On Saturday September 6, 2014, the Boston Public Health Commission, community stakeholders and over 300 volunteers will come together for the City of Boston’s first Parks Count.

Parks Count will track park usage to better understand who is using Boston’s parks, what features the parks are being used for, and establish measures for new community programs and health initiatives. Each park will have its own designated meeting space.

Parks Count volunteers will team up at entrances to each of the 10 selected parks and keep a running tally of visitors. As people leave the park, they will be invited to take a quick survey about park assets, interests and personal demographics. This information helps city and community officials understand why residents are using certain parks over others. Through this information, BPHC hopes to make a strong case to allocate more resources, initiatives and programs for Boston parks serving low-income and multi-ethnic residents.

Help us make this first ever Boston Parks Count a success by volunteering! Please contact: Jose Masso at jmasso@bphc.org or visit www.bostoncares.org/parkscount to sign up. You do not have to be a Boston Cares member to volunteer.

Volunteers will be paired up and will work in 2.5 hour shifts at select park entrances.

Volunteers can choose for the following parks:

1. Walker Playground (Mattapan)
2. Ramsay Park (South End)
3. Noyes Playground (East Boston)
4. Healy Playground (Roslindale)
5. Roberts Playground (Dorchester)
6. Ringer Playground (Brighton)
7. Smith Playground (Allston)
8. Ross Playground (Hyde Park)
9. Malcolm X (Roxbury)
10. Billings Field (West Roxbury)

To pick a park and sign up for a specific time, please visit www.bostoncares.org/parkscount. Shifts run from 7:30 am – 6 pm, and the project is co-sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission, the Franklin Park Coalition, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, REACH Coalition, and the Harvard School of Public Health.