Summer is here! Perhaps one of the most encouraging and beautiful silver lining unintended benefits of the current pandemic is that a lot more people are spending more time outside. Parks have closed roads to vehicles to encourage more pedestrian traffic, and folks are enjoying social distancing in the beautiful natural spaces our city has to offer. As a result, a lot of community members have been turning their eyes to the Urban Ecology Center. “It’s summer… when can I borrow a kayak?”

The answer… soon! The Urban Ecology Center has a plan for the gradual restart of onsite work (GROW- click here to read the full article).

Of all my childhood experiences, waking up before sunrise to go fishing with my grandfather still holds a vivid place in my memory. My grandparents would pick me up from my house and take me up to Chetek, WI to go fishing for a week-long trip. We would stay at a humble fishing resort and I would share a pull out bed with my cousins who lay sleeping soundly while I quietly rose and put on warm clothes to go out alone on the boat with my grandpa. I always wanted to fish for northern pike or some other monstrous fish, and my grandpa would humor me and let me just keep casting over and over until I grew bored, then gently encourage me to throw a hook and bobber in and try for crappie instead. Of course, pan-fishing was much easier for me as a child, and I would delight in pulling in dozens of smaller but easier to catch fish. We always ended our week with a huge fish fry, and he would proudly tell everyone that I supplied the most fish for the fry, if not the biggest.

This summer, my family had an opportunity to go camping at Rock Island state park in Door County, WI. This was a level up for us because, to date, we had always done car camping. Rock Island does not allow cars or have any sort of store on the island to replenish supplies (read: snacks).

You bring all supplies with you on a ferry. Then cart everything, including your young children, to the campsite, which is located about a half mile from the boat launch.

I started my position as a Visitor Services Specialist for the Menomonee Valley branch about four months ago. One of the best parts of my job is not only having the opportunity to use my first language, Spanish, but also to help my community connect, or in many cases reconnect, with nature and the environment. It also gave me the ability to start that re-connection that my family has with nature and with Milwaukee ecology specifically.

The Urban Ecology Center is an environmental community center with the mission to connect people in cities to nature and each other. Our members are a key component of this mission and an example that everyone can join together in this endeavor. With your help, we connect kids to local green spaces through school partnerships, to environmental science through internships, and to sustainable learning opportunities. This valued support also allows us to protect and enhance public green spaces to make them safe, accessible and vibrant for everyone. In addition to contributing support to our mission, Besides giving to us, members receive unique benefits that help them to be an active, engaged, healthy and eco-conscious member of our community.

Canoes and kayaks are, without a doubt, the most popular items in our equipment lending program. Every weekend throughout the summer months, our boat racks are completely empty, as our members enjoy paddling up and down the Milwaukee River and all throughout our community.

I woke up in the morning to the sound of waves crashing against the shore on Rock Island, about 20 yards from my tent. I moved silently out of the tent so as not to disturb the sleep of my teenage son and stretched my muscles that were sore from yesterday’s bike ride. Enjoying the early morning quiet from my hammock, I reflected on the journey thus far... this was one of the most amazing camping trips I had ever taken, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the Urban Ecology Center.

I have a lot of memories that were made on the Washington Park Lagoon. The most memorable has to be when I totally slayed in ice hockey my first time ever playing! Okay, I didn’t really slay - I survived in style. While I tell you about it, I’ll throw in some facts about a cool opportunity available to you at the Urban Ecology Center at Washington Park.

The weather is cooling down, the days are short, and perhaps your little ones are starting to go a bit stir crazy… or maybe the old office job has you down and feeling like you LITERALLY NEVER see the sun anymore?! Should you find yourself (or your family) coming down with some serious cabin fever as fall freezes over into the first frosts of winter, don’t hesitate to drop on by your neighborhood Urban Ecology Center for indoor and outdoor winter fun!

First, bundle up and get all your wiggles out climbing, hiking, playing, and exploring outside in one of our three parks. You might find frenzied squirrels busy burying their hoard of nuts. Or maybe some sparkly icy dewdrops glittering the landscape. If there’s snow, all the merrier! Make your best snowman, snow angel, or test your aim in a snowball fight.

Summer is in full swing here at the Urban Ecology Center! The windows are open, the bullfrogs are croaking, there are interns everywhere, and the boat racks are empty every weekend during these hot, sunny days.

While our canoes and kayaks are quite popular, did you know that we lend a third type of watercraft to our members as well? Stand up paddleboards (SUPs)! If you find yourself wanting a new, up close, adventure on the water give our paddleboards a try!