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,” Althoff said, describing the health, education and connection benefits of nature for young children. The presentation emphasized practical next steps: continuing focus groups, partnering with local organizations, and using outside expertise on funding strategies from the National League of Cities and program guidance from the Children and Nature Network.

Danielle Willis, director of early childhood at Saint Mark Youth Enrichment and a cofounder of the local effort, presented themes from focus groups. Willis said participants praised existing local offerings such as the Arboretum and free equipment programs, and repeatedly raised barriers including adult confidence in taking children outdoors, costs and gear, transportation, information gaps and cultural concerns about how caregivers or children might be perceived. “Nature is in our own backyard,” Willis said.

Willis and other team members described ideas gathered from residents and focus groups: pop-up kits and neighborhood activities, “loose parts” natural playscapes (logs, stumps, pine cones), stormwater features adapted for play, and bringing child-focused prompts and drawing activities to events so children can communicate what they want in nature. One anecdote shared by the team: a child who said “kids would experience nature more and enjoy nature more if the earth was made of ice cream.”

Colleen McKenna, a member of the coalition, described the draft Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights (COBOR) as a “public-facing symbol of the overarching goals that a city has for its children for outdoor experiences” and said the group will draft a version unique to Dubuque but patterned on examples from other cities. “We would really use your help in supporting it, promoting it, getting it out there,” McKenna told the council, asking for the council’s support in adopting and promoting the document once drafted.

Councilmember Wethal and Councilmember Brown both spoke in support of the coalition’s approach. Councilmember Wethal praised the household-empowerment model and said ensuring “clean water and clean air and clean ground” will be among the things council members should keep in mind if they consider supporting a bill of rights. A council member who singled out city staff said the coalition has “the right team” and encouraged using established community outreach channels.

The coalition said it is working with the city’s GIS team to map where children live relative to nature assets, and that it has been meeting with local partners including the Community Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, local school districts, child-care providers, United Way and Envision 2030 leadership. The group also listed Dubuque County Conservation programs and community events where it has engaged residents, and said Dubuque Forward is acting as fiscal agent. The National League of Cities will assist with funding strategies, the Children and Nature Network with content and practice examples, the coalition said.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken during the work session. The coalition requested council input and potential future endorsement of the COBOR; council members expressed general support and asked the coalition to return with a draft for consideration. The team plans additional focus groups, public outreach at events such as National Night Out and the farmer’s market, and further meetings with partners to refine the draft and outreach plan.

The presentation materials provided to the council included the Nature Everywhere application, a city letter of support, a one-page summary for the public, and a memo outlining prior work and next steps. The coalition requested ideas from council members on items to include in a COBOR, for example basic environmental health elements such as clean air and water and locally specific items related to the river and bluffs.

Looking ahead, coalition members said they will continue focus groups throughout August, hold public outreach at upcoming events, develop the COBOR with input from community signatories, and return to the council for potential formal adoption or endorsement. “So looking forward to continuing the conversation very soon,” a council member said near the end of the session.