Ice Age Trail Alliance Celebrates 60 Years and Kicks-Off Wisconsin Land Trust Days During its Five-Day Ice Age Trail Days Event

Ice Age Trail Days, a five-day event, celebrates the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s 60th Anniversary and 1,000-miles of trail while acting as the kick-off event for Wisconsin Land Trust Days.
Ice Age Trail Days begins on August 8, 2018, with a five-day trailbuilding event, but the highlight of the celebration occurs on August 10th, with family friendly festivities co-hosted by The Village of Cross Plains, the Cross Plains Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Alliance at Zander Park in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Volunteers, supporters, Cross Plains community members, and other visitors and guests are invited and welcome to attend.
The Friday, August 10th schedule includes:
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Exhibits, info about the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Ice Age Trail Alliance and Wisconsin Land Trust Days, live music
5:30 p.m. – Brief Celebration Program and formal introduction of Wisconsin Land Trust Days
6:00 p.m. – Farm-to-Table Dinner prepared by well-known area chefs, featuring products from local farmers, Vermont Valley Community Farm and Stonehaus Farm.
Music and merrymaking continue until 9:00 p.m.
Admission to all of the Ice Age Trail Days events are free, except for the dinner, which requires pre-registration and costs $25.00 for adults.
“We are pleased that the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s 60th Anniversary celebration was chosen as the Wisconsin Land Trust Days’ kick-off event,” said Kevin Thusius, Director of Land Conservation, Ice Age Trail Alliance. “Wisconsin Land Trust Days highlights activities from mid-August through September. Open to the public, these events are hosted by land trusts on or around conserved land and highlight the unique benefits land trusts provide to their communities.”
The fun continues on Saturday, August 11, 2018. In addition to the formal Friday night celebration, the Alliance has planned family-friendly activities for Saturday, including a(n):
Introduction to Trail Running workshop and Trail Run
Tyke Hike (all ages and paces welcome)
Geology presentation and hike
Historical hike of Cross Plains
Walk & Talk on NEW Ice Age National Scenic Trail
Like other Wisconsin Land Trust Days events, Saturday’s activities are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.
New Ice Age National Scenic Trail will be built from August 8 through August 12, 2018. During these days, the Ice Age Trail Alliance will host a Mobile Skills Crew event. Volunteers from across the Midwest will join forces to build a brand-new segment of the Ice Age Trail in Dane County. Once the new trail is complete, it eliminates a mile-long road walk for thru-hikers and offer big views of the Driftless region. It will also provide a place for rejuvenating strolls after work or on weekends for residents of the Village of Cross Plains and beyond.
No previous experience is necessary to build trail, but registration is required. There are roles for all ages and abilities. On-site training is provided by certified crew leaders.
“Ice Age Trail Days is a great example of how land trusts benefit their communities by making land available for public use and exploration,” said Mike Carlson, Executive Director of Gathering Waters. “The unique mission of the Ice Age Trail Alliance makes a fantastic resource accessible to people across our state.”
For more details and to register for an Ice Age Trail Days activity, visit: www.IceAgeTrail.org/Event/Ice-Age-Trail-Days.
For a complete list of Wisconsin Land Trust Days events visit www.HaveFunOutside.org.
For the Ice Age Trail Alliance, 2018 is a year to look back and celebrate milestones and a year to look ahead to new initiatives.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System. Combined with the Alliance’s milestone, these events speak to the perseverance of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the volunteers who care for it.
Accredited land trusts like the Ice Age Trail Alliance protect the Trail corridor, creating a forever-greenspace, through land purchases and maintenance programs. The importance of these types of programs will be highlighted during Wisconsin Land Trust Days events. This first-ever, seven-week campaign initiative to highlight the work of land trusts, like the Ice Age Trail Alliance, that protect and maintain key natural areas across Wisconsin. Land Trusts help preserve land areas that are instrumental in cleaning our air and water resources as well as creating areas for personal enjoyment and recreation. Wisconsin Land Trust Days helps people enjoy those lands in new ways.
The Ice Age Trail, one of only eleven National Scenic Trails, is a thousand-mile footpath highlighting Wisconsin’s world-renowned Ice Age heritage and natural resources. The Ice Age Trail Alliance is a nonprofit organization established in 1958, that works to create, support and protect the Ice Age Trail. Visit www.iceagetrail.org for more information.
Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts helps land trusts, landowners, and communities protect the places that make Wisconsin special through advocacy, educational opportunities, and promotional and awareness-building events. Founded in 1964 as Gathering Waters Conservancy, the organization changed its name to Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trust to more accurately reflect its service-based mission.