doing various things. A man was working on his computer, as can be seen in one of the photos. Quite a few people were on their phones. Meanwhile, a group of tourists took a selfie photo, and a pair of elderly women shared a carton of fruit nectar. Underneath a canopy, others sat and read or worked. It was nice to see people still enjoying nature as the pandemic finally winds to a close. I also thought it was interesting how many people were using technology (including me!) in a natural space apparently meant to provide a break from the rush of normal life.
• 
  2021-04-20

  Mask trash #33

  Black disposable face mask floating in the Rio Salado River near Tempe Beach Park.
• 
  2021-03-26

  Mask trash #26

  Black and white checker fabric face mask near Tempe Beach park.
• 
  2021-03-20

  Mask Trash in Our Sacred Places

  Mask Trash found in our sacred places. This was found inside of Muir Woods National Park.
• 
  2021-02-20

  Mask trash # 1

  Mask trash on the playground at the Kroc Center in Phoenix, AZ
• 2021-01-21

  Symptoms

  I kept in contact with my old school friends, and we always play video games and draw comics together. On January 5th, they asked, like usual, whether we have time to go to the park together. A girl name Siren said she couldn’t come because she got COVID. She took one week to recover; she told us that she was constantly coughing and uncomfortable to breathe. We just face-timed Siren on Tuesday and glad saw that she’s a lot better.
• 2020-04-05

  Goodbye Family Gatherings

  It is almost Easter and my family usually gather together at a park and do a big egg hunt except this year was going to be a little different due to the pandemic. We all had to stay at our homes since there can't be any large gatherings. This was when I started thinking that all of our family gatherings were going to have to be canceled. And up to this day Dec.11 of 2020 it looks like it is going to be canceled. It has been a long time since I have not spend time with family because we are trying to keep each other safe.
• 
  2020

  COVID Effects on Masconomo Park, Manchester Ma.

  Masconomo Park is a place where family and friends spend most time of their afternoon to interact with the public and have a healthy social environment. During the summer, the park would host bands, ice cream tables, face painting and a movie night for everyone. Many tourists would come to town to experience socially the interactions and activities offered by the town and appreciate the beauty of the harbor. During the Tuesday movie nights, a projection screen would be placed in the center of the park and everyone would bring their chairs, blankets, and snacks for a cozy movie night with family and friends. The Park was one of the most populated point of the town until the outbreak happened. Masconomo has not been the same since the outbreak of COVID-19. As you can see in the photos below of before and after the pandemic, the contrasts are enormous. The silence of Masconomo Park is louder than the fun summer nights the citizens used to have. Now the emptiness has taken over and no one can interact in the public space anymore. The park has been closed for a long period of time and citizens were not allowed to share the field for their own health safety. Once everything goes back to normal as we all hope, we cannot wait to spend engaging times at the park as we used to. For now, we just have to remain social distancing and virtually connecting for mental and physical health of the citizens.
• 
  2020-03-22

