The easiest way to have a BIGGER impact in 2024? Ask your employer to match your 2023 gift! Matching gifts are a type of giving program set up by companies and corporations as an employee benefit. After an employee donates to a nonprofit, they can submit a matching gift request to their employer and the company will make an additional donation to that nonprofit.

Most employers will match gifts 1:1 meaning if you give $100, they company will give $100 as well.  But, some employers will double or even triple gifts!

What do you want to be when you grow up? In high school this question quickly becomes a daunting task to figure out. Luckily for Milwaukee students, the Urban Ecology Center is on a mission to keep this question full of hope and wonder. 

The Urban Ecology Center High School Outdoor Leadership program is a unique paid internship that helps teens build a wide range of skills including leadership, studies of ecology, environmental justice, and job-readiness. After completing an 8-week summer internship, high school students have the opportunity to apply for an academic year position (September-April). 

The Outdoor Leader program at the Urban Ecology Center allows youth to get outside, learn about green careers, make friends, and get paid! It is our goal to provide high school students the resources and guidance to make connections within themselves, their communities, and nature. Outdoor Leaders are a part of our Green Career Pathway program, which engages people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests in studies of ecology, volunteerism, environmental justice, and much more.

Giving Tuesday typically falls the Tuesday after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

But, in this already unusual year, we thought why not flip the script on Giving Tuesday? Why not give first this year?

We're asking you to join us in Giving First on Tuesday, November 24. You can provide the resources needed to continue to offer important Urban Ecology Center programming that inspires generations to build environmental curiosity, understanding, and respect.

www.urbanecologycenter.org/givingfirst

Our Equity, Dignity, and Justice staff group prepared this message on behalf of the Urban Ecology Center:

We are heartbroken over the murder of George Floyd, the killing of Joel Acevedo, and the countless others who have been discriminated against, harassed, assaulted, and killed because of the color of their skin. We strive to create a world where people of color are able to live without fear of harassment and violence.

Did you know that Earth Day started 50 years ago by Wisconsin's very own Sen. Gaylord Nelson?

It's true! Originally, Earth Day was called the National Environmental Teach-in. The goal was to have a national day of ecological observance in order to mobilize public sentiment towards environmental issues and to positively impact