Madison's Green Legacy
01/16/2009
Who We Are/What We Do
The Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is Madison and Dane County's official destination management organization.
The objective of the GMCVB is to increase visitor volume and spending by bringing convention, event and leisure business to the area.
Why This Topic Matters To The GMCVB
Sustainable living and environmental responsibility are woven into the fabric of Madison and our community-hence the lack of quotation marks around green. It's not a trend, it's not a fad, it's a mindful and emotional connection to the world in which we live-being green in Madison is simply a way of life.
Madison enjoys an abundance of natural resources, including 5 lakes, 260 parks and over120 miles of bike trails providing visitors with ample opportunities to enjoy the green spaces in and around Madison. Always an authentic haven for outdoors enthusiasts and adventure-seeking visitors alike, Madison hosts annual events such as Ford Ironman Wisconsin and Paddle & Portage. The changing climates not only afford magnificent scenery, they also allow for varied outdoor activities from ice-skating and skiing in the winter to swimming and biking in the summer.
Madison plays host to many green conventions and meetings during a year,including Hybridfest and the USDA Forest Service. Being a steward of the environment means more than offering green opportunities for visitors, it means mindfully engaging them to be active participants in green practices.
Our venues are industry leaders in environmental stewardship. The Dane County Regional Airport is the first airport to receive the Federal Aviation Administration-Great Lakes Region's Outstanding Achievement Award for Environmental Stewardship. The Alliant Energy Center and Monona Terrace Convention Center have each taken significant steps to reduce their overall environmental impact and improve energy efficiency, and both facilities are Travel Green Wisconsin certified.
Madison's Green History: The Legacy
Madison as a city has been an environmental steward for generations, harkening back to the lessons of Aldo Leopold, the father of wildlife management, Sierra Club founding member JohnMuir and Earth Day founder and former Wisconsin governor Gaylord Nelson.
Environmental responsibility has always been intrinsic to Madison and we see ourselves as leaders of the green movement, which certainly includes the convention and tourism industry.
The Premier Green Destination Today and for the Future
Where some cities might view going green as a trend, Madison has long had an ecological ethos, experienced through our history of environmental pioneers. From offering the first curbside-recycling program in the nation, to consistently receiving accolades as one of the best, smartest and greenest cities to live, work and play, Madison is a premier green destination.
Green Meetings in Madison
Ecological Society of America (2001)
Forest Products Society (2002)
National Water Quality Monitoring Council (2002)
Natural Areas Association (2003)
International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (2003)
American Fisheries Society (2004)
North American Prairie Conference (2004)
Outdoor Writers Association of America (2005)
Wildlife Society (2005)
National Association of State Foresters (2005)
Land Trust Alliance (2005)
North American Lake Management Society (2005)
The International Ecotourism Society (2007)
Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference (2007)
Great Lakes Forest Alliance (2008)
Assoc. of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (2008)
Central States Water Environment Assoc. (2008)
USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (2008)
United States Regional Assn of the International Assn for Landscape Ecology (2008)
Society of Wetland Scientists (2009)
Hybrid Fest (2009)
Wisconsin Water Association (2010)
Recent Green Accolades
- Nation's Smartest City
bizjournals, April, 2008
- One of the Top Ten Best Outdoor-Oriented Towns
Yahoo! Real Estate, Fall, 2007
- One of the Ten Most Livable Cities in the United States
2007 Places Rated Almanac, Spring, 2007
- Madison Rated One of 9 Cities Where Dogs Rule
Dog Fancy, October, 2007
- Dane County Farmers' Market Named Best in Nation
EatingWell, August, 2007
- One of the 30 Best Towns in America
Outside, August, 2007
- One of the Top Ten Greenest Cities
Yahoo! Real Estate, May, 2007
- #1 Walking City Prevention, April 2007
- #1 City for Cycling, Bicycling, March, 2006
The Green Numbers
- 458,297: Population of Dane County
- 221,735: Population of the City of Madison
- 26,748: Acres of Area Lakes
- 6,000: Acres of Parkland
- 1,240: Square Miles of park land in Dane County
- 260: Parks in Madison
- 150: Miles of Bike Trails in Dane County
- 64: Square Miles in the City of Madison
- 14: Conservation Parks in MadisonGet a jump start on your next article by checking out our story ideas on Madison!
