Week of February 28 Meetings

There are three meetings of interest this week that you are invited to participate in. Have a great week!

Monday: Warner Park Lagoon Planning Process Public Meeting

• Date: Monday February 29, 6:00 – 8:00pm
• Location: Warner Park Community Recreation Center

More information available online.

Objectives: 

• Recreational Opportunities
• Water Quality Improvement
• Habitat Maintenance & Improvement

Tuesday: Lake View School Nearby Development Meeting

• Date: Tuesday, March 1 5:30pm
• Location: Lake View Elementary School

Staff from Lake View Elementary School are inviting residents to find out more information about a few upcoming development projects that are scheduled to begin next to the Lake View School.

• Habitat for Humanity: 11 single family homes on Tenneyson and Eliot Ln
• Tennyson Ridge: 75 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments on Tenneyson Ln
• Independent Living: 250 independent and assisted older adults apartments on Tenneyson Ln
• Natural Heritage Land Trust – options for the Lake View School Forest

Can't come and want to learn more? Email shobart@madison.k12.wi.us

Please note: Alders will be attending the Common Council meeting that will be occurring at the same time.

Saturday: Connecting Children to Nature

• Saturday, March 5 9:00 am – 1:00pm

• Warner Park Community Recreation Center

Public Health Madison and Dane County and the City of Madison Parks invite you toa kick-off event at Warner Park Community Center will offer a chance for youth and organizational leaders to review Madison's assets and current challenges to all children spending time in nature. They will begin to identify common priorities and goals, discuss opportunities, clarify obstacles, and prioritize action steps in the plan. Youth and community organizations are encouraged to register for the event.

For information on the event and tickets please visit the event website.

• Interpreter will be present! Habrá el servicio de interpretación

Help us build a plan for a nature-rich childhood for all Madison children!

• Get a big-picture view of Madison's assets and efforts
• Meet others connecting children to nature
• Contribute your ideas and talent to ensure all kids experience nature
• Spend some time in the park!z

?Sponsors

• Cities Connecting Children to Nature, a national initiative of The Children & Nature Network
• National League of Cities

Collaborators

• Aldo Leopold Nature Center 
• The Center for Resilient Cities 
• Centro Hispano
• Community Groundworks
• Dane County Healthy Kids Collaborative 
• Earth Partnership for Schools, ?University of Wisconsin Arboretum
• GROW Coalition
• Madison Children's Museum
• Madison Gas & Electric/The New Green Challenge
• Madison Metropolitan School District
• Sustain Dane

The City of Madison, along with six other U.S. cities, was selected to participate in a groundbreaking initiative, Cities Connect Children to Nature at http://www.nlc.org/find-city-solutions/institute-for-youth-education-and-families/youth-and-young-adult-connections/cities-connecting-children-to-nature. Sponsored by the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families (IYEF) and the Children & Nature Network, the initiative seeks to give every child the chance to meaningfully connect to nature.

"It's a great opportunity," says Madison Alder Rebecca Kemble. "The additional resources will add a tremendous amount of value and national collaboration to our efforts to ensure that every child in Madison can connect to restorative, natural places and activities. Because of our rich City Parks system, many of these places are right nearby." Other cities selected include Austin, TX; Providence, RI; San Francisco, CA; St. Paul, MN; Louisville, KY; and Grand Rapids, MI.

"Nature captures children's curiosity," says Mary Michaud, Policy Director for Public Health Madison and Dane County. "Active play in nature helps kids restore their ability to focus, not to mention sleep. Nature play also teaches children how to negotiate all kinds of risk in very safe ways." Recent research also suggests communities reporting more nature contact also report more social connectedness and less violence. (See article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/exposure-to-nature-reduces-crime_us_565c6e64e4b08e945febb4ca)

The planning grant will facilitate a focus on increasing equitable access to nature and engaging youth leaders, emphasizing work with organizations serving youth and families of color. Partners will build a plan to ensure all youth have access to time in nature, developing important skills for leadership and civic action along the way.

Phases of the 7-month process include:

1. Taking stock,
2. Engaging for action, and
3. Identifying a sustainable city-wide model to support the work.

This summer, youth leaders will complete assessments of neighborhood environments and out-of-school time opportunities, actively shaping the results of the City Plan.

"Restorative spaces that benefit children don't have to be big, and they don't have to be far," says Eric Knepp, Superintendent of Madison Parks. "Madison Parks is proud to host this important community discussion on how to better our children's lives through connecting them to nature."