Exciting community programs are ahead of us this summer!

Stories

Exciting community programs are ahead of us this summer!

Written by Augie Rodenbeck

Wednesday, 01 June 2022

Exciting community programs are ahead of us this summer!

Have you always wanted to try an outdoor adventure like canoeing, but did not know where to start? Join Urban Ecology Center’s Community Programs team as we share in the delights of connecting to nature and each other! Inexperience is not a barrier to programming: we welcome newcomers to urban adventuring. Come with your interest, curiosities, and passions. We want to hear about what led you here, what you are hesitant about, and how we can work together to broaden your experiences and have fun doing it! The neighborhoods and communities that our Centers operate in are why we love what we do.

What do community programs educators hope you get out of programming? A heightened sense of self-awareness - these parks are for you and you belong among them. At the Urban Ecology Center, we recognize that not all feel safe or welcome in green spaces and acknowledge that there is much work to do to rebuild this framework. We educate in the community and the community educates us. In this cycle, we encourage those who do feel safe and welcome in nature to join in, listen, and support this effort; the eternal movement towards true inclusive and anti-oppressive environmentalism. We hope that each program participant leaves inspired to return to an urban green space to continue learning, growing, and connecting to nature in their neighborhoods.

Let’s start this journey together this summer with some exciting program options! We have many options for paddling that you can find on our 2022 Paddling Programs page. BIKING As for other adventures, we have many unique offerings to get you and yours outdoors such as Cycles & Street Food where we will meet at the Menomonee Valley Urban Ecology Center, meet everyone, gear up with bicycles, hit the Hank Aaron State Trail, and get some snacks at Zócalo Food Park. We also have relaxing options like glria Sunset Paint for adults and teens, Eco-Art Evening for families, and Sustainable Spa Night for adults and teens. We even have partner programs where we are incredibly grateful and excited to work with others in the community to provide the best programming possible! Some of these include 3 Mile Stroll & Popsicle Flight with Pete’s Pops, Green Thumb Gardening with Core El Centro, and Full Moon Canoe with the UWM Planetarium. There is truly something for everyone looking to get connected with nature and their community.

Peace of mind rightfully belongs to all, and you can take comfort that our Community Programs Educators believe in sharing this with you. With our proficient program facilitation team, we can guarantee that you will learn something new and be encouraged and respected in our programs all while learning a new skill, having fun, and meeting others in your neighborhood. We can’t wait to see you this summer and thank you for your support of our mission to connect people in cities to nature and each other.

Check out our upcoming offerings and see you this summer!

Outdoor Leaders on the Green Career Path Lighting up the Night Sky

Augie Rodenbeck

Augie is a Milwaukee transplant from Rockford, Illinois (love you, 815!), where their love of ecology blossomed from spending time gardening with their Grams, enjoying time their sister in Rock Cut State Park, finding and identifying birds with their Pop, and visiting Severson Dells Nature Center. Severson sparked a delightful connection to nature that extended through their move to Milwaukee. They will never forget their first visit to the Urban Ecology Center upon moving to the city. Their sweet pal, Katie, showed them around the neighborhood and they ended their exploration at the Riverside Park Center. The beautiful reminder of home, connection to the community, and inviting staff stuck with them until they were fortunate enough to join this talented, passionate, and wild team! What a wonderful journey it has been and continues to be.