OOFD Newsletter June 2018

Newsletter cover image: Tadpoles eggs

Announcements and new launches are here and we are excited beyond excited! With a 3 day festival, radio spots, trail building, new program launches, and more in this months newsletter.

THE PASSAGE TO THE ROCK | 3 DAY FESTIVAL
August 24th 25th 26th 2018 | Starved Rock State Park
Festival campground is located at  799 IL-71, Oglesby, IL 61348 
​Join us for a three day, two night weekend festival as we celebrate the Illinois Bicentennial and connecting Chicago to Starved Rock State Park.

​Pigs will be roasted, beers will be toasted, and we’ll have music jammin’ each night.​

With Key Note Speakers | Lodging Options | Food, Drank, & Music | Biking & Hiking | Trail Expansion Presentations | And More, it will surely be a celebration of trails, nature, & people.  In where you will be playing an active role and supporting what the future will hold.

​​The event will highlight the I&M canal trail, the natural asset and history of Starved Rock State park, the role Openlands played in the creation of the trail, and how & why the Natural Heritage Corridor was formed. > Learn more about the Passage To The Rock Festival here

We are going to be on the radio!
Thursday June 7th between 12:30 pm-1:30  on WBEZ 91.5
Worldview is WBEZ's daily global issues talk radio show on 91.5 FM, hosted by Jerome McDonnell. Out Our Front Door will be talking about who we are, what we do, and more. Make sure to tune in as we broadcast to you in the form of radio waves.

Meet & Greet at Rapha Chicago Clubhouse with Wine Beer and Bites
Thursday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m
​Rapha Chicago, 1514 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Join Rapha Chicago and Out Our Front Door Thursday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. for a free event all centered around bike camping and touring in the midwest. Out Our Front Door founders Andrew St. Paul and Glenn Schneider will take us through a few of their favorite multi-day cycling tips, trips, and bike camping routes right out our front door. Drinks and food will be provided. Event RSVP & Details Here

Where the Wild Things Grow South Side Region
Every Third Saturday 9:30am - 1:00 pm
Join us, Horse Thief Hollow , and Friends of the Forest Preserves every third Saturday from 9:30 to 1:00 as ride leader Andrew St. Paul takes you into the woods of Dan Ryan Woods Forest Preserve, Chicago's highest natural point within the city. 

Youth Adventure Club Launches
An incredible new OOFD program is launching this month for Chicago youth as we explore the region's prairies, dunes, and woods by bike. The program is centered around bike camping and environmental stewardship which connect youth to their local ecosystems and history through meaningful and sustained interactions. The program is designed for high school students and teens who will carry the environmental sustainability momentum into the next generation. 
​
This year, we are lucky to be launching  the program with three of Chicago's top youth bike organizations: Blackstone Bikes, The Recyclery, and West Town Bikes. The youth at each of these programs will experience a How to Bike Camp Clinic followed by an environmental service day and capped off with a 50 mile ride from their bike shop to a local state park for an adventure of self-supported bike camping! The program will lend itself and encourage the  professional leadership pipeline thus creating the next generation of trail and nature stewards. The program will also provide service learning requirements for CPS high school students. Here's to creating the future made by the very people who will be there, the Youth Adventure Club Collective

The National Stage: Adventure Cycling Magazine
Recently the OOFD founders were interviewed by Adventure Cycling Magazine's Daniel D'Ambrosio and we are beyond honored and excited!!! Be on the look out for the  article in their upcoming printed issue of Adventure Cycling Magazine. You can receive a free copy of their magazine on their website here at
https://www.adventurecycling.org/adventure-cyclist/  

​Building the Regional Trail Network: OOFD Joins the Chicago River Trail Coalition

The Out Our Front Door Organization has joined the Chicago River Trail Coalition, a diverse group of organizations working towards a continuous trail along the Chicago River. Launched by Active Trans in 2017, the coalition will build broad public support for and engage relevant stakeholders to create new trail segments along the river’s north and south branches."

​By being apart of the broader picture Out Our Front Door is advancing their goal of the Regional Trail network for the Lower Lake Rim in where we see a future of trails extending to State parks and natural wonders. 

Thank you to Trek Bicycle Store
OOFD Field Guide Miles Taty gave a presentation about bike camping trips and routes leading out of the city. Special Thank you to Raquel from Trek with her outstanding presentation of gear and supplies, and for making that night a possibility. We look forward to doing it again!

Family Bike Campouts Begin
June marks the month this year as Chicago family cyclists embark on a series of bike camping adventures through out the Lower Lake Michigan Basin! Their first trip, Bullfrog Lake in Cook County Forest Preserves. The family adventure series sold out in its very first week and in order for the program to grow we are looking for dedicated trip leaders who want to be aprt of the Family program. If you are interested in becoming apart of the OOFD family bike campout team please contact Lead Program Coordinator Andrew Berg at
​bergandrewj@gmail.com 

In Conclusion
It is hard to believe we started out with a budget of 250.00 dollars last year in where our founders who were bar-backing and bike couriering were able to manage such a monumental idea, the creation of the Out Our Front Door Community. But the mission and vision we set out three years ago, is starting to grow and take hold. There is no doubt in my mind the Out Our Front Door's vision will see full fruition in the coming years. I personally want to say,  from myself and on behalf of everyone at Out Our Front Door, to our friends and to our partners, thank you for creating and shaping Out Our Front Door thus far.

Here's to building the Regional Trail Network, Nature, & creating Multi-Day Bike Camping Circuits for the Lower Lake Rim
​ -The Out Our Front Door Organization

Post by:  Andrew St. Paul