As another year comes to a close, it is common to look back on the year that was and revisit highlights, memories, and lessons learned. I imagine that whenever we look back, 2020 will always have a giant asterisk next to it. So much about this year was different, thanks largely in part to the pandemic that continues to keep us socially distancing and working virtually as much as possible. It's easy to think of this as an entirely negative experience, and in many cases, correct to do so. But one silver lining that came from this new virtual lifestyle at the UEC was the Urban Ecology Center in my Backyard portal. As the coordinator of this effort, I feel so grateful to have spent my year seeing the many new talents on display from our hard working staff.

We are lucky to have a resident snake as an animal ambassador at all three branches of the Urban Ecology Center: Neile the black rat snake at Riverside Park, Andre the bull snake at Washington Park, and Sara the bull snake at Menomonee Valley. These snakes have the job of giving our visitors and students an up close look at a greatly misunderstood animal.

One of the most common questions people ask when they are meeting our snakes is: “are they poisonous?” The answer is no, they are not. But also, that question is not necessarily asking what you think it is asking. Because very few snakes in the world are actually, by definition, poisonous.

At the Urban Ecology Center, education is a cornerstone of our work, our mission, and our impact on the city of Milwaukee. We strive to use education as a tool to form deeper connections with the natural world around us. So as you might imagine, it was a little jarring for me when I realized that I had inadvertently been sharing misinformation when educating the public about one of our resident turtles, Marty. This is a story of a case of mistaken identity.

A few weeks ago, I posted a video introducing the world to Marty.

Have you met Daisy? Daisy is one of the Urban Ecology Center’s ambassador box turtles. Specifically, Daisy is an ornate box turtle. She lives at Menomonee Valley and helps support our mission of introducing children and families to one of the amazing species of creatures with whom we share our natural habitats. While inside her tank, Daisy often buries herself into the substrate and can be hard to find. However, whenever our educators bring her out to share with students in their classes, Daisy is engaging and active, walking around the group and investigating each of the people that have come to learn about her.

If you’ve been to one of our Urban Ecology Center branches, you have probably visited one of our Native Wisconsin Animal Rooms and seen the many cold-blooded critters that call the UEC our home. Our education animals are an important part of our mission to provide kids and families with life-changing encounters with the natural world. A lot goes on behind the scenes to make this happen: the animals need to be fed, their homes need to be cleaned, and we need to make sure they remain healthy. That last item is made much easier thanks to the generosity of Lakeside Animal Hospital.

My most memorable “nature moments” as a kid involved close encounters with animals: meeting live snakes at Riverbend Nature Center in my hometown of Racine, encountering bighorn sheep on a family trip to Badlands National Park, going fishing in lakes in Northern Wisconsin. At the Urban Ecology Center, our mission is to connect people to nature, and providing interactions with animals is one of the most visceral ways we do that.

Canoes and kayaks are, without a doubt, the most popular items in our equipment lending program. Every weekend throughout the summer months, our boat racks are completely empty, as our members enjoy paddling up and down the Milwaukee River and all throughout our community.

In the visitor services department at the Urban Ecology Center, we like to say that we “wear a lot of hats.” In any given day, for example, I may end up making a pot of coffee, repairing a broken snowshoe, signing visitors up for memberships, training a new volunteer receptionist, or setting up a room for a neighborhood group, amongst many more tasks and projects.

This spring, two students from Cardinal Stritch University took the opportunity to experience the life of the Visitor Services Department first-hand as our first ever Visitor Services College Interns.

 “Think globally, act locally.” Although she didn’t come up with this slogan herself, Carol Brill tries to live her life by this guiding motto. By getting involved with local organizations in her community, Carol recognizes that her work and actions will make a far-reaching impact.

This principle is what steered her to becoming a volunteer at the Urban Ecology Center where she can now be found operating the Riverside Park reception desk every Friday afternoon.

Summer is in full swing here at the Urban Ecology Center! The windows are open, the bullfrogs are croaking, there are interns everywhere, and the boat racks are empty every weekend during these hot, sunny days.

While our canoes and kayaks are quite popular, did you know that we lend a third type of watercraft to our members as well? Stand up paddleboards (SUPs)! If you find yourself wanting a new, up close, adventure on the water give our paddleboards a try!