Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community Letter of Support and Appointment of City Representative to Leadership TeamCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE:
SUMMARY:
SUGGESTED
DISPOSITION:
Copyrighted
September 3, 2024
Consent Items # 015.
Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community Letter of Support and
Appointment of City Representative to Leadership Team
City Manager recommending City Council recommending City Council
approve the City's active participation in the Nature Everywhere
Accelerator Community through the drafter letter of support attached. It is
also recommended that based upon the connection with visioning and
planning that the city will be undertaking, that Leisure Services Director
Marie Ware be appointed to the Nature Everywhere Community team.
Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
MVM Memo
Staff Memo
Request Letter
Letter of Interest Submission
Draft Letter of Support
Type
City Manager Memo
Staff Memo
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
All -America City
1IIr
II
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community Letter of Support and
Appointment of City Representative to Leadership Team
DATE: August 29, 2024
Leisure Services Director Marie Ware is recommending City Council approve the City's
active participation in the Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community through the
drafter letter of support attached.
Jared McGovern, Director of Wanderwood Gardens, approached City Manager Mike
Van Milligen regarding the city to become an active participant in the Nature
Everywhere Accelerator Community program. Active City participation is required. The
Children & Nature Network, National League of Cities, and KABOOM! Foundation, have
partnered to increase equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn, and
play in 100 U.S. communities by 2025. As a Nature Everywhere Community a Dubuque
team would have access to tools, resources, and a national peer learning network of
leaders, who can share successful strategies for connecting children to the benefits to
nature.
The RFA requires representatives to form a Nature Everywhere Community team. They
ask for senior representatives with a mix of early childhood, school district, government
and community partners. Thus far Jared McGovern has assembled the following
Community team:
Wanderwood Gardens and Dubuque Forward Recreation Spaces & Natural
Areas Passion Team: (Jared McGovern, Debi Butler)
City of Dubuque: To be appointed by City Council
Dubuque Community School District: Lisa TeBockhorst, Director of Early
Childhood Education
St. Mark Youth Enrichment (Daniele Willis and Kaitlin Schmidt)
Hills and Dales (Dee Althoff)
It is also recommended that based upon the connection with visioning and planning that
the city will be undertaking, that Leisure Services Director Marie Ware be appointed to
this team.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Marie Ware, Leisure Services Director
Steve Fehsal, Park Division Manager
Gina Bell, Director of Sustainability
2
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
All -Merin City
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Marie L. Ware, Leisure Services Director
SUBJECT: Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community Letter of Support and
Appointment of City Representative to Leadership Team
DATE: August 29, 2024
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo to request a letter of support for the application to become a
Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community and appoint a city representative to the
local leadership team.
DISCUSSION
Jared McGovern, Director of Wanderwood Gardens, approached City Manager Mike
Van Milligen regarding the city to become an active participant in the Nature
Everywhere Accelerator Community program. Active City participation is required. The
Children & Nature Network, National League of Cities, and KABOOM! Foundation, have
partnered to increase equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn, and
play in 100 U.S. communities by 2025. As a Nature Everywhere Community a Dubuque
team would have access to tools, resources, and a national peer learning network of
leaders, who can share successful strategies for connecting children to the benefits to
nature.
Spending time outdoors, in nature, is essential for children's healthy development. From
improving academic and social -emotional learning outcomes, to supporting physical and
brain health, children thrive when they have frequent access to outdoor experiences
and learning. Communities across the U.S. have succeeded in creating equitable
access to nature through a variety of strategies that support complementary goals for
climate resilience, public health, academic outcomes, youth leadership development,
reducing disparities and more.
Six to eight communities will be chosen as 2024 Nature Everywhere Accelerator
Communities. The chosen communities will be eligible to apply for grants. This round
of awards is focused on either green school yards and/or early childhood connection
strategies. Dubuque has chosen the path of early childhood connection strategies.
There will be another round of competition in 2025 focused on play equity.
The 2024 RFA focuses on communities interested in exploring equitable nature
connection strategies to support climate resilience and sustainability. Communities
equitably enhance nature connections for young children potentially through four
pathways: 1) nature play spaces in parks and public spaces 2) adding nature to outdoor
spaces in early childhood programs, including centers, preschools, and family, friend,
and neighbor care 3) nature -based programming at city facilities, such as libraries and
recreation centers and 4) city -supported nature preschools.
