Parks & Recreation

On a trail in the UW-Madison Arboretum

The Madison Community Foundation announced this month a $75,000 grant intended to help local community organizations utilize wood from ash trees felled by the invasive emerald ash borer insect for educational and artistic projects.

United Way of Dane County will give free books to every child living in Dane County under the age of five through the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. The Imagination Library program will mail free books directly to the child’s home every month.

Students paint a mural for Madison's South Police Station at Hoyt School (Erin Green/Madison Commons).

A high-school student stood near the door of a classroom in Hoyt School, observing quietly as his classmates painted. He appeared nervous to join in. Artist Sonya Sankaran calmly handed him a paint brush and reassured him that mistakes could always be fixed. 

Soon, the student was painting flowers alongside his classmates.

(Photo courtesy of Girls on the Run South Central Wisconsin)

“Keep going, you’re doing great. Don’t give up!”

These are the words of 5^th grader Holly Kurian, who is cheering on her friends from the sidelines of a Girls on the Run practice on a beautiful sunny day at Randall Elementary School. Kurian is a runner with Girls on the Run, a program that builds self-confidence and leadership skills in young women. She enjoys every minute of it.

Looking West along Atwood Ave. toward Olbrich Botanical Gardens with Starkweather Creek in the foreground (Aaron Hathaway/Madison Commons)

A planned reconstruction project for Madison's Atwood Avenue has sparked conversation among East Side residents, who see the initiative as an opportunity to improve safety conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.