  The Run

  In the beginning of the pandemic, I, like many others, was somewhat sure everything would inevitably blow over and we would be able to return to our normal lives. However, I came to unfortunately realize that we were in it for the long haul. I realized that I was going to have to start taking charge of my own life as it was essentially flipped on its back. I no longer went to school where I was preparing for APs. I no longer had my Track and Fields practices which were keeping me active and in shape. And I no longer got to see all of my friends everyday. The pandemic taught me that I would have to take the position of my teachers and prepare myself for my APs as well as my coaches to keep myself in shape and healthy. I began to study almost everyday and really developed a theme of resiliency within my life to bounce back from the detrimental effects of the pandemic. However, this story isn't about how I studied and prepared for my APs, its about how I ran and kept running the whole time of quarantine and how it led to some unforgettable experiences. When quarantine began I knew I was going to have to start taking charge when it came to my health and fitness. So, my friend and I began to run everyday at a local park near our houses. We would run through the woods and by the rivers and we just had a really good time. We were staying in shape and felt better than ever. And, we weren't just running on a track in a loop 20 times, we were exploring nature and becoming more accustomed to having to do things for ourselves. However, one day, this excitement that running brought to us would be exchanged with fear for once. My friend and I were running besides this river that we always run along. The river was quite tame a majority of the time but that day it had rained the night before and the rapids of the river were growing increasingly ferocious. We decided to stop at this one edge along the river and take a break as it was extremely humid that day. The river was very close to where we stopped so my friend decided to splash his face with some water from the river. And, without hesitation the river stepped him into its fearful rapids. I was scrambling. I didn't know what to do or what to think as my friend barreled down the river. I started running, screaming, and trying to think of something, anything, to help my friend. He was already at least 50 yards down the river and I was slacking behind trying to come up with some makeshift idea to save him. I knew there was no waterfall to worry about, however, the river was shallow rocks beneath the rivers surface were sharp and deadly. I began to run down the rivers edge to catch up to my friend. I looked around to find anything to throw to him that he could lodge between a rock or something. I began to dig up a bunch of leaves to look for a long enough stick, however, I ended up finding something that would prove to be even more useful. I found an old wooden plank. I was so scared and restless to find something so I took what I could find and threw it to my friend. And, he was able to lodge it between the bank and a rock sticking out of the river. I was able to pull him out of the river and he was saved. We were both in shock and had no idea what to make of the situation. I was scared and confused and didn't even know what to say. My friend finally broke the silence by saying the most anticlimactic phrase for that situation, "thanks." I said "your welcome" and then we both just started laughing and got up and walked back home. Evidently enough, the plank from the picture is the one that perhaps saved my friends life and is something I don't think I will ever forget. This event showed me just how unforgettable this pandemic is going to be. Like I said, I don't think ill ever forget what happened to my friend, and I will always remember the year 2020 as the year of unforgettable instances. My friend falling into that river showed me that things are going to happen in our lives that we aren't prepared for. I, like many others across the world weren't prepared for what this pandemic was going to do to our day to day lives. However, we learned to live with it and how to solve this problem just like how I was able to solve my friends problem and save him from that river. The pandemic has taught us just how unpredictable our lives can be, and just like how I saved my friend from that river, we have to learn how to save ourselves and overcome the unpredictability that this world has to evidently offer.
• 
  2020-12-01

  Exercise in a Pandemic

  When COVID struck my hometown, I thought it would not affect many things. I thought we would still be able to hang out in our local park doing our normal activities, including playing basketball at the courts. Although things started to close earlier and COVID started affecting our daily lives, we were still able to play for a few weeks. It was a surprise when one day my friends were playing basketball at the park and a sheriff pulled up to the courts to tell everyone they needed to leave the courts. My friends grabbed their stuff and left. We didn’t think much about it and went back to the courts to play again, but when we got there we found that both courts had yellow tape around them and that the basketball hoops had the rims removed so nobody could use them anymore. This was a big shock to me because I never thought that would happen. Basketball is a huge part of my life and was one of the ways I could get some exercise and hang out with my friends as restrictions on gatherings grew stricter. What is even crazier is that they still have not put the rims back up on the hoops even though the restrictions in my town have become less strict. Soccer games are happening at the school. People are working out in gyms and dining inside. The backboards remain bare. The local courts are silent.
• 
  2020-11-24

  Empty Oaks Amusement Park

  Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon has been closed for the 2020 season, and looks eerie and empty. It looks abandoned and gives off mega haunted Scooby Doo type vibes. The park petitioned Governor Kate Brown for permission to reopen, but have not received permission as of November 2020.
• 
  2020-09-24

  Jayce, Tonia, and Keiwan tell their COVID stories

  Jayce, Tonia, and Keiwan tell their COVID stories as part of the LongIslandStories collection being done at the African American Museum of Nassau County
• 
  2020-10

