Dubuque coalition seeks 'Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights' as part of Nature Everywhere initiative

At a Dubuque City Council work session reconvened after an off-site visit to the Old Mill Road Lift Station, a coalition led by Hills and Dales and Saint Mark Youth Enrichment described Dubuque Nature Everywhere, a community campaign to increase daily nature access for children age 0 to 6 and asked council members for input and future adoption of a local "Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights."

Diane Althoff, mission advancement and community relations director at Hills and Dales, said the effort will “inspire meaningful nature connections for all young children to be happy, healthy, and hopeful,” and outlined four mission areas: building a community movement, empowering caregivers and educators, bridging gaps in access and belonging, and nature-space improvements that support climate resilience.

The coalition, which includes Saint Mark Youth Enrichment cofounders Danielle Willis and Jared McGovern and lists Dubuque Forward as the project’s fiscal agent, said Dubuque was selected as a Nature Everywhere accelerator community in September and is one of two in Iowa and 38 across the United States. Diane Althoff noted the group submitted a formal application and provided the council with materials including the application, a city letter of support, a one-page overview for the public and a memo on prior work.

“We are going to work towards that vision with a kind of a four-pronged approach,”…