Additional efforts that support more equitable Early Childhood Nature Connection
across all pathways might include aligning state childcare licensing requirements and
quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), professional development for staff of
early childhood programs, engaging families and caregivers to support early childhood
nature connection. Early Childhood Nature Connection can advance climate resilience
by addressing heat, flooding, air quality, food access, and wildlife habitat through
features such as green stormwater infrastructure, tree canopy, native and pollinator
gardens, nature play areas, and edible gardens.
Communities' commit to the following:
• Twelve-month program.
• Develop community -wide Nature Everywhere vision and implementation plan
using a systems -change approach that focuses on nature connection strategies
such as green schoolyards and early childhood nature connections at a city or
community -wide scale; elevating equitable access; and engaging BIPOC
partners.
o Identify, advance, and scale a community -wide vision
• Activate city government, school districts, and grassroots momentum for nature
access.
• Full participation in
o Three-day in person vision lab October 28-30, 2024 in Milwaukee to learn
about successful nature connection and community engagement
strategies.
o Technical assistance meetings and Children and Nature Network and
National League of Cities in person Dubuque visit. This direct planning
support from experts is for a two-year timeframe.
o Access to tools and resources (specifically mapping and community
engagement tools
o Peer learning events and a national peer learning network
o Local planning initiatives
More information can be viewed at Nature Everywhere Accelerator Communities.
The timing of the application process is happening with very short timelines for
completion. The timing and actions to date are outlined.
• Request for city consideration received from Jared McGovern August 19, 2024
2
• Letter of Interest form due between August 9-21, 2024
• Letter of Interest submitted August 20, 2024
• Interview with technical staff of the program August 19-23, 2024
• Interview took place August 21, 2024
• Dubuque received invitation from program to apply for Nature Everywhere
Communities C&NN and NLC technical assistance program August 21, 2024
with application deadline of September 6, 2024
• Review of applications by program no later than September 25, 2024
• Notification September 27, 2024
The RFA requires representatives to form a Nature Everywhere Community team. They
ask for senior representatives with a mix of early childhood, school district, government
and community partners. Thus far Jared McGovern has assembled the following
Community team:
Wanderwood Gardens and Dubuque Forward Recreation Spaces & Natural Areas
Passion Team: (Jared McGovern, Debi Butler)
City of Dubuque: To be appointed by City Council
Dubuque Community School District: Lisa TeBockhorst, Director of Early Childhood
Education
St. Mark Youth Enrichment (Daniele Willis and Kaitlin Schmidt)
Hills and Dales (Dee Althoff)
Thus far the work has been completed by Jared, Daniele, Kaitlin, and Dee with editing
assistance from Marie Ware for the letter of interest submitted. The names in bold
would make up the five -person required community team. The letter of interest outlined
working with our many community partners to advise, coordinate and be active in
making sure BIPOC is integrated into the visioning and planning outlined above.
It was fully understood at the submission of the letter of interest that the city could not
be fully commitment without city council action that be on September 3, 2024. The
committee intends to meet on September 4 to work on the application to meet the
application deadline.
The City is a required participant for the team to move forward and be competitive in the
application process. A letter of support from the Mayor must be submitted with the
application. The time commitment for a city representative on the community team is
attendance at the vision lab, technical assistance meetings, and the work with visioning
and planning through the next year. It was estimated the work would be 3-5 hours a
month based plus the three-day vision lab.
In researching this initiative, speaking with Jared McGovern, and reviewing all the
materials and FAQ's the request for involvement in Nature Everywhere meets
numerous city council goals, the city's comprehensive plan, as well as the city's pillars
of the equitable community of choice. It also happens to align with the timing of the
Leisure Services Department comprehensive parks master planning process.