  Northcote Public Golf Course #PeoplesPark

  HIST30060: The Northcote Public Golf Course was reclaimed during Melbourne’s second lockdown as the #PeoplesPark. Members of the community had repeatedly broken into the course by cutting through the wire fence and bending it back. When I visited, the hole had been turned into a semi-permanent doorway and was covered in signs and notices such as this. The #PeoplesPark was a vibrant community space, with an abundance of picnicking families, groups of friends, dog walkers, and frisbee throwers. My friend described the space as a ‘slice of heaven’ – it was a blissful and joyous break from the stress of lockdown.
• 
  10/03/2020

  Lucy Li Oral History, 2020/10/03

  Lucy Li speaks on her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the cleaning ritual she has developed, her new recognition of the need for social interaction, remote work and school, and how the economy’s dip will affect her generation. She finds work-life-school balance, feeling stuck in her apartment, and connection with others challenging. She finds that nihilistic memes, social media management strategy, and park walks with friends keep her grounded. Li finds hope in community resilience.
• 2020-08-10

  Children in a pandemic

  Children and the pandemic. My four year old daughter does not understand what a pandemic is. She repeats that she cannot go outside or to school or to the park because of "the coronavirus". Her and her siblings, along with children all over the world, have been greatly impacted by this pandemic with no understanding of the ramifications of it's spread. Children have been sent home, isolated, many removed from space places like schools or after care programs. They have lost friendships and socialization. They have lost structure. Some have lost family members. Parents out of work have cost their family food or housing. Adults struggling to cope with their own depression and anxiety has increased children's as well. For me personally all seven of my children have been affected. My son was forced to move home from college and fell into a deep depression. My oldest daughter never walked across a graduation stage or finished her senior year. My fifteen year old with autism lost support services from school. My thirteen year old lost sports and his friendships. My ten year old with epilepsy had medical testing pushed back and then had hospitalizations with only one parent allowed, even had to be taken by paramedics alone to the hospital once. My seven year old with ADHD lost all class structure and intervention programs to help him and his anxiety and panic attacks have grown more severe. And my four year old, pictured above, lost her classroom and her joy from attending preschool daily. The new round of "return to school" virtually is brought with more anxiety and worry that the kids are not alright. The picture above showcases the innocence of a child wanting to explore the world, trapped inside and the slight sadness that this may be for the long haul.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Emptiness Around Us: Empty Park

  Taken at Washington Park in Albany, NY in late April. The sign notes that these swings are closed and cannot be used due to COVID-19. All other playgrounds and equipment in the park were closed and had similar signage.
• 
  2020-06-19

  Coronaland: “Physical Distancing in Public Parks and Trails”

  As I was coming down Marconi Dr. in City Park, doing my Crescent City Classic bike ride for Covenant House, at Harrison Ave. I saw city workers putting up a sign about “Physical Distancing in Public Parks and Trails”
• 
  2020-04-23

  Park and Playground Closure

  A photograph of a bilingual sign from the City of Ottawa zip tied to a play structure at Calzavara Family Park declaring the park closed and you are only allowed to walk through it.
• 
  2020-05-23

  Tenohashi giving out free food, clothing, medical attention at Higashi-Ikebukuro Park.

  An organization called Tenohashi set up in a small park in Ikebukuro (northwestern central Tokyo) to hand out free food, clothing, masks, medical attention, etc. People were very organized, waiting in line at tape markers placed on the ground roughly two meters apart. I donated some extra facemasks I didn't need (including the two "Abe no masks" provided to me as part of a relief package from the government). I think they've been set up there every Saturday, at least, if not more regularly than that.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Rockley Gardens in South Yarra (Melbourne) Social Distancing Signage

  Example of a social distancing sign placed in all parks in the City of Stonnington. *Signage by Stonnington Council *Photograph by Alyssa Coombs
• 
  2020-05-15

