Greetings TARTans,
Have you noticed things are starting to change? Walking around downtown the crowds have thinned a bit. Apples are starting to show up at our favorite secret spots. The bay is warm and pretty perfect for an evening swim. And it's a more common site to catch the spectacular sunsets on our bike ride home. We're definitely staring down the last week of August. We've had a fantastic summer with so much to celebrate. As school creeps closer and the summer slows down we enter my favorite part of the year - a time to find new rhythms and re-establish routines that slipped away over the summer. It's a welcome reminder that a four season cycle is what makes living in northern Michigan so great. So soak up these next few weeks and we'll see you on the trails!
Julie Clark, Chief Executive Officer |
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 Three Mile Trail Extension Moves AheadThis coming Tuesday, the East Bay Township Board of Trustees will be taking action on a recommendation for a design engineering contract for the Three Mile Trail Extension project. We were thrilled by the response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) and the quality of proposals and interest in this project. Upon approval from the Township Board, TART Trails and East Bay Township will begin working with partners and an experienced team of professionals to develop the design of this 2-mile trail. |
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 Volunteer Appreciation Party
Calling all volunteers! Please join us for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. It’s a great opportunity to meet and mingle and learn more about our programs and projects. This is also a chance for us to thank you in person, shower you with gratitude, and raise a glass to celebrate all that we have accomplished together over the past year. Our friends at Jolly Pumpkin are graciously donating beverages and hors d’ oeuvres to help celebrate your incredible efforts. RSVPs are required by Friday, September 2, as space is limited. More here. |
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 TART Bayfront Improvement & Expansion
The City of Traverse City is seeking proposals from consulting landscape architectural/civil engineering firms to provide final design and construction administration services for the Traverse Area Recreation Trail (TART) improvements and expansion between West End Beach and the intersection of Garfield Avenue/US 37 and Eastern Avenue. One firm will be selected as a qualified firm to provide the engineering services for the project. View RFP here. |
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SPECIAL THANKS
We just can't stop celebrating the Loop! Special thanks goes out to our project partners and visionaries, The City of Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, Garfield Township, Prein&Newhof, and Team Elmer's. To the TART community of trail supporters, we could not have completed this project without your dedication. Hats off to you, too.
Give Brenda some big virtual high fives and thanks for helping lay down some stencils along the Boardman Lake Loop Trail. She heard the call for help and quickly rose to the occasion stating that she just loves the Loop so much she wanted to do what she could to give back. Thanks Brenda!
Many thanks to the Brookby Foundation for recently awarding TART Trails a grant to continue managing invasive species along the Leelanau Trail. The LT Invasive Species Crew is well into its fifth year of our ten year management plan, thanks in large part to the Brookby Foundation's generosity.
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Welcome to the newest members of our Sustainers Circle of Donors!
David Degeneffe
George and Deborah Schankler
Thank you for making happy, healthy, connected communities happen.
Learn more about our Sustainers Circle here. |
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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Northern Michigan E3 is a BIPOC led and BIPOC centered grassroots organization that is driven to make Northern Michigan and surrounding areas more inclusive and anti-racist by engaging, elevating, and educating the community.
Historically, BIPOC communities have been and continue to be discriminated against and underrepresented in outdoor recreation. TART Trails has eagerly partnered with E3 to promote inclusivity and accessibility for all outdoor spaces and recreational places in the Grand Traverse region. Our Call to Action? Continued support of our collective efforts around the BIPOC community to promote access and equity on our trails and pathways.
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Volunteer Appreciation Party - Monday, September 12
Eat, drink, and be merry. Please join us for one of our favorite celebrations of the season. Responde sil vous plait here.
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Leelanau Harvest Tour - Saturday, September 17
The Leelanau Harvest Tour is one of Cherry Capital Cycling Club's largest fundraisers of the year. Since 1999 the CCCC has proudly granted over $350,000. More here.
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Zombie Run - Saturday, October 29
Okay, okay, we know summer's not over yet but we're gearing up for this family favorite fall tradition. Right Brain Brewery is the host with the most. Zombies and beer have always been a winning combination! Stick around for the medal ceremony, costume prizes, music, refreshments, and zombie socializing! More here.
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TART TRIVIA
Can you identify this invasive species?
Like most invasive plants, autumn olive replaces native plants in high quality natural areas, which in turn reduces critical food resources for birds, butterflies, and other wild creatures. Autumn olive is perhaps the most notorious invasive plant, both for the irony of its spread by organizations now seeking to control it and for how dominant the plant has become. Although it does provide a healthy supply of late season berries, autumn olive monocultures do not sustain insect populations during the growing season that songbirds require for their nestlings to survive to adulthood.
Here in Northern Michigan it’s exceptionally important to understand which plants are native and invasive to our area. Making sure that we utilize only native plants here is of critical importance as we work to conserve the integrity of the Great Lakes, its unique plant and animal species, and the world’s largest freshwater supply. Learn more at the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network.
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