I hate crowds. I hate the feeling of being surrounded by a large number of people bumping into me, stepping on my toes, breathing their hot breathe in my face. It makes me feel tight in my chest, like I can’t breath. I hate when my roommates drag me to crowded bars, I cringe at the thought of being engulfed by the crowd at concerts, and going into DC for work? Forget about it. When I stepped onto Nancy’s Farm on Friday afternoon after a morning of bobbing and weaving through crowds of people, I felt relaxed. I could feel my chest just open up. As I uprooted weeds surrounding her onions, spinach and herbs I could feel just how much open space there was around me. It seemed to go on for miles. It was a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of groggy, rushing college kids. I realized just how important this recreation break is.

At home I work for the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, a portion of DC government that confused me greatly coming from a more rural area of suburban Maryland. I live next door to a farm, though I never ventured out into it, I had a huge untouched backyard growing up, I had trouble picturing anything but congested streets and tall buildings in the heart of DC. What do these parks even look like? What do people even use these parks for? I found myself asking these questions as I sat at my desk and answered the phone. Why was the idea of Parks and Recreation so important to preserve in a city? While working on Nancy’s Farm, I found the answer to my questions. Wide-open spaces make people feel centered. It provides them with a sense of serenity only the beauty of nature can provide. I am not the only one whose chest feels heavy when surrounded by congestion. Everyone needs a chance to breath. It was then I realized exactly how important the idea of preservation of these wide-open spaces is.

In the late 60’s there was a push for open space. Conservationist, Environmentalists and even just concerned citizens banded together to protect any unspoiled land that the suburban sprawl had left untouched. The expansion of suburbia had claimed the lives of the majority of the wilderness surrounding the cities. It had no signs of stopping. It was quickly expanding to the surrounding lands with plans to expand even further than that. Not only was it taking away from much needed recreation and open space nature provide, it was also damaging our water supply and water management. Open space plays a big part in preventing soil erosion and flooding. Though this push began in the late 60’s, I still see the land grab and expansion happening around me without me even so much as batting an eye.

As the suburbs grew in population, so did the open spaces to provide more housing and transportation. The forest I lived next to my whole life I realized has been cut and molded into a ramp for a highway. The open field I lived across from that was the site of many play-dates and occasionally the county fair has been bulldozed over to create space for more developments. Where is my field? Where did my creek go? These were questions that didn’t even cross my mind as I watched pieces of my childhood fall victim to construction. Suddenly when thinking about my childhood home I feel a tightness in my chest, an d the worst part about it is I didn’t notice it until now.