when people visit madison, wisc., they usually want to see the iconic capitol square, the majestic university buildings, or bustling state street. the high foot traffic means these areas typically stay well managed environmentally. but there are entire other portions of the city that don’t get as much attention, and local efforts to keep those areas environmentally safe are just as – if not, more – impressive.

in this short video, i wanted to tell the story of my neighborhood on madison’s east side. it is known for being a more working class side of town and not as attractive to tourists. because of this, children in the area may be less likely to have the outdoors access that children in wealthier areas have. that’s why it’s so important that programs like the one in this video exist. i hope you enjoy it, and i hope it inspires you to get outdoors!