3
ACTION REQUESTED
I respectfully recommend the City's active participation in the Nature Everywhere
Accelerator Community and based upon the connection with visioning and planning that
the city will be undertaking recommend appointing myself to this team. A draft letter of
support is attached to this agenda item.
cc: Steve Fehsal, Park Division Manager
Gina Bell, Director of Sustainability
4
Marie Ware
From: Mike Van Milligen
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2024 10:04 AM
To: Jared McGovern
Cc: Marie Ware
Subject: Re: Children and Nature Network and National League of City's Nature Everywhere
Attachments: Request for City of Dubuque Commitment to 2024 Nature Everywhere Accelerator
Community Application.docx; Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community Information
Session and Application.docx; 2037 Plan Connections to Nature Everywhere and
WWG.docx
Thank you Jared. We will research this. Marie Ware will attend this meeting as part of that research.
Mike
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 19, 2024, at 6:10 PM, Jared McGovern <jared@wanderwoodgardens.com> wrote:
Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization. Never give your login
information and password over email!
Allow sender I Block sender
Report
Good evening Mike, Mr. Mayor.
As you may have heard today and a little last week.
We have been working with the Children and Nature Network and their partnership with the
National League of Cities in laying the groundwork to recruit a leadership cohort in
preparation for an RFA process that could ultmiatly lead to Dubuque being designated as
the first Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community in Iowa.
Please see the attached documents outlining a request/invitation that the City of Dubuque
join the 5-member leadership cohort and that City Council formally endorse this effort.
The RFA process this year is a bit rushed with the information session being hosted last
week, Friday the 16th. The letter of interest and subsequent 30 minute interview with their
technical assistant team deadlines are already approaching this week. These steps are
more of a formality. We look forward to garnering city input prior to the application
deadline on Septmber 6th.
Please see attached letter outlining the invitation and requests to the city to join the
leadership cohort, as well as a more detailed information document.
1
I have also included a document with excerpts taken directly from the Imagine Dubuque,
2037 Master Plan that we interpret as aligning with the Nature Everywhere Accelerator
Community declaration and an early childhood nature connection strategy.
Hope you both are doing well. We very much look forward to working on this with you both
and the rest of the city team.
Thank you and have a great night.
Jared McGovern
DIRECTOR
(' 563.590.8060
jared@wanderwoodgardens.com
www.wanderwoodgardens.com
THE y,
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- GARDENS
2
Final: Children and Nature Network Accelerator Community Dubuque
Leadership Cohort Letter of Interest.
Team Lead Contact Information (page 2)
As the team lead, you will be the point of contact and coordinator for your team. During the application
process, you will submit the interest form, attend the 30-minute call, and ensure that all team members
have reviewed your team application before submitting it.
The application process will require timely communication and responses so please provide us with an
email address and a phone number where we can reach you during the application window.
Team Lead Name*
Jared McGovern
Pronouns*
He/Him
Title*
Director
Organization*
The Wanderwood Gardens
Location (i.e., City, State)*
Dubuque, Iowa
Email address*
jared@wanderwoodgardens.com
Phone number*
563-590-8060
If you will be unavailable during the entire application and selection window, please
provide us with the name, title, organization, email, and phone number of a secondary
contact. *
Danielle Willis
Director of Early Childhood
St. Mark Youth Enrichment
dwillis@stmarkyouthenrichment.org
0: 563.582.6211 x108
C: 563.231.1932
Tell us more about your team (page 3)
For the Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community, we are looking for 5-member cross sector teams
representing a mix of institutional representatives and essential community partners for advancing green
schoolyards, early childhood and climate resilience strategies, with formal support from a community
leader such as the Mayor, Superintendent, or other key decision makers. Teams should include
representatives such as:
• City chief sustainability or resilience officer or other senior representative of the Mayor's office
• Senior representative of the school district superintendent, facilities, curriculum, or wellness
departments
• Senior representative of the local early childhood agency director
• City parks and recreation director or senior representative
• Senior representative of the local stormwater management agency or an organization
implementing green infrastructure / nature -based solutions
• Senior representative of a BIPOC-led community organization functioning as a green
infrastructure/nature-based solutions partner of one of the above agencies
Please tell us the current status of your team*
• Fully committed team that meets all attributes listed above
• Committed core team that meets most of the attributes listed above
• Committed core team that meets some of the attributes listed above
• Individual team lead currently recruiting other members.
