Milwaukee Urban Ecology Blog

Last Saturday marked the Urban Ecology Center's 10th annual Summer Solstice Soirée as well as the 10th Anniversary of our branch in Washington Park. Guests enjoyed an illuminating evening with Washington Park’s lagoon as a picturesque backdrop as we celebrated how the Urban Ecology Center and our supporters are lighting the way by educating youth, preserving the land, connecting people to nature and bringing communities together.

One of my very first memories, from when I was three or four years old, was of me fishing with my dad. He had taken me camping up in the Chequamegon-Nicolet national forest. I remember only bits and pieces of riding in the truck, sleeping in a tent, and sitting around a campfire. But being out on a lake in the boat, that I remember quite vividly.

I, along with thirty-one other excited individuals, have started our summer as interns with the Urban Ecology Center. We come from diverse backgrounds with different qualifications, and, while we are all pursing different futures, for the entirety of this short summer our paths are molding together as we encourage the growth of ecological knowledge here in the Milwaukee area.

Warm weather has arrived, and that means it's canoe and kayak season! If you missed this blog post when it was originally published in 2015, we think you'll find it's just right for inspiring visions of sunny days out on the water. Read on, and be sure to take a look at our full list of summer paddling programs after the post!

Collaborating with Menomonee Valley Partners, our branch is the hub of natural restoration and community. Some highlights include partnering with 19 schools, over 50 afterschool programs and 18 Summer Camps.

The Menomonee Valley is a special place. I could write endlessly about all the cool stuff we do at our branch and in the surrounding neighborhoods. I have had rich personal experiences as I dove into this south side community. Some of the most fun adventures involved … food! We talk a lot at the Urban Ecology Center about “So much life!” In our south side community you could also say “So much food!” We provide community gardens for our neighbors, enjoy guest teachers who share their cooking knowledge, and share meals with colleagues from others organizations to build community.

It was one of those freakishly warm days in February when the temperatures rose into the low 70s. I was working with a group of excited, but respectful, 2nd graders from Franklin Pierce Elementary. We were focusing on one of the most important of nature’s resources, soil. Inside we learned how the FBI (fungus, bacteria, and invertebrates) change sticks, leaves and other organic material into soil. Then we headed outside for some exploring. We made our way in the warm sun to a multitude of dirt piles we use for adding soil to our park. Each student was given a spade as their scientific instrument. Soon the students were digging in the dirt more enthusiastically than a dog digging for…

I’ve always thought it a little strange that one of the most important identifiers we carry—our names—are usually given to us by someone else. Of course we can always choose to go by nicknames, middle names or change names completely.

As we created Urban Ecology Center branches, we were barely thinking outside of the bounds of our neighborhoods. Our goals were all about “acting local” - protecting and enhancing Milwaukee’s natural areas and its surrounding waters. “Thinking global” was attainable, but “acting global” seemed a bit out of reach. The thought of our work having anything to do with places as far flung as Guatemala, Mexico, Israel, the Congo or Tanzania was not even possible to conceive of back in those earlier days.

On May 6th, 2017, brothers Zion Singh Ponder (4 years old) and Zephaniah Singh Ponder (8 years old) hosted the Epic World Dance Party. This was their second year doing the Epic World Dance Party in partnership with the Urban Ecology Center. The boys invited dancers from around the city to teach mini dancing lessons during the party. This year, Mari Otero from Salsabrosa Dance Company taught Salsa and Bachata. Gabi Sustache from Danceworks Milwaukee taught Modern Dancing.