Trail construction is really rolling along as paving began in late July on the newest segment of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. The above picture shows work on the area just south of Markin Glen County Park near Pitcher Street. This section, scheduled to open in September, takes the trail from Mosel Avenue to D Avenue without a single road crossing, providing free, non-motorized access to Markin Glen and the Kalamazoo Nature Center.  Check back with this web site soon for details on a special ribbon-cutting ceremony in September.

Hunter Hanson won this helmet and bike at Greater Galesburg day!

Morgan Derhammer poses with KRVT volunteer, Bob Gregersen, and her new bike and helmet that she won at Comstock Daze.

Melanie Cole was all smiles at the Kindleberger Festival when she won this new bike!

Thank you to everyone who came out to these events and stopped by the KRVT table!

Thank you to all who came out to the Groundbreaking Ceremony on April 6th! See article in Kalamazoo Gazette

Hear our new radio ad running on several Kalamazoo stations

Listen to Campaign Co-chair Chris Tracy on the Lori Moore Show on WKZO

Upcoming Programs

KRV Trail Summer Nature Walks
Join us for a chance to see and learn about the wildflowers, shrubs and trees growing along the way and what birds might use as habitat for foraging or nesting. Led by a member from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, you will also learn about the interconnection of native plant species, insects and birds. No prior knowledge is required – only an interest in the natural world and the environment. Round-trip the walk will be two miles and will last about an hour and a half.

When: Monday, June 21, 7 p.m. , Thursday, July 15, 7 p.m., Tuesday August 17, 7 p.m.
Who: All ages, children under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Where: On the KRV Trail, beginning at the 10th Street parking lot near the Caboose (2 miles north of W. Main).
Sign-Up: For registration or questions, please call 373-5073.
Fee: Free

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KRV Trail Walking Club
Are you tired of walking alone? Walking in a group increases your commitment to sticking to your routine, and it’s a great chance to socialize and make new friends! You’re invited to join our group and experience the benefits of walking. Did you know that walking can reduce stress, help prevent heart disease, improve sleep, and help you maintain or lose weight? Walking is also a very inexpensive form of exercise as all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes! Receive a free pedometer for joining and have the opportunity to hear monthly speakers on health-related topics.

When: Walking Club West meets on Tuesday mornings at 9 a.m. beginning June 1, and Walking Club East meets on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. beginning June 3.
Who: All ages, children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Where: Walking Club West: On the KRV Trail, beginning at the 10th Street parking lot near the Caboose (2 miles north of W. Main). Walking Club East: Meet at the KRV Trail Paterson St. Parking lot, (just west of Riverview Drive on Paterson St.).
Sign-Up: For registration or questions, please call 373-5073.
Fee: Free

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Local History Walk
Did you know that portions of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail lie on a former rail-line? All aboard! You’re invited to join us for a 1-mile walk on the KRV Trail as you learn about the former rail-line that was in operation from 1870-1970. The walk will be led by Mark Tomlonson, who is a member Kalamazoo Model Railroad Historical Society as well as the National Railway Historical Society.

Who: All ages; children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
When: Saturday, August 21, 9 – 10 a.m.
Where: On the KRV Trail, beginning at the 10th Street parking lot near the Caboose (2 miles north of W. Main).
Sign-Up: Space is limited to 20 participants each session. For registration and questions, please call 373-5073
Fee: FREE!

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KRV Trail Mutt Strutters
Please join us as this dog walking group includes an informational session presented by certified trainers from PetSmart. Open to dogs of all ages and all sizes – and their owners, of course! An emphasis on leash training and socialization with other dogs outside on the beautiful Kalamazoo River Valley Trail!

Who: All dogs & owners with proof of up-to-date licenses and vaccinations; children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
When and Where:  Tuesday evenings from 6 – 7 p.m.
August 24 at the 10th Street parking lot near the Caboose (2 miles north of W. Main)

(Attend as few or as many sessions as you’re able to.)

Sign-Up: For registration and questions, please call 373-5073
Fee: Free

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Self-Guided Family Scavenger Hunts
Busy schedule? Unable to make it to our programs? Here’s the perfect chance to visit the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail when it’s most convenient for you, and still experience all of its great features! Visit our website at www.kalcounty.com/parks/krvt for a printable self-guided scavenger hunt, or pick up a copy at the Kalamazoo Public Library. Copies are available at the Central Library, as well as the Alma Powell and Oshtemo Branches.

Connections

This is an underlying emphasis of our region’s education system. We want our students to connect to each other, to their community and to ideas larger than us all. The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is a regional project that helps young people build their connections and enriches the connectivity of Kalamazoo County.

We, the undersigned as school district superintendents, whole-heartedly endorse and support the construction of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and the efforts to raise charitable funds for said construction. We consider the Trail a valuable asset, an important addition and a necessary component of the educational system for Kalamazoo County. It will offer opportunities currently unavailable to our students, including:

• Expanded learning: The Trail provides hands-on exposure to the natural world and access to parklands, protected green space and educational attractions like the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Its proximity to the Kalamazoo River gives students exposure to this regional resource and experience in restoring and reclaiming its intrinsic value. The path of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail can facilitate exploration of our local history, including the emergence of area towns, the importance of the river to current and past industry, and the influence of Native Americas to our landscape and culture.