• Individual member only
Please share additional information about your team, such as team member names, titles
and organizations.*
• Jared McGovern, Director of Wanderwood Gardens and Claira Sieverding Kapraun,
Director of Brain Health Now and President of Strategic Projects with the Butler Family
Foundations[Mw1] . Jared has extensive experience in environmental education and
interpretation leadership having worked for multiple states and numerous non-profit
education centers in multiple community engagement capacities over the past 20 years.
• Danielle Willis. Director of Early Childhood with St. Mark Youth Enrichment, and Kaitlin
Schmidt, Director of Strategic Resources with St. Mark Youth Enrichment.
• Deanne Althoff, Mission Advancement and Community Relations Director with Hills &
Dales. Hills & Dales has been both a local and regional leader of disability services for
over 50 years, with a current significant focus on autism services. The Hills & Dales
autism program is one of the three largest Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy
providers within the state of Iowa. Deanne has been with Hills & Dales for 20 years in a
leadership and relationship building role.
• City of Dubuque Mayor and City Managers Offices: Leisure Services Director is currently
providing guidance. A formal representative committed to the full 12 months is yet to be
determined. We are currently moving through formal approval processes and City
Council endorsement.
o Marie Ware serves as the Leisure Services Director, overseeing Dubuque's
Parks and Recreation amenities and has 39 years experience implementing
systems change strategies, facilitating broad community input and planning, and
is an expert in data gathering, making decisions based on on data, and acting on
the needs that are identified through these data gathering efforts.
o In addition to a city representative serving on the 5-person leadership team, we
will also receive guidance from a Strategic Advisors Council we will develop
which will include representatives from the Office of Shared Prosperity and
Neighborhood Support, Multicultural Family Center, and Oh Happy Play (a play
equity partner). These strategy advisors will in diversity, equity, inclusion, and
belonging as well as plan alignment as we build out the early childhood nature
access strategy for Dubuque.
• Dubuque Community School District, Superintendent's Office: Representative is yet to
be determined. Currently moving through formal approval processes beginning with
introductory discussions with the Dubuque Community School District Director of Early
Childhood.
Please share additional details about how members of your team are participating in a
current collaboration, how this team was brought together, or any other notes about
team composition.*
The St. Mark Youth Enrichment team are trusted leaders in youth programming and social
emotional learning and are advocates and practitioners of nature -based learning play. St. Mark
is embarking on expanding into early childhood education with an intentional nature focus with
plans to open in Fall of 2025. The St. Mark's team are members of the Children and Nature
Network and after attending the 2023 Inside Out Conference their team came back and
presented this opportunity to the City of Dubuque's city manager's office. The city then reached
out to Jared McGovern after being introduced to The Wanderwood Gardens, a new children's
garden opening in Dubuque in spring 2026 whose mission is to inspire lives through creative
outdoor play. This core team of three then came together and began discussing how Dubuque
and our neighbors would benefit from becoming a Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community.
As part of these discussions, we also began the process of identifying two additional
organizations to join in the application and to serve as members of the 5-member leadership
cohort.
Each individual representing each organization is currently or has partnered closely with the
Dubuque Community School District. Conversations are ongoing with the Superintendent's
Office.
After attending the Children and Nature Network Conference in Madison the Wanderwood
Gardens, St. Mark Youth Enrichment teams began to look at nature access through a new lens.
They gained the perspective of occupational therapists, clinical autism service providers, and
students diagnosed with attention deficit hyper/activity disorder and their households. As they
were familiarizing themselves with the work of Dr. Ruth Wilson, including her newest book
"Naturally Inclusive", The Wanderwood Gardens team became organically connected to Hills &
Dales about a possible future partnership. The Hills & Dales mission is to build meaningful lives
for both children and adults with disabilities while supporting the whole person with a strong
focus on community inclusion. After a short Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community
introductory call with the Hills & Dales team, they agreed to become a member of our leadership
cohort with a strong disability and autism/behavioral inclusivity focus.
Your goals for the Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community
pathway (page 4)
Nature Everywhere is an initiative led by the Children & Nature Network, National League of Cities and
KABOOM! that is working to create equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn and play.
Communities are invited to apply as an Accelerator Community to launch a green schoolyard or early
childhood strategy that can advance children's nature connection and climate resilience. Teams will
receive one year of technical assistance, training, resources, peer learning and the opportunity to apply
for seed funding.
