Milwaukee Urban Ecology Blog

Riding my bike down the Hank Aaron State Trail for my first day of a 6 week stint of teaching at the Menomonee Valley Branch I am filled with pride. Crossing the Menomonee River I see ducks and geese congregating on the waters enjoying a morning bath. Continuing on I can't help but notice all the activity in the surrounding industrial landscape providing jobs and sustenance to the local community. Men and women alike make their way through the passage taking in the fresh air and beauty that surrounds them, or so I hope. 

Tia Richardson is a Milwaukee-based community artist who provides visual arts programming as a tool for community-building for young people and adults, focusing on how community art reinforces empathy and cooperation with one another. She met Davita and I at Menomonee Valley one afternoon to share how she became a member of the Urban Ecology Center about two years ago, and how membership continues to provide her with an essential extension of her community and her home.

The final "R" in our Milwauke Earth Month eco-tips is "recycle!" You've already learned how to refuse, reduce, reuse and repurpose. Now the final step is to recycle what's leftover! Recycling is an important final step and is easy to do, and this week's tips will help you become a better recycler. Make sure you share this new knowledge with friends and family!

Pat Mueller and Roger Coleman are two of the most familiar faces at the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center, each one sharing a history with the Center that goes back nearly two decades and an appreciation that persists to this day. You’ll find Pat volunteering behind the reception desk every Thursday morning and Roger back in the office 5 days a week completing his Volunteer Program internship. They met with us at Riverside Park one afternoon to tell us their thoughts on nurturing, growth, and taking care of what you have.

Baby showers and birthday parties and weddings – oh my! When the education classes wrap up and our public programs are done, the second life of our classrooms and branches emerges. Retirement parties, memorial celebrations, bridal showers, company retreats and more! Our spaces get used all over again – a repurposing of space if you will – with our facility rental program.

Repurposing items is one of the most fun ways to be more environmentally friendly and can also cure boredom. All you need is items you no longer need or use and a little creativity. You’re only limited by how creative you can be! Before you recycle or throw something away, see if you can think of a way it could be used for something different. You might be surprised at the ideas you come up with and you'll end up making something that is one-of-a-kind!

Steve & Barb Weinstein have lived in the Riverside Park neighborhood since 1978. Steve bikes the Oak Leaf Trail every day, at times stopping to rest and take in the sounds of children playing in the park. He strolled into Riverside Park one evening after work and told me about his history with the Center; thinking back to when this building was nothing but a dream and his daughter was too young to work, he spoke of the Center’s growth with a strong sense of pride and a hint of nostalgia.

This week is about reusing! Our tips will give you ideas about how to reuse things instead of recycling or throwing them away after one use. Reusing something is an easy way to reduce the amount of items you need to buy and the amount of waste you produce.

As our art exhibits enter their tenth year, Sally Duback, one of the founding members of our arts committee offers this reflection about the beginning and growth of the program. Ten years ago, UEC board member Danni Gendelman convinced the board that it would be a good idea to host nature-related art exhibitions in the community room. In order to make this happen, she pulled together a small committee of Milwaukee area artists/arts professionals Barbara Manger, Sally Duback and Leon Travanti; and discussions began among them about how this could work.

This week’s Milwaukee Earth Month theme is reduce. Our first set of tips were ways to refuse things you don't really need. The next step is to reduce the amount of resources you use. Reducing the amount of electricity, water and gas you use daily can have a big impact on your environmental footprint and your wallet. We've complied 7 things you can easily incorporate into your daily routine that will help you save money and start good eco-friendly habits.