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Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Trails
└ Trails
Many trails in this urban old-growth forest were inaccessible for visitors with limited mobility, leaving older adults unable to enjoy nature. The project converted 435 feet of degraded trail into a raised boardwalk with safety rails, added an ADA-compliant bench and installed signage. Volunteers age 50-plus helped prepare and build the trail, which now connects the Nature Center to animal exhibits and a towering tulip tree. The upgrade has prompted visits from assisted living groups and mobility device users, inspiring plans for more accessible trails. "We want more!" said one group after experiencing the new Mini-Loop Trail.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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See More Projects Like This One
Monticello, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Trails
Description: Monticello lacked safe, connected routes for walking and biking, limiting older adults mobility and social engagement. The project installed four bike racks, 12 wayfinding signs, three ADA-compliant benches and painted crosswalks. In addition, six trees were planted, creating shaded rest areas and safer paths. Volunteers, many age 50-plus, helped with installation, and a ribbon-cutting drew 400 attendees. These upgrades encourage outdoor activity, reduce isolation and boost tourism, while setting a model for rural communities to prioritize age-friendly infrastructure.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Newark, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Trails
Description: Older adults in Newark often navigate streets and transportation systems that were not designed with aging in mind, especially those without cars who rely on walking or bicycling for everyday needs. Their lived experience is frequently missing from planning discussions, even as safety and independence become more fragile with age. New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition addressed this gap by creating welcoming spaces where older adults could learn about mobility options and speak directly about what works and what does not. A Senior Mobility Fair drew hundreds of older adults to try mobility tools, connect with resources and share stories about moving through the city. The project also partnered older adults with youth to record interviews, videos and portraits, including perspectives from residents with visual impairments. City leaders attended and heard these accounts firsthand, helping ground future mobility conversations in real experiences.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Natick, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Trails
Description: This community engagement initiative sought to identify solutions to allow older adults and people with mobility issues to use off-road trails in Natick. Project organizers met with town staff ahead of two focus groups with older adults, who shared their experiences with local trails. Additionally, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council created an online survey to collect more feedback. Older adults said their main concerns were access to bathrooms, personal safety, clear signage, availability of parking near trailheads, even walking surfaces and benches to sit on. MAPC then held a placemaking event at the Natick Community-Senior Center. Attendees could walk along a prototype trail with photos of planned upgrades and hear from MAPC staff. Participants also had a chance to share their personal stories about the things they've discovered while hiking. The result was a list of practical, low-cost action items the town can use to improve Natick's pathways.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Evansville, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Broken sidewalks and missing curb cuts made everyday walking unsafe for older adults and people with disabilities in northern Jacobsville, limiting access to services and healthcare. Jacobsville Area Community Corporation led sidewalk audits across more than 70 blocks with the city engineer, documenting conditions and creating a system to rank safety concerns and estimate repair needs. A volunteer recalled seeing a wheelchair user forced to turn back at an intersection with no curb cut. By turning observations into documented data, the project gave the city a practical framework to prioritize repairs and plan long-term improvements that support safer walking and independence.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Evansville, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This project painted the intersection of North Main and West Michigan streets to improve visibility. It also repaired sidewalks and curbs on nearby streets, where there is a high percentage of older adults.
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