Milwaukee Urban Ecology Blog

“I want to feel safe, a sense of comfort.” “I want to come to a place where I can just be who I am.” “I want to know that my sisters are safe.” All of these comments came from teens responding to the question “How do you want to feel when you come to the Urban Ecology Center?” During the second half of 2014, we had nearly 80 people attend community forums and listening sessions in Washington Park, almost half of whom were children or teens. The quotes above came from youth who understand how important it is to have a place in their community where they can relax, unwind and just be.

By generously offering their time, talent and contributions, our corporate partners are helping us build a strong, vibrant community.  Their significant support through sponsorships, grants, in-kind donations and hands-on volunteering helps us get people of all ages outdoors.  We are immensely grateful for their partnership in this work. See for Yourself! (No really, see how our corporate sponsors contributed to our success last year!)

Here at the Urban Ecology Center, we love to celebrate different events, activities and programs offered throughout the year. Back in November, we hosted our first ever Bluegrass Pie Swap, where attendees made and brought two pies: one to share and sample with the group, and one to swap with someone else to take home and enjoy. Not only were we excited about this program, but the attendees seemed to have a blast as well. One attendee, Shan, is a pie-enthusiast who recently wrote a guest blog that reflects on his experience at this program. Shan brought sweet potato pecan pie, which was voted fan favorite at the event! Read on to hear how Shan enjoyed this event due to…

While some activities outdoors are winding down (at least until there is enough snow to get out on skis or snowshoes), activity has increased on the land situated in the midst of the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum. If your plans bring you to the Arboretum this winter (it’s a great place for a walk in any season!), you will see a demolition project underway. This work began in December and will extend until March 2015.

The turn of the year is always a good time for reflection-- to ask, “Why do I do what I do?” Sometimes it’s really hard for me to answer that question. We live in a city plagued by segregation, disparity and systemic violence, within a country that often feels paralyzed by political polarization. Against this backdrop, I sometimes find myself planning a snowshoe program and wondering, “Isn’t there more I could be doing?” and “Is this work really that important?” I think the answer to both of these questions is “yes.”

“Wow! Did I really just say that? ... I sure hope I didn’t offend anyone,” I thought as I stepped from the podium and returned to my seat. It is always a little dicey when I’m asked to speak extemporaneously. Even I am never quite sure what I will say. In this case, I issued a personal challenge to all in attendance at an evening business awards ceremony organized by the Shepherd Express. Upon receiving much positive feedback afterward, I thought that perhaps I should offer this to you as well!

Camping trips, while fun, are still subject to Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I recently lead a camping trip with a group of youth from a partner organization. It was approaching midnight and we could barely see the campsite from inside the van we had taken temporary shelter in. Our vision was not only obscured by the sheets of rain (a surprise storm had rolled in), but the windows were also fogged from the heat generated by the dozen or so young men huddled up inside the van. The sounds of rain and wind outside the van were quite loud, but even louder was a sound that was coming from the inside of the van…

Winter is coming…and we can’t wait! Why spend 5 months of what feels like Wisconsin’s longest season* stuck indoors? The skis have been waxed, snowshoes checked, and sleds pulled out of storage. Winter Equipment Lending at the Urban Ecology Center is here!

"I guess I'll just have to suck it up," she chuckled, trying to be a good sport. "Well, I know George would love it, and so would my daughter and son-in-law who are visiting from out of town," she explained to me.

Imagine a fierce predatory bird that deftly picks off mammals and smaller birds. She spends hours of her day in the cold Canadian taiga, battling food scarcity and searching for sustenance. Once her unsuspecting prey is spotted, she swoops mid-air, stunning the prey with a sharp blow to the head and impales it swiftly on a piece of barbed wire. She may do this several times a day, caching her food in preparation for hard times to come. Such a clever and dominant bird, never letting her diminutive size stop her. For even a songbird the size of a robin can prove a formidable warrior.