Andy Dandino, 30, works with people — in Kansas City and across the globe.

Dandino is a public-affairs specialist for the Mid-America Regional Council. Before taking the job, he served in the Peace Corps, working with teachers in a village in Senegal, West Africa.

“Looking back now, it’s surreal I was even there,” he says. “I was living in a different world at a different time.”

He taught environmental education in Senegal, helping people learn sustainable ways to plant and harvest.

Dandino likes the outdoors here and takes advantage of local parks and recreational areas often.

“The metro area really has a fantastic array of outdoor recreational opportunities,” he says, “whether it’s boating out at county lakes, hiking or biking on trails, or spending time in any of the great parks.”

Here are this down-to-earth guy’s picks.