Which system -level nature connection strategy are you interested in advancing in your
community*
• Green schoolyards
• Early childhood nature connections
What are the top priorities driving your team's interest in and vision for this?*
• Data Collection and Learning: A key priority is to gather comprehensive data to understand the
Dubuque community's needs, knowledge, and awareness regarding the benefits of nature access. The
Technical Assistance Team can support this effort by providing expertise in data collection
methodologies, designing surveys, and conducting focus groups to identify existing gaps and barriers.
Their analysis will help the community develop targeted strategies to address these challenges
effectively, ensuring that interventions are data -driven and impactful.
• Health and Happiness of Young Children and Their Families: We are dedicated to
enhancing the health and happiness of young children and their families by fostering early connections
to nature. The Technical Assistance Team can assist by offering best practices in program design and
implementation, helping to create initiatives that inspire a lifelong positive relationship with the
environment. They can also provide training and resources to educators and community leaders,
ensuring that nature -based programs are both engaging and accessible to all families in Dubuque.
• Equitable Access to Nature: Ensuring equitable access to nature is essential for our strategy.
The Technical Assistance Team can play a critical role by identifying and addressing disparities in
access to green spaces within the Dubuque community. They can help design and advocate for
policies that create and maintain accessible natural areas in underserved neighborhoods. Additionally,
the team can assist in developing outreach programs that empower all families, regardless of
socioeconomic status, to connect with nature, making these opportunities truly inclusive.
• Building a Regional Collaborative: Our vision includes building a robust regional
collaborative of practitioners, researchers, and advocates focused on early childhood nature
connection. The Technical Assistance Team can facilitate this process by bringing together diverse
stakeholders across various fields —such as brain health, physical health, climate resiliency,
sustainability, education, and human services —and aligning them around common goals. Their
expertise in collaboration and network -building will be invaluable in creating a unified strategy that
leverages the strengths of all involved sectors.
• Expanding the Circle of Influence: We aim to expand our circle of influence by welcoming
new voices and underrepresented voices into the environmental education, conservation, parks
management, nature access, and nature -based learning communities. The Technical Assistance Team
can support this effort by identifying and engaging underrepresented groups, facilitating dialogues,
and ensuring that diverse perspectives are included in the planning and implementation of our
initiatives. Their guidance will help create a more inclusive and dynamic community, ensuring that
our efforts are reflective of and responsive to the entire Dubuque population.
How would you describe your team's current knowledge and skill in implementing this
strategy?*
Novice
• 1 [Novice]
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5 [Experts]
Describe existing relationships your team has with key leaders like the Mayor, school
district superintendent, early childhood education network leaders, or other critical
partners.*
No one in Dubuque does anything alone. We are a unique community with a large concentration
of nonprofits representing various fields. Our community is built on close partnerships,
collaborations, and personal relationships. Between the five member organizations on our team,
we represent many community leadership positions with vast active partnerships we intend to
engage in this effort along the way. We have the close personal and professional relationships
and regional and statewide connections necessary to influence action and drive change around
a community strategy to facilitate meaningful early childhood nature connections.
What are your goals for participating in the technical assistance program? For example,
what topics or processes will support your team in the visioning, community
assessment, and planning for nature connection strategies?*
• Mapping Nature Deficit Zones and Resource Allocation: Our primary goal is to identify areas
within Dubuque and its surrounding communities where access to nature is limited or absent, often
referred to as "nature deficit zones." The Technical Assistance Team can provide invaluable expertise
in mapping these zones using geographic information systems (GIS) and other data analysis tools.
They can offer recommendations on where to invest time, energy, and financial resources to make
nature more equitably accessible to all children and households. By pinpointing areas with the greatest
need, we can focus our efforts working with partners on creating new green spaces, improving
existing ones, and ensuring that every child in Dubuque has the opportunity to connect with nature.
