Milwaukee Urban Ecology Blog

As we bid farewell to April, National Poetry Month once again comes to a close. This year the Urban Ecology Center celebrated poetry and the earth on two special evenings. The Thursday before Earth Day brought a new group of poets and energy into the center with Spirit and Nature – A reading and Conversation with Anishinaabe Poets. The following night was the annual Earth Poets and Musicians Earthstravaganza. This marked the 30th anniversary of this group meeting, sharing words with our community and celebrating the earth.

Earth Day is nearly upon us. Each year we pause on April 22nd to think about ecology, climate change, preservation—survival. This past year, people the world over have come together around the protection of our waters, taking up the chant "Water is Life."   Now as we think about the health of our planet, I invite you to consider the way we "story" water, the earth, the sky, and all the natural beings in the universe. In The Truth About Stories Indigenous writer Tom King asks, "Do the stories we tell reflect the world as it truly is, or did we simply start off with the wrong story?"

April 22nd is Earth Day, celebrated around the world as a day to protect, steward and learn about the earth. Here at the Center we're inviting everyone to help celebrate with our Earth Day of Service, a morning of pitching in with friends and neighbors at each of our three branches to show some love to our little corner of the planet - come join us!

In mid-January, during those grand days of winter when we actually had snow on the ground, I learned the value of taking chances through the determination of an 8th grade girl. It was a chilly day, but I had discovered the previous week that students cannot wait to be outside, even on the coldest of days. One student caught my attention as we walked out to the bus. She told me that it was her first trip to the Urban Ecology Center, her first winter in Wisconsin, and how excited she was for her first opportunity to explore snow. Little did she know, her class was about to go cross-country skiing.

Coming from the perspective of a human (a true biological juggernaut of adaptability), the past couple of weeks have been a real joy. For a few glorious days, I wore a tank top outside at work (in February!) and today I’m walking in a winter wonderland again. While the particular weather pattern we’ve just experienced here in Milwaukee has been a treat for us humans, for the plants around us, trees and shrubs especially, it will prove to be more of a trial.

For those of you who may not know, we have an organization-wide phenology competition every year to document the first of year (FoY) Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Chipmunk, Mourning Cloak, and Butler's Gartersnake. The documentation of these four species typically signifies the arrival of spring and the dismissal of winter. This year's unseasonal warm weather, however, has a resulted in an uncomfortably early kickoff.

An ornithologist and ecologist are hiking along the Milwaukee River. No, this is not a start to a bad joke – it is a story about how we think. As they turn a corner, the ornithologist gasps as she sees a tree alive with the movement of over 20 birds! Stopping, she focuses her binoculars and directs her attention to the characteristics that will help her identify them. It is challenging and fun. She is having a great time and decides she needs to walk here more often and plans to tell all of her friends about this wonderful place to look for birds!

In 2016, over 9,000 people attended events hosted by renters at our three branches. From weddings to meetings, we offer 14 eco-friendly spaces and many amenities that are perfect for small to fairly large groups. More importantly, by holding an event at the Urban Ecology Center, you are helping a child to get out into nature. You are helping an adult canoe for the first time and a teen teach kids how to grow a garden.

Below is the story of how Ken wrote Urban Ecology: a Natural Way to Transform Kids, Parks, Cities, and the World. Click here for a short synopsis of the book. The way I wrote a book was not traditional, but I doubt that is much of a surprise to most. Wait, did you catch that? I just wrote a book! It's called Urban Ecology: a Natural Way to Transform Kids, Parks, Cities, and the World. This adventure started two years ago when Peter and Jean Storer offered us support for the purpose of writing a book. Without any request  from us, they felt that the Urban Ecology Center story needed to be told. What followed was a little bit of…

Below is a short synopsis of the book. Click here if you'd like to learn the story behind it. We are excited to share that the Urban Ecology Center's new book is now available! It's called Urban Ecology: a Natural Way to Transform Kids, Parks, Cities, and the World and the author is our Executive Director, Ken Leinbach.  The book shares the story of the beginning of the Urban Ecology Center and our growth into three vibrant Milwaukee branches. It includes our lessons learned along the way such as how to find abundance in our community, the power of prototypes, and how to raise money.