Conference Dates: April 10-13

Are you ready for the Annual Conference? It's a great event to reconnect with trail friends and meet new trail enthusiasts. The conference is being held in Stevens Point this year at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. That's the closest annual conference location for our chapter. The schedule of events is available now on the Alliance website: https://www.iceagetrail.org/annual-conference-2025/.

Hotel information is available on the conference website page. Click on logistics at the top of the page for hotel reservation information. There is an IAT password for the special conference price for a room. Keep an eye out for that information before making your reservation.

Registration for the Conference will be open mid-February.

Silent Auction Donations:

The Alliance is looking for donations for the Annual Conference Silent Auction. There will be a virtual and an in-person silent auction. The virtual auction will be online and run for a week prior to the Annual Conference.

If you would like to donate items for the auction, you can fill out this form: https://www.iceagetrail.org/silent-auction-donation/. Please provide this information by March 18.

All volunteers need to have a completed Volunteer Agreement for the National Park Service each year in order to participate in our trail improvement days or to volunteer at events. They have a new form on the Alliance Website.

If you have previously submitted an agreement, please check last year’s agreement to see when you are due to renew, and mark it on your calendar to do it then.

To access the new Volunteer Agreement, here is the link: https://www.iceagetrail.org/wp-content/uploads/Packet-Individual-301a-IATR-Staff_508.pdf

Please fill out the fillable form and email it to iatr_vip_ice_age_trail@nps.gov (Do not copy and paste the email address. You need to type it in. Otherwise, it may bounce back to you. You CAN click on the link and then the email will be properly addressed.)

NOTE: Fill in all the required boxes. The fillable boxes are on everything except the signature line.

SIGNATURE: You can type your name and date in the date box next to the signature line.

SAVE the document to your computer and then send it to NPS as an attachment. Or print out your completed document, sign it, and mail it to the NPS. The email address is on the directions page that comes with the form.

When you send in the Volunteer Agreement to NPS, they will sign it and return it to you. Please print a copy for yourself or save it in your files. Email the chapter at chippewamorainechapter@iceagetrail.org to let us know that you have received your new signed Volunteer Agreement.

If you are reading this, you’ve noticed that we have a beautiful new look to our chapter website. If you have a bookmark, it is the same URL as before: https://iatchippewa.org. Explore all the pages on the website. Let us know if there are any other pages you would like to see on the website. Contact Vicki Christianson at chippewamorainechapter@iceagetrail.org.

The Alliance sets a calendar of trail projects throughout the Ice Age Trail. If you are interested in participating in a Trail Crew Project, you can find information on the Ice Age Trail website. You do not have to have experience in trail work in order to participate. They will train you "on the job". It is a wonderful way to learn how trail is created and maintained. You will have a greater appreciation for the trail and look at the trail with new eyes.

If you are interested in Habitat Improvement, there are 3 sessions:

• January 10-11 Table Bluff Segment https://www.iceagetrail.org/event/hip-swamplovers-2025/
• January 24-25 Hartland Segment https://www.iceagetrail.org/event/hip-hartland-marsh-preserve-2025/
• February 7-8 Gibraltar Rock https://www.iceagetrail.org/event/hip-steenbock-preserve-2025/

If you are interested in building new trail and structures, check out:

• https://mailchi.mp/iceagetrail/2025-ice-age-trail-crew-season-at-a-glance-9083669?eñ003d03ed

May 13-18 Blue Hills Dreamer Route
June 4-8 Moraine Outwash Segment, Langlade County
June 25-29 Mueller Lake Segment, Langlade County
July 16-20 Clover Valley Segment, Walworth County
August 12-16 Blue Hills Dreamer Route
September 10-14 Straight River Segment, Polk County
October 1-5 Cedar Lakes Segment, Washington County
October 22-26 Point Beach Segment, Manitowoc County & Tisch Mills, Kewaunee County

These are our annual events. Watch for information on upcoming events and additions (in red) to this calendar in the monthly newsletters.

February 15: Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe - Brunet Island State Park
February 22: Snowshoe Hike with youth at Our Nawakwa

Early March: Volunteer Zoom with Dan Watson
March 17: Chapter Meeting

April 14: Trail Maintenance Day
April 10-13: Annual IATA Conference - Stevens Point

May 4: First Sunday Hike - Chippewa River Segment
May 17: Trail Maintenance Day
May 19: Chapter Meeting

June TBD: First Aid Training with Lisa Szela
June 7: National Trails Day Hike
June 20: Solistice Hike with Our Nawakwa (includes sunset hike up Mt. Baldy)
June 21: Trail Maintenance Day

July 12: Cornell Floatilla (Possible Paddle and Hike Event)
July 21: Chapter Picnic at Mill Yard Park

August 3: First Sunday Hike (Out and back Obey to 267th)
August 16: Trail Maintenance Day

September 7: First Sunday Hike - Harwood Lakes
September 15: Chapter Meeting
September 20: Trail Maintenance Day

October 1-31: Mammoth 45 Hiking Challenge
October 4: Parade of Colors Hike - Obey Center
October 11: Hike and Meet Monty - Chippewa River Segment/Cornell Visitor Center
October 18: Trail Maintenance Day

November 17: Annual Chapter Meeting