  Covid Playground

  This is a photo I took while out for a walk at a park that I grew up by. It was a park I had been going to all my life, and a playground that saw me as a 3 year old. Never in my life have I seen it closed. But on that day, I saw a sign that declared it closed until further notice, to stop the spread of the virus. It was straight out of fiction to me, because I had never seen anything like it. I was shocked, and had another of the (too common nowadays) moments of "wow, this is really happening."
• 
  2020-04-24

  A Walk through Covid-19 Brooklyn (Prospect Park Sign)

  Electronic sign in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
• 
  2020-04-24

  A Walk through Covid-19 Brooklyn (Prospect Park Playground)

  Walking in Prospect Park, I see a sign informing the public of a playground closure.
• 
  2020-05-10

  Public park taped off to prevent access during the COVID-19 pandemic

  A table at a park in Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia taped off by Waverley Council (the local government authority) to discourage public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Be Smart Stay 6 Feet Apart

  This sign in Frick Park, which is a local park near my house, reminds people to stay 6 feet apart from each other. It can be easy to forget this rule, especially in a park where we have always tended to assume that we have lots of space, but these signs are located every dozen or so meters to remind people. There is a big surge in the need to go outside to exercise or just to be in nature, but in these times, we have to be smart about how we go about it. \
• 
  2020-05-01

  Social Distancing in Sedgwick County, Kansas

  Despite the city's wide-open spaces and sprawling design, signs like this one outside Sedgwick County's west Wichita extension office still laid out the necessary mitigation measures meant to slow COVID-19's transmission. This particular sign sat alongside the biking/jogging path that skirted by the county office, thus reinforcing both the urgent need for social distancing, as well as the ease with which the virus can spread from person-to-person. Image taken on May 1, 2020.
• 2020-05

  NC State Parks status during COVID-19 pandemic

  how many state parks in the state of North Carolina are closed due to covid-19
• 
  2020-04-09

  Playground biohazard

  There is yellow caution tape "closing" a piece of playground equipment. A sign in a plastic sleeve has been taped to the handle of the structure, reading "Danger: Coronavirus Outbreak" with the biohazard symbol.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Enjoying Spring at the Park

  This image was taken by me on one if my walks around a local park. I have been going to this park since I was three years old. Ever since the stay-at-home order was give for NC at the end of March I have noticed a much greater diversity in the demographics of people who visit the park.Traditionally the park would be populated by younger children, around elementary and middle school aged, along with young parents and their children. Now people of all types and ages frequent the park in an attempt to help normalize and adjust the the changes caused by the pandemic. Something I never expected to enjoy while going to the park is being able to see so many different people playing happily and making the best of the situation. Seeing others adjusting to the pandemic, in a way helps me accept the normalization of the changing social dynamics that have been created.
• 
  2020-05-02

  Social DIstancing

  Social Distancing
• 
  2020-05-02

  Mask

  My husband and I visited Brookdale hoping to take our puppy to the dog park but it was still closed. The first day New Jersey reopened its public parks. Photograph taken by Andrew F. depicting Sakura (Instagram: @asavageheart).
• 
  2020-05-02

  Park Closed

  Playground closed with caution tape wrapped around the equipment. #HST643
• 
  2020-04-17

  San Clemente, CA Skatepark Closure

  The website link leads to an article about the closure of my local skatepark in San Clemente, CA
• 
  2020-05-01

  A rare occurance of an empty Disney park

  Disney Parks rarely close down for long periods in time. The pandemic has created a new first for the parks, as this is an odd sight to see.
• 
  2020-04-29

  Warning to People Trying to Park in Local Neighborhoods to Use Peter's Canyon

  OC Parks closed the parking lots of their county parks, and encouraged people to stay at home and visit parks within walking distance. However, warm weather has led people to drive to parks such as Peter's Canyon to hike. Police attempt to keep these people away by forbidding parking in the neighborhoods surrounding the canyon.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Revisiting the Parking Lot Where I Learned How to Drive

