Connecting Our Community to Nature
Go Wild for The Greenway is a fundraising initiative supporting the educational and stewardship efforts of the Yakima Greenway Foundation. This campaign helps provide opportunities for children, families, and community members to learn about and experience the unique natural environment that exists along the Yakima and Naches Rivers.
At the heart of the Greenway is a pathway system spanning more than 20 miles through the Yakima River State Conservation Area and Naches River. The Greenway’s accessible paved pathways connect neighborhoods, parks, and natural areas, giving people of all ages and abilities direct access to rivers, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and open space throughout the Yakima area.
This access is what makes the Greenway so important. In a predominantly semi-arid landscape, the riparian corridor along the rivers creates a thriving environment for wildlife, native plants, and unique ecosystems. The pathway system allows residents and visitors to walk, run, roll and explore these natural areas in a safe and welcoming setting.
The Yakima Greenway serves as both a recreational resource and an outdoor classroom. Through interpretive signage, educational programming, community events, newsletters, and digital outreach, the Greenway helps people better understand the value of healthy rivers and urban natural spaces. Programs like Wildlife Day encourage youth and families to build lasting connections to nature while learning about conservation, stewardship, and local wildlife.
Funds raised through Go Wild for The Greenway directly support:
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Environmental education and interpretive programs
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Youth and family engagement opportunities
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Stewardship and advocacy efforts
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Wildlife and habitat awareness
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Community access to safe and healthy outdoor recreation
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Ongoing care of pathways, parks and waters.
By supporting Go Wild for The Greenway through the purchase of a wildlife shirt, donors are helping invest directly in the future of the Yakima Greenway. Five dollars from every shirt purchased goes directly toward environmental education, stewardship programs, wildlife awareness initiatives, and the ongoing care of the pathways, parks, and river corridor that make the Greenway such an important community resource. Each purchase helps create more opportunities for children, families, and community members to connect with nature while supporting the preservation and accessibility of these shared outdoor spaces for generations to come.
