We were delighted to recently get in touch with a new friend in Ozaukee County — Dave Bishop — who is part of a team that has come up with a great new way to encourage people to get out-of-doors.
Photo courtesy of Treasures of Oz
Ozaukee County is across the state from us on the shores of Lake Michigan, and we’ve never explored there ourselves. However, they have a lot of land that is set aside as natural areas, and Treasures of Oz is using some unique and creative ideas to get people out adventuring. On July 24th, 2010, participants will get ‘passports’ and a map that will guide them to a number of different natural areas in Ozaukee County, including bluffs, bogs, wetlands, prairies, and more. The tour will combine nature education with good, outdoor fun. They have ideas to encourage people to bike or use efficient vehicles while visiting the sites, and are bringing together a diverse community of volunteers, nature experts, and even musicians to make the event a day to remember.
This is the sort of creative energy that can make a real difference in our relationship with our planet. Many people aren’t aware of all the opportunities for getting out in nature, many of which are right in our own communities. Our hope is that Treasures of Oz is not only wildly successful, but that it serves as a model for other communities as they explore ways to promote their natural areas and get people out of the house and into the woods, deserts, prairies, mountains, and shores.
Way to go, Treasures of Oz!
Posted on March 8th, 2010 by Kenton and Rebecca
Filed under: Getting Outdoors, Networking for Nature
Thank you so much for the great press, kind words and vote of confidence. We are having so much fun doing this….a chance to be creative, a wonderful cause, no billable hours, no sales quotas…We began this project with a budget of zero dollars and lots of energy and vision….and it seems to be coming together with a life of its own.
Hi Marjie,
We’re even more impressed hearing that you started this in the beginning with nothing but Heart. Awesome! It’s amazing what people can do when they come together with a shared passion and concern. Thanks for inspiring us all!
That is inspiring! I’m going to pass it on to our community rec program.
That’s great, Shawna! We’d love to see more programs like this spring up all around the country. It not only gets people outside, but it’s a great chance to meet other like-minded people who share our love of nature.
[...] was stoked to be there. We all rode up to the view. … Mail (will not be published) (required) …Wild About Nature Blog Treasures of OzWe were delighted to recently get in touch with a new friend in Ozaukee County Dave Bishop who is [...]
You might be interested in checking out our event for 2012. It keeps getting better with more community support:) Perhaps a little trip to Ozaukee County in June would be fun:)