Milwaukee Urban Ecology Blog
Here at the Urban Ecology Center, we strive to teach children about science and the outdoors by helping them explore the nature in their own neighborhoods. During the school year our team of professional environmental educators accomplish this by leading field trips. Once the warm weather arrives children flood our Centers as part of Summer Camp and our staff need reinforcements; that’s where our summer educator interns come in!
Occasionally the Research and Community Science team has a find so cool that we can’t stop ourselves from sharing it. Back in 2006 I started a mammal monitoring project at Riverside Park to document the park’s population, and recently we recorded the most glorious find I have ever experienced at the UEC!
Summer camp season is in full swing here at the Center, and our branches are echoing with the sounds of happy children having adventures! If you’re feeling a little jealous of all the fun our campers are having, then we have the perfect event for you – our Grown-Up Summer Camp, brought to you by our friends at New Belgium Brewing and hosted at our Riverside Park branch.
Part of the Urban Ecology Center’s mission is to preserve and enhance the urban natural areas in which we operate. Our small, full-time team of professional Land Stewards do a great job engaging volunteers on restoration projects, but tending to all the work needed in the summer growing season can be a challenge. Thank goodness for our Summer Land Steward Interns!
The land just west of our Riverside Park branch, between the Center and the Milwaukee River, has an interesting and varied history of land uses – industrial factory, yarn company, and salvage business, to name a few – and now we want to hear your ideas on how it will be used next!
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!
I boarded a bus with a class of anxious fifth graders from Hawley Environmental School and headed north to Riveredge Nature Center. We were spending the entire day studying the inhabitants of this rural part of the Milwaukee River through River Connections, a collaboration between Riveredge and the Urban Ecology Center.
Our impact isn’t always known right away. Sometimes it surprises us years later. An individual experience at our Center expands into a huge community change. That experience, well it’s just magical!
For many young people in Milwaukee living in poverty, the summer months can mean a lack of access to resources that support academic and developmental progress. But YOU are making a difference! Your support is helping give Milwaukee’s children a chance to have a better summer experience by getting them outside and engaging in nature-based learning. Thank you!
Milwaukee’s summer months are filled with light! Throughout the city there are fireworks, stage lights, tiki torches and people coming together to enjoy the weather. But if you are looking to spend time away from the massive crowds and hard streets, you don’t need to look very far: nature offers its own set of lights!
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