Green Initiatives

The Ice Age Trail Alliance does a lot of good work for the environment in Wisconsin. But in addition to the conservation and preservation we do for natural resources and habitat along the Ice Age Trail, did you know that we’ve also embarked on green initiatives in our operating practices? Here is a brief run-down of our green practices.

Starting with the Spring 2010 issue of Mammoth Tales, you may have noticed a change...different paper. The switch was part of a broader IATA initiative: "greening up" our organization.

The paper for Mammoth Tales is 30% recycled content, the same percentage as our old paper. However, thanks to the efforts of our printer, Action Graphics of Butler, we were able to choose paper sourced from right here in Wisconsin instead of more distant lands, meaning fewer resources were used to get the paper from forest to plant to printer. Additionally, the new paper is uncoated. We felt it was important to cut out the chemical inputs needed to create the gloss, and we like the more natural feel of the new paper. We hope you will agree this was a good switch.

Across our organization, we're using paper with a higher percentage of recycled content. We've been pleased to discover that these papers now cost just a bit more or even the same as their non-recycled counterparts. Our letterhead is printed on 100% recycled paper. Our FAQs, Mobile Skills Crew program and "Ice Age Trail INN Style" program brochures each weigh in at 30%, as do all our envelopes. We've even set up a tray in our printer at the main office to run on scratch paper for informal print jobs. All of these cost-effective choices are aimed at putting used-but-usable resources to good use while reducing the demands on our forests.

Other measures we’ve taken to be a greener organization:

  • We recycle.
  • We compost our yard waste and our kitchen scraps.
  • We use reusable dishes, utensils, and water bottles in the office kitchen.
  • Our printers and copiers are set to print on both sides by default.
  • Office paper, toilet tissues, paper towels, and paper napkins are all at least 30% recycled content.
  • We use energy-efficient fluorescent lighting.
  • Most of our lighting – indoors and out – operates on movement sensors and switches off automatically.
  • The office windows are Energy Star qualified.
  • Our building was sited on land that had been slated for development. We worked with the Village of Cross Plains and the state of Wisconsin to assure that the development of the property substantially exceeded the minimum local and state requirements to the benefits of the surrounding environment, notably Black Earth Creek.
  • Our grounds, rather than encouraging lots of lawn-mowing and runoff, are designed to hold water in a rain garden filled with native plants that can withstand periods of high rain and drought conditions.
  • Our building’s above-grade and below-grade walls utilize concrete integrated form technology to achieve high insulation value.
  • We have an on-demand hot water heater in the office – even more energy-efficient than insulating a standard water heater.
  • All new appliances purchased are Energy Star qualified.
  • Computers, monitors, printers, photocopiers, and other small appliances such as coffee machines are turned off when not in use.
  • We fill our dishwasher to capacity before we run it, and we use the most efficient recommended water temperature.
  • We prevent the introduction and transportation of invasive species – and our volunteers actively monitor and eradicate them on lands we manage.
  • Some of our staff members walk, bike, or carpool to work when possible.
  • We use teleconferencing when possible to reduce traveling to meetings.
  • We use soy-based instead of petroleum-based ink, which means lower volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) emitted in printing.
  • We make a concerted effort to purchase supplies and materials for our statewide events in each local community.
  • We promote local businesses through programs like INN Style.
  • We promote the vitality of our local community by participating in community events such as Trout Days and community garden tours.
  • We allow the use of our facilities for community events.
  • We have also provided resources to local schools, helping spread our message to the next generation of nature lovers.

We Need Your Help!

We've been thinking hard about ways to cut down on resource use for membership communications. We've come up with some good ideas, but won't see results without your help. Here are some ways you can chip in:

  • If you are an email user, send us your email address so that we can add it to your membership account. Then we’ll be able to send you a paperless alert several weeks before your membership is set to expire. Note: The Ice Age Trail Alliance does NOT share or sell email addresses or any other member contact info with outside organizations.
  • If you renew early by visiting our secure website store or sending us a check, we won't have to devote paper or postage to sending you a renewal form.
  • We're thrilled to announce that you can now make once-a-year or monthly membership contributions to the Ice Age Trail Alliance by secure automatic bank withdrawals. By arranging an Auto-give for your membership, you'll never need to deal with a renewal form again, and we'll never need to use up paper and postage to send you one. Click here to download the enrollment form.

If you’ve already started greening up your membership, thank you! You’re already making a big difference. With a little assistance from our many members, we'll see some big results in making the Ice Age Trail Alliance a greener (side benefit: more cost-effective) organization. We hope you'll consider helping out. Thank you!