• Peer Recommendations and Community Engagement: We seek guidance on the best practices for
engaging communities, professionals, childcare providers, and neighborhoods in our nature
connection initiatives. The Technical Assistance Team can facilitate peer -to -peer learning
opportunities, connecting us with other communities that have successfully implemented similar
strategies. Through these connections, we can gain insights into effective community engagement
techniques and learn how to utilize data to meet the specific needs of our population. This support will
help us build strong, collaborative relationships within the community, ensuring that our efforts are
both inclusive and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders.
• Developing an Early Childhood Nature Connection Strategy: A key goal is to develop a
comprehensive early childhood nature connection strategy. We need assistance in identifying
techniques, fmancial and educational resources, and professional certifications that can empower
childcare providers and early childhood educators to incorporate nature -based learning and nature play
into their programs. The Technical Assistance Team can provide tailored guidance on best practices,
curriculum development, and training opportunities, ensuring that educators in Dubuque are well-
equipped to facilitate meaningful nature experiences for young children. Additionally, the team can
help us secure funding and resources to sustain these initiatives long-term.
• Bringing New Voices and Perspectives: We aim to broaden the scope of our work by bringing new
voices and perspectives into the nature -based learning and nature access space in Dubuque and the
surrounding communities. The Technical Assistance Team can assist in identifying and engaging
underrepresented groups, ensuring that our strategies are inclusive and reflective of the diverse
experiences within our community. By intentionally including a wide range of voices, we can create a
more dynamic and effective approach to nature connection that resonates with all residents.
• Expanding Equitable and Frequent Access to Nature: Our commitment to equity drives us to be
intentional and diligent in expanding access to nature. We need support in developing strategies that
not only increase the availability of green spaces but also ensure that these spaces are frequently
utilized by all community members. The Technical Assistance Team can help us design outreach and
engagement programs that encourage regular use of nature areas, especially by those who may face
barriers to access. This will help create a culture of nature connection that is embedded in the daily
lives of Dubuque residents.
• Leveraging Expertise for Policy and Infrastructure Changes: To sustain and expand our efforts,
we aim to leverage the expertise of the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) and other experts in
policy and infrastructure systems. The Technical Assistance Team can provide guidance on initiating
and maintaining momentum around policy changes that support nature connection initiatives. This
includes advising on infrastructure development, such as creating safe pathways to nature areas, and
advocating for policies that prioritize nature access in urban planning. Their expertise will be crucial
in driving systemic changes that make nature a central part of life in Dubuque.
Is there anything else you would like us to know about your team or your interest in this
opportunity?*
Dubuque is ready to lead as the first Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community in Iowa!
• There have been many recent investments in expanding childcare in the Dubuque area
as well as across the state of Iowa, including investments in and new innovative
partnerships between local organizations expanding early childhood education
access. Some of which have been led by members of our leadership cohort.
• The City of Dubuque is dedicated to lifting people from poverty and building a community
of hope, climate resilience and inclusion. This dedication is visible in their $1.5 million
award in partnership with Dubuque Trees Forever titled "Branching Out Dubuque". This
project will add 5,000 new trees to the city of Dubuque over the next five years. All these
trees will be planted in Dubuque's lowest socio-economic census tracts where people
are most severely impacted by extreme heat and energy insecurity. Dubuque also
minimizes its use of pesticides and herbicides in green spaces managed by the city and
prioritizes native landscaping and the transitioning of underutilized turf areas to pollinator
and wildlife habitat wherever possible. The recent renovation of Comisky Park is another
example of the City of Dubuque investing in all community members and a testament to
their skill in garnering community input and buy -in with projects designed to increase
play and nature access equity. Finally, Mayor Brad Cavanagh of Dubuque, along with all
member mayors of the National Coalition of Mayors, recently signed on in support of the
Outdoors for All Act. Additionally, the City of Dubuque provides City Council -approved
plans developed through robust community engagement on topics and actions focused
on Climate Action, Equitable Poverty Reduction & Prevention, Arts & Culture, and a
community -wide comprehensive vision and planning guide.
• There have been recent transformative investments by business leaders such as the
Butler Children's Garden Foundation and its Wanderwood Gardens (opening in 2026)
and Cottingham and Butler's new Childcare Center (adjacent to a new art museum) as
well as an innovative new collaborative between the Dubuque Community School
District and Dubuque YMCA. The new YMCA Childcare Center has built a playground
structure to facilitate learning through play as well as integrating representations of
Dubuque's natural environment indoors. Pursuing classroom certifications through
Nature Explore a program of the North American Association for Environmental
Education.
• Just this year, Hills & Dales opened the Weber Autism Center, allowing for expanded
functional delivery of ABA therapy and services in a safe, comfortable, and FUN
environment for clients currently ranging in age from 2 to 22 within the Autism Center.
• Our faith communities are leaning heavily into nature access and climate
resiliency. This can be seen through the efforts of the Interfaith Power and Light
Coalition and in the Archdiocese of Dubuque's recent hiring of our friend Brian Zeaman
as Director of the Life, Earth and Social Justice Ministry
• Efforts by the Dubuque County Conservation Board, Dubuque County Iowa State
University Extension and Outreach, and the National Mississippi River Museum &
Aquarium to provide outdoor experiences for all Dubuque Community School District
students in grade k-5 every year have seen dramatic growth in the past two years and
these same organizations have spearheaded a growing movement of urban native
wildflower and grass gardens.
We have observed a need in Dubuque for nature -based play opportunities, specifically targeting
early childhood students and their households. A regional collaborative guiding and advancing a
systems change that will prioritize equitable opportunities for our youngest community members
and their caregivers to connect with nature will be invaluable. We aim to identify ways to
meaningfully engage a diverse assemblage of professionals, trusted community advocates and
neighbors in activating Dubuque's system of neighborhood parks and neighborhood schools,
reflecting the needs of the residents living in these neighborhoods, and to do so through the
lens of early childhood nature connection.
Dubuque is a place rooted in and proud of our history, we are dedicated to each other, to equity,
to proven partnership work, and to our continued growth as a community. With the guidance of
the Children and Nature Network, National League of Cities, and Kaboom! as well as our peers,
we will take the momentum we are experiencing, and we will accelerate early childhood nature
connections in Northeast Iowa.
The timing is right for us to build upon this momentum and embed early childhood nature
connection into the fabric of our community.
Thank you.
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
September 4, 2024
Dubuque
britd
A I•Ameia city
11111.1
If.
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
Office of the Mayor
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001-4845
www.cityofdubuque.org
Dear Members of the Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community Review Committee,
It is with great pleasure that I share that at last evening's City Council meeting the City Council
and myself unanimously approved the City's commitment to the Nature Everywhere Accelerator
Community program. We have appointed Leisure Services Director Marie Ware as our
representative.
The Nature Everywhere movement aligns well with numerous plans and initiatives of the city.
The City's comprehensive plan Imagine Dubuque 2037 connects closely in numerous areas of
the plan. A year of community engagement and outreach during this planning effort over 12,500
ideas from all sectors of the community. In the area of environmental integrity promotion of a
health urban forest and native plantings, encouragement of edible landscaping and continued
community gardens as well as increasing eco-education programming, particularly for children
were called out. In the area of social and cultural vibrancy a focus on expanding access to
healthy foods, promoting healthy lifestyles, and enhancing event access and participant diversity
were suggested by residents.
The action plan calls for updating the parks and recreation plan and we committed funding, and
the process of a comprehensive parks and recreation master plan will begin at the end of the year
and would complement the Nature Everywhere visioning and planning work. The action plan also
calls out increasing native plant, pollinator and edible landscaping, conserving natural areas,
supporting food production spaces, expand childcare options and resources, and more.
Dubuque has been proactive in working in our lowest socioeconomic neighborhoods by investing
major renovations for example in Comiskey Park. We currently have a grant request pending to
complete Phase 2 which will enhance the park even more with a native planting area, many
native plants in beds, and lots of trees. Jackson Park is also set for renovation in 2025. The
timing and location of both parks meet the many goals of the city yet also overlay into Nature
Everywhere in our most vulnerable neighborhoods.
We share often that Dubuque is the place where people, planning, and partnerships are how we
make things happen. We are striving to be an equitable community of choice using five pillars —
resiliency, sustainability, equity, transparency and compassion. We hope you will consider
Dubuque as a choice for a Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community. We wholeheartedly
support this application and have appointed our Leisure Services Director Marie Ware to our local
committee.
Sincerely,
Bra Cavanagh
Mayor