A devoted Minneapolis park and recreation commisioner

“Well-being is what the Minneapolis Park Board offers,” says Minneapolis Park and Recreation Commissioner John Erwin. “People need to immerse themselves in nature, I’ve seen people’s lives improve from being around plants and nature.” Specifically, John’s worked with geriatric patients using plants to heal; it’s been proven that alcoholics who work with plants, decrease their dependency on the drug; and adrenalin levels decrease when people are in natural habitats. Many residents of this city with at least 170 parks, 49 recreation centers and lakes, the Mississippi River Gourd, and its own Park Police unit take for granted and do not realize the luxurious natural beauty surrounding them, and the benefits of having a Park and Recreation Board.

I first observed the conscientious, enthusiastic and passionate commissioner at Minneapolis neighborhood planning meeting. The more he shared his expertise about the park system, the more jovial he became. I wanted to understand his intense interest in Minneapolis parks and neighborhoods.

John grew up in the woods of Quakertown Pennsylvania. He loves animals and wanted to be a veterinarian, but realized he’d have to operate on and destroy animals, which he said he couldn’t do. At age 8, John’s parents gave him a plot of land to practice gardening. The seed his parents planted in his head caused John’s interests and talents in horticulture to surface, bloom and flourish, along with the seeds he planted in his garden. At this young age, John was determined he would pursue the vocation of horticulture—the art of cultivating and managing gardens. He sped through college, receiving his bachelor of science degree in landscape design and nursery production at Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture, went on to get his master’s degree in science (cum laude), and his Ph.D. in horticulture (magna cum laude) at Michigan State University.

After completing his studies, John bought a farm in Rush City, Michigan. He was the only man in the area with mostly single women raising their children. Every day the children played on John’s farm, where he kept pigs, sheep, ducks, turkeys, chickens, dogs, cats, goats, horses, ferrets, horses and cows. A mother of her then 12-year-old son, Jeremy, asked John if he’d adopt him because she was having difficulty raising him. Jeremy liked John and was learning valuable life skills from him. John was happy to make Jeremy his son. (John also adopted another son, Alex who is now 16 years old). The small town community dynamics helped John. He bartered with his neighbors, paying them in crops for the use of their farm equipment.

John is a horticulture speaker, with more than 20 international, 250 national and 200 local lectures to his credit; a horticulture writer, having written over 300 articles published in 27 countries; a horticultural therapist, working with geriatric patients; and a small-business owner. Currently, he is Associate Professor of Greenhouse Crop Physiology and Extension, in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Minnesota, and owns and operates Erwin Horticultural Consulting Services. He’s received numerous awards, served on many boards, and received scholarships and fellowships throughout his education. He came to the University of Minnesota to work because it’s one of the best schools for Horticulture Sciences. He chooses to live in Minneapolis because of its unique park system, including the number of parks, the amount of green space and trails, and the diversity of the neighborhoods within the park system. He lives in the Seward neighborhood because it’s near the Mississippi River with its walking and biking trails such as “Winchell Trail,” where he frequently walks his dogs, Bailey and Red. He also has a cat, finch and lovebirds. John’s wanted to serve on the Minneapolis Park Board since he moved to the city in 1989. He began his three-year tenure January 1, 2002.

Minneapolis Park Board commissioners are as diverse as the neighborhoods they serve— young and old, professionals and non-professionals. The Park and Recreation System’s budget is cut 15 to 20 percent for the years 2003 and 2004, making it more difficult to continue fulfilling its mission to “permanently preserve, protect, maintain, improve and enhance the City’s parkland and recreation opportunities.”

John shares the sentiments of the Park Board’s mission, but he also has personal aspirations for the future of Minneapolis’ park system. John declared, “I’ve always been interested in serving on the Park Board. As a father of two, I know the importance of the parks’ youth programs. As a former board member of Seward Neighborhood Group, I want to increase community involvement in park planning. And as a trained horticulturalist, I want to protect the native habitat in the park system and increase the diversity of plant materials to support more diverse species of wildlife. Our biggest challenge is to develop a park system that meets the needs of our diverse citizenry with vision and planning that is truly based on neighborhood input. I will strive to increase neighborhood involvement in park planning. In this way each park may be unique and reflect its neighborhood. I support alternative uses for park spaces such as programming and facilities for seniors, community gardens, our increasingly diverse community, and increased involvement of the arts community. Support to youth and recreational activities through alternative sources of funding and coaches must happen. Our sports and recreation programs are a fantastic function of our park system that my own children participate in. Yet, these activities are sorely funded. Lastly, we have more work to do in protecting and enhancing our native habitats. This includes replanting native trees along the Mississippi River Valley and promoting ecologically sound management practices.”

Much of John’s declaration involves concerns and issues I never thought about, and am sure others have never considered. He speaks of protecting our native habitats and replanting native trees. Hummingbirds for example, need specific flowering plants and evergreen trees to feed on. If the habitat isn’t suitable for a species, they must go elsewhere to survive. Many communities have higher populations of specific cultures. John wants the parks activities to cater to the residents. For example, Ecuadoreans may prefer playing volleyball to baseball, Latino’s may want to play soccer rather than football, and African Americans tend to want to play basketball. Activities such as walking clubs, and having air-conditioned community centers are important to seniors. Minneapolis residents are mentioning that they’d like to see Alternative Sports offered. The Annual Loppett Cross-country Ski Race, that begins at Theodore Wirth Park and ends in Uptown, was recently introduced, and is becoming a popular winter event. John would like each community to have the freedom to be involved in the planning of their neighborhood parks. He would also like each community to participate in public art in their parks. He commented, “A community may have an annual basil festival and offer activities involving the herb, or an apple orchard festival or a garden club. There are many unique things a community can do together to foster well-being.”

I now understand John’s fervor for the Minneapolis Park System, and can no longer take it or the efforts of the Park Board for granted. I hope others can realize this too.