  I currently live in Chicago with my mother, stepfather, and my four little siblings. Because of the pandemic, all playgrounds are closed and fenced off with biohazard tape (which, I find amusing). Lots of large parks are open, but these days they tend to get oddly crowded when it's nice outside. On this beautiful afternoon, we decided to take the kids to ride their bikes in the large and unused parking lot of the Basic Wire & Cable Company, a very out of the way spot where I learned how to ride a bike and drive a car. #DePaulHST391
• 
  2020-04-20

  City Park COVID-19 Signage, New Orleans, LA

  During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, New Orleanians have flocked to the city's parks to get fresh air, exercise, and socialize. Enforcing social distancing rules in the parks is a grave concern for many trying to halt the spread of the virus. This large sign entitled "COVID-19: Social Distancing in Public Parks and Trails" is on display at the entrance of City Park and details what steps visitors should take to prevent the spread of the virus while outdoors.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Venice Beach Skate Park filled with sand

  Venice Beach Skate Park was filled with sand to deter skaters from gathering during social distancing
• 
  2020-04-18

  Green Spaces

  I live in a city. I have lived in this city for about seven years, but I did not grow up here. I grew up in a place with space and trees and green, green grass. Birds and deer and foxes in the backyard. Sometimes I would forget how much I missed that room to breathe. When things started shutting down, when I got sent home, removed from my day-to-day of work and grad school and working out, I started taking walks again. I got a bike and began roaming around the threads of city park sewn together from patterns of a previous century. The trees there are so tall, and the lawns so wide, the paths are empty and the remains of stone foundations and concrete ponds are hidden under the grip of viney tendrils. Things feel slower now, they feel more like when I was a kid on long days outside, sitting on the grass with the four o'clock sun and no responsibilities. It feels strange, it feels a little guilty, to admit that right now I am more relaxed that I have been in years, but the streets are empty and silent at night and I can hear the crickets. For the first time in my life here, I walk down the street without catcalls, without fear of strangers. I am more confident in this new world where we are all afraid of each other. There is reason to keep away from me and from me to keep away from you. And this is privilege too. I still work, I still have school, I have a car and I have good health. I wear my mask and wash my hands after going to the store, I volunteer, I leave groceries on my neighbor's porches. I donated my $1,200. But in some ways these actions feel like penance for my guilt at being okay. Being calm and centered. It hasn't hit me yet. Maybe this is shock, maybe when it comes and I get it or my partner gets it or my parents get it everything will change. The world has changed so much already, I see both good things and bad at work. I have no ability to think about when it will end, I don't think it ever will. We are fundamentally different now and deep wounds will remain in us forever, but if men no longer yelled at me on the street, if I felt safe in my own city, if I knew the green spaces to retreat to in the worst moments, at least one small good thing would happen.
• 
  2020-03-31

  Empty Park Uptown Charlotte

  This park on the corner of South Tryon Street and East MLK Jr. Boulevard in Uptown Charlotte is usually thriving with people bustling through, eating lunches, holding meetings, or drinking coffee, etc. but since COVID-19 struck, the presence of people dissipates.
• 
  2020-03-22

  Distance at the park

  People are still out taking walks in the park. Everyone stays at a distance from strangers but not from the people who they presumably live with, so there's a strange mixture of distance and closeness.
• 
  2020-04-04

  Bubble People, Silver Lake, LA

  With parks and hiking trails closed, people have flocked to popular walking paths like this one that loops around Los Angeles' Silver Lake Reservoir, making physical distancing a challenge. These two bubble-wearing, yellow-suited walkers exhibit their solution. *Video posted by Mike Milley on Next-door Silver Lake Maltman
• 
  2020-03-31

  Caution tape covering Esquer Park, Tempe

  Esquer Park in Tempe, Arizona has locked up its skate park and covered all of its seating areas and play equipment in caution tape. Even the basketball court has caution tape, wrapped around the exterior of the court by the basketball hoop poles.