Book excerpt: Public parks are vital resources to all of us as places for exploration, celebration, education, recreation, and activism. We Heart L.A. Parks celebrates these important sites by featuring more than 50 public parks within the city of Los Angeles with original illustrations, personal stories, and fun activities, including two colorful fold-outs: an L.A. parks map and an L.A. Park Adventures board game. It is a coloring and activity book for all ages by contributors of all ages -- elementary-school kids to veteran artists -- who, through their art and words, fill these pages with their deep love for the city of Los Angeles, with all its beauty and complexities, and the public parks and recreation areas we all treasure. From hiking trails and waterfalls, to basketball courts and barbecue pits, to historic architecture and park vendors -- We Heart L.A. Parks highlights the diversity of our city's open spaces and how urban wildlife and humans can share these spaces and flourish. It is a truly unique and artful guide to the city that reminds us how safe and accessible public parks strengthen communities