• Accessible recreation: The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail can be used at no cost and is barrier-free. Its purposeful location near many urban neighborhoods and rural communities ensures that young people can easily access the Trail and utilize its route to reach parks and other recreational attractions. By using the Trail instead of vehicular modes of transportation, young people will increase their physical activity and discover the benefits of biking, walking, skating, or running. Program staff for the Trail will partner with area youth centers and schools to host fun-runs, bike clubs and other events to engage students in healthy physical activity. This will have a direct benefit on classroom performance and overall health for young people.

• Safe routes to school: The first completed section of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail opened in 2008 and runs through the northside neighborhood and right by Kalamazoo’s Woodward Elementary. This is one example of the Trail’s potential as a safe route to school for students. At Woodward a bike loan program was established to encourage safe riding and exercise for students. Another future segment of the Trail will offer safe access to Galesburg-Augusta High School, giving students an alternative to walking along major roads or driving each day. This is an important step in creating a more pedestrian-friendly community, giving students safe passage to school and encouraging exercise.

• Community engagement: The Trail is unique in that it connects many communities and the businesses and attractions within those communities. Families will be able to bike together from their neighborhood in Parchment down to Portage’s Celery Flats or from their home in Kalamazoo to Markin Glen Park and the Nature Center. Neighborhood and downtown businesses will benefit from direct access to trail users. Our young people will begin to view Kalamazoo County as a whole community; one where children in different school districts can bike or walk to parks, libraries, youth centers, cultural attractions, and local shops and restaurants. These connections will increase the sense of belonging for our students and the call to being a responsible citizen of Kalamazoo County.

Building and connecting all segments of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is a public and private partnership. Charitable dollars from the community are needed to leverage state and federal funds. The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is a community-wide resource with benefits for communities from Augusta to Oshtemo, Parchment to Portage and all points in between.

We authorize our names to be used as evidence of our support of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail in the local media and through promotional materials. Please join us in supporting the efforts of the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo County Parks and the Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. Together we can build a regional trail that will offer far-reaching connections and opportunities for children.

Sincerely,

Douglas P. Newington, Climax-Scots Community Schools

Dr. Sandra Standish, Comstock Public Schools

Tim Vagts, Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools

Christopher Rundle, Gull Lake Public Schools

Dr. Michael Rice, Kalamazoo Public Schools

Ronald L. Fuller, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency

Matthew J. Miller, Parchment School District

Marsha A. Wells, Portage Public Schools

Doug Knobloch, Schoolcraft Community Schools

Charles Glaes, Vicksburg Community Schools

This is the second consecutive year the DALMAC Fund has supported the KRVT Campaign. The DALMAC Fund is supported by proceeds from the annual Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw bicycle tour (DALMAC) and is administered by the Tri-County Bicycle Association of Lansing, Michigan.

Thank you DALMAC Fund for your continued support of non-motorized trail development in Michigan. If you know of a bicycle organization that would like to support the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail please contact us through this web site.

WHEREAS, in 1992 a citizens’ group called the Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trailway was formed to pursue the development of the 35 mile Kalamazoo River Valley Trail through Kalamazoo County to connect residents and visitors of Kalamazoo to the Kal-Haven Trail, the Battle Creek Linear Trail, the Portage Bicentennial Trail, and the Kalamazoo River; and

WHEREAS, the Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail joined efforts with the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County to seek private donations for the future development and operation of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail; and

WHEREAS, in 2005 the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County joined efforts with Kalamazoo County and the City of Kalamazoo, and the Kalamazoo County Road Commission to plan for and construct a trail and have it operated as a Kalamazoo County Park; and

WHEREAS, the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail opened as the 7^th Kalamazoo County Park in 2008, and today the trail encompasses 8.4 miles of paved, accessible, multi-use trail that is free to use; and

WHEREAS, the funding for operation of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail as a County Park is 100% provided through the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail Endowment Fund that has over $1,000,000 in donations and the Parks Foundation has agreed to reach $2,000,000 in donations when the project is complete; and

WHEREAS, the funds for construction of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail are provided through donations raised by the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County and through Michigan Department of Transportation Non-Motorized Grants and to date $3,500,000 has been raised through donations and $6,000,000 has been raised through grants.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners hereby endorses the efforts of the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County to seek charitable gifts to complete the construction of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail to benefit the economy, health and fitness of citizens, recreation opportunities, tourism opportunities, non-motorized transportation routes, the quality of life, education and the environment.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners appreciates and recognizes the efforts of the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County, the Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, and the generosity and donations provided by citizens, businesses, and foundations that have made the development of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail possible for the enjoyment of all Kalamazoo County citizens and visitors.