Nature Everywhere

Dubuque, Iowa, has been selected through a competitive application process to join a national initiative called Nature Everywhere Communities, designed to increase equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn and play. 

Nature Everywhere Communities is a partnership of the Children & Nature Network, the National League of Cities and KABOOM! that is working with cross-sector teams in more than 70 other communities across the U.S.

The project team includes representation from Wanderwood Gardens, St. Mark Youth Enrichment, Dubuque Community School District, Hills & Dales, and the City of Dubuque. Public engagement will begin in March and by year-end, the team intends to:

• engage youth and community residents in creating a vision for increasing equitable access to nature
• map community stakeholders, assets and gaps
• conduct funding and policy scans
• build and deepen regional partnerships
• develop and begin implementing an early childhood nature connection action plan

The timeline for this project dovetails well with the City of Dubuque's Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan and the City's Branching Out Initiative in partnership with Trees Forever.