City of Ludington's Recreation Plan

Stearns Park (photo by jhy)

from a news article in the Ludington Daily News (subscription required)

Every five years, the city of Ludington renews its recreation plan. The draft for 2026-2030 has recently been released, and the focus is on resident engagement, accessibility and environmental concerns.

More than 300 responses were received from residents this summer. Survey results show that Stearns Park (Ludington beach) is the most used park with 21% of responders saying they use that park. However, Waterfront Park (the concert venue), Rotary Park (by House of Flavors), and Cartier Park (dog park and hiking trail) are not far behind. Not surprisingly, Leveaux Park came in dead last, but its purpose is not recreation, but beautification with gardens tended by the Mason County Garden Club. It has no facilities.

The desires of the public are for more accessibility, more hiking and bicycling pathways, more pickleball courts, and environmental protection for the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The article details specifics, park by park. A number of these requests are already in the plans, and only need to be updated into the next five years.

City recreation sites have been scored for ADA standards, and overall, the facilities received mid-range scores. The city has said that applying universal design principles will be a priority.

New entries in the 2026-2030 plan are for invasive species control, tree replacement, and shoreline erosion protection.

The four stated goals of the plan are:
1. Provide safe spaces for healthy recreation.
2. Promote active living and walkability
3. Expand recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities.
4. Preserve public access to waterfront and natural areas.

There is a 30-day public review period. See link to read and respond.

See the draft recreation plan and send email responses to htykoski@ci.ludington.mi.us before December 3


These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch

Generation X Gets Outside

bicyclists in Dayton, Ohio (photo by jhy)

from a report, the Longitudinal Study of American Youth

Do those 84 million Americans born between 1961 and 1981 do much of anything productive? Do they appreciate outdoor recreation? A new study from the University of Michigan, by Jon Miller, says they do. He analyzed the activities of 4000 people considered to belong to Generation X. "Generation X is the first generation to grow up in the Internet Era, and it is perhaps the most extensively wired (and now wireless) generation in American history." So it might be expected that they would not value natural settings or outdoor pursuits.

However, the study found that:
• 74% of young adults reported doing at least one nature hike in the preceding year and 54% reported three or more nature hikes,
• 65% reported going swimming or scuba diving at least once in the preceding year and 56% reported swimming or scuba diving three or more times,
• 41% reporting boating or sailing at least once in the last year and 23% reported three or more boating or sailing outings,
• 35% reported going hunting or fishing during the preceding year and 24% reported going hunting or fishing three of more times during the preceding year,
• 20% reported engaging in bird watching at least once in the preceding year and 11% reported bird watching three or more times in the preceding year,
• 13% reported skiing or snowboarding at least once in the preceding year and fi ve percent reported doing it three or more times, and
• 12% reported that they had engaged in mountain climbing at least once in the previous year and five percent indicated that they had climbed a mountain three or more
times in the preceding year.

Only 13% reported not participating in any kind of outdoor activities.

The primary focus of the study was on work and social habits, and the conclusion is that Generation X has turned into fine adults, who are competent to run the world for the next 20 years or so.



See Longitudinal Study of American Youth (a pdf)
These links are checked on the date of the article. As the article ages, some links may become invalid

Go To www.getoffthecouchnews.blogspot.com for all the news
See Get Off The Couch