Hamilton County is home to numerous parks, trails, playgrounds, ball fields, dog parks and greenways. Many residents enjoy these spaces but may not think twice about who maintains them.
This summer, three students from UTC set out to change that, using their internships with Hamilton County Parks and Recreation to document the people behind the scenes who keep it all running.
Through a series of on-camera interviews, the project—titled “Our Parks, Our People”—highlighted park staff, maintenance workers, city officials, event organizers and others.
“We are showing off the people that make the parks happen and the locations that people can go to enjoy time in the parks,” said Alex Harris, a rising sophomore from Hendersonville, Tennessee. “It’s so important that the community is actively engaged with their environment and their city.
“The best way to do that is showing off those places, and—more importantly—showing off the people that make that happen.”
Harris, who majors in both political science and history, described it as a “passion project” by Karen Shostak, the deputy director of Hamilton County Parks and Recreation.
“As Karen always says, they do so much more than just cut grass,” Harris said during a day of filming at the Tennessee Riverpark. “It takes a lot to make this happen.”
Though Abigail Borden is originally from Dyersburg, Tennessee, the rising sophomore said she has lived in Chattanooga since early childhood. She said it has been eye-opening to learn how much local parks have grown and changed, even for people who’ve lived here for years.
She mentioned the recent upgrades to Chester Frost Park in nearby Hixson, which include a dog park and new boat ramps.
“People who live here that don’t usually go to the parks don’t know about that,” said Borden, an anthropology major and Brock Scholar in the UTC Honors College. “We’re wanting to showcase what’s been improved and show who’s behind the camera and their passions for their job.”
Also part of the team was Gabriel Ghani, a rising junior majoring in philosophy, who most often served as the videographer on the project, carrying the camera and capturing footage during interviews and site visits.
He shared that he and his team members heard of the opportunity from the Tennessee Youth Employment Program, a state-funded initiative that places students in paid internships with local government departments.
“That kind of job, working with the county during college, is something that is beautiful,” said Ghani, who came to UTC from São Paulo, Brazil. “Especially seeing how much it takes to make it work. I feel like that’s the importance of making these videos.”
Ghani explained why learning about the parks and green spaces is especially interesting to him.
“I’m from a big city where there’s barely any trees. It’s a concrete jungle,” he said. “Coming here, what really got me to fall in love with the city was hiking. Being able to be a part of that is awesome.
“I love meeting people. With this project, the people that work for the parks are very passionate about what they do. That’s magnificent because it’s always awesome to hear people talking about things they geek out on.”
Harris said the project hit close to home for him. He’s always felt connected to the outdoors, so working on-site in the parks was a special experience.
“I’ve always loved going to parks. I’ve always had an attachment to them,” Harris said. “So getting to work in that setting and getting to meet the people who make it all happen has been really humbling.”
One of the final interviews the students conducted was with Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp.
“Interviewing Weston Wamp was incredibly interesting. That process involved a little more planning than our typical interviews,” Borden said. “He was kind enough to come speak to all of the interns for the Tennessee Youth Employment Program, which covers many departments within the Hamilton County government. We interviewed him afterwards, and he spoke passionately about the importance of parks to our community and economy.”
The “Our Parks, Our People” series has debuted on the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation website. New episodes will be released weekly throughout the summer.
Borden described the project as a “beautiful representation” of the work the department does. It also gave her, Harris and Ghani a chance to form a close bond while working in some of Chattanooga’s most beautiful areas.
“There’s no other group of people I would have chosen to share this journey with and grow closer to over these past few months,” she said. “The experience enhanced my appreciation for this beautiful place we call home, and for all of those who work every day to maintain and improve it.”