In this issue:
  • Summer Field Trips: a note from Susan
  • 2022 Webinar Series from 1k Friends
  • News from 1000 Friends
  • Events
  • Resources and Funding Opportunities
Summer Field Trips: a note from Susan
What is your community doing to encourage people to get outdoors and promote active transportation this summer? Are you hosting a group hike? Do you have a public art display? Is your local library putting together a storywalk? Do you have slow roll bike rides? Has your community recently opened a new trail or park? If so, we want to know! We love to feature Active Wisconsin communities in the e-news, and this summer, I am looking for opportunities to travel the state and see everything with my own two eyes!

There are few activities I enjoy more than traveling to new places. In my previous career as a musician, I spent two years touring the state as a pianist for Opera for The Young, a company that brings professional opera to school kids all across Wisconsin. Every week, five musicians (four singers and a pianist) load up the set, costumes, and luggage in a van and visit 10 schools to perform a real opera, translated to English and adapted for young audiences, with the participation of a student chorus. Though I won't be sorry if I never have to play Pirates of Penzance again, there were many fun and rewarding parts of that job, including visiting areas of the state that I otherwise may not have seen. But that was a long time ago! Now I am eager to hit the road again, this time to visit Active Wisconsin communities. I already had a good start in May; keep reading to learn more.
Placemaking in Stevens Point: On May 11, AARP Wisconsin hosted an all-day workshop in Stevens Point with Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities (pictured here). We learned about parks, placemaking, and active public space in cities of all sizes, which was very inspiring. In the afternoon, the mayor took us on a walking tour of downtown Stevens Point where the public art scene is flourishing. Click here to read more and see some photos.
Mud, Sweat, & Rocks: The following week I spent a couple of days volunteering with the Ice Age Trail Alliance to build a section of the trail in the Rusch Nature Reserve in Rib Lake. In between chopping roots and digging up rocks, I was able to take some photos and videos to document the experience, which I put together in a short video you can view on YouTube here.
Upcoming Webinars in 2022
1k Friends Webinar Series - July 20 from 12-1 - Resilient Communities and Nature
Our webinar series is taking a quick breather for the month of June. However, the July webinar is - quite literally - for the birds! Bird-friendly cities are resilient cities. Alex Halverson and Eric Phillips are experts in wildlife ecology, ornithology, and planning, and they will tell us all about how nature and natural spaces increase resilience in communities.

The webinar is free. Llink to register on zoom is here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwod-2gqjMuHNJJICXCndPvPJkRSltVZiy6
In case you missed it...

Our May webinar was called "Active Summer! Community Support for Outdoor Recreation" and featured 3 guest presenters - James Longhurst (UW La Crosse), Amy Lord (Ice Age Trail Alliance), Michelle Bachaus (Wisconsin Bike Federation) - sharing their expertise on how to make biking and hiking fun and accessible for all ages and abilities. Click here to view the recording on YouTube.
News from 1000 Friends
We are excited to announce that we have been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have the chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us! Now through June 30th, vote for us through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target’s donation will be divvied up. Find out more about Target Circle here: www.target.com/circle Every vote counts to help us receive a portion of the available Target funds as we continue to promote health and equity through active transportation and smart land use planning. Thank you for your support!
Events
Sign-ups are now open for Ride Across Wisconsin, which will be August 20-21, 2022. Ride Across Wisconsin was founded to promote great riding in the state of Wisconsin and is a fundraiser for Wisconsin Bike Fed. There are several options for joining the route from La Crosse to Milwaukee for either 1 or 2 days.

National Trails Day is June 4. Click here to learn more about how you and your community can participate.

Bike Week 2022 is June 4-11 and celebrates all things cycling with events and activities around the state. Learn more here.
Read, Watch, Listen, & Learn
The Bike Adviser published a report on the state of bike commuting in the U.S., which has grown in popularity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wisconsin ranks 14 out of the 50 states for percentage of people who commute by bike (0.63%), though none of our cities made the top ten. Click here to read the full report.

Access to parks and natural spaces outdoors is more important for children than ever. The Children and Nature Network has a tool kit available for using nature to help children heal from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including an extensive annotated bibliography. Click here for the tool kit.

Conde Nast Traveler has published a guide to exploring the great outdoors by wheelchair.

The League of American Bicyclists and Safe Routes Partnership co-hosted a webinar on May 12 called Next Steps on Transportation Alternatives, Safety, and Climate Programs where they share helpful and detailed information about accessing federal funding for active transportation and pedestrian safety. You can watch it on YouTube here.

Have you had a moment of joy, excitement, motivation, or quiet reflection on a trail? Rails-to-Trails is collecting stories of great trail moments. Learn more and share here.

Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition published Shared Spaces and Health Equity, a field scan of public spaces across the nation. Read the report here.

Smart Growth America is seeking to partner with local communities to develop case studies of the Benefits of Complete Streets tool. If your community has a Complete Streets policy or ordinance and want to participate, click here to fill out an interest form or contact Anushka Thakkar at athakkar@smartgrowthamerica.org.

The Trust for Public Land just published a study confirming what common sense already tells us: green schoolyards are tremendously beneficial to the health and well-being of teachers, students, and communities. They also provide significant cost savings. Read more here.

The United Nations has declared June 3 to be World Bicycle Day.
Funding Opportunities
AARP is accepting applications for the Small Dollar Big Impact grant (up to $1000) through June 21, 2022.

The BUILD Health Challenge invites communities with innovative ideas to apply for cross-sector awards to address health disparities. Awards include $300,000 over 3 years, plus support services. Applications are due by June 30, 2022. Visit the application page to learn more.

The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant program provides $10,000 in funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns 2500-10k population) to start the Community Heart & Soul model. $10,000 municipal/organizational match required. Applications are accepted any time; awards are announced every month. Click here to learn more and apply.

The Foundation for Rural Service is accepting applications for their community grant program through August 31, 2022. Awards range from $250-$5000. Learn more here.

The Jeffris Family Foundation is inviting applications for grants for historic preservation in communities with a population under 150,000. 1-1 match required. Learn more and apply.

The League of American Bicyclists is accepting applications for their new Community Spark Grants program through July 15, 2022. Awards of $1500 will go to nonprofit or government agencies to promote innovative and safe streets programs. Read more and apply here.

The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin is accepting applications for a number of grants:
  • The Go Outside Fund provides $100 or $500 to teachers or partner organizations seeking to connect youth to outdoor, nature-based experiences. The next application deadline is June 30. Learn more and apply here.
  • The C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund supports grassroots conservation and education projects that benefit Wisconsin's land, waters, and wildlife, and connects people to natural resources. Awards range from $500-$2000 and the application deadline is September 1. Learn more and apply here.

The U.S. DOT has announced a pilot program for Transit-Oriented Development planning. $13m will be distributed to communities to integrate land use and transportation planning. Proposals are due July 25, 2022. Learn more here.
Did you know we have TWO e-newsletters? Along with Active Wisconsin, 1000 Friends sends out e-news every month. If you would like to be on the mailing list for 1000 Friends, sign up here.
What Active Wisconsin provides to participating communities:
  • Resources (grant opportunities, tool kits, etc.)
  • Local and statewide advocacy opportunities
  • Collaboration and educational presentations during network-wide calls
  • A platform (social media and email newsletters) to share your work

Please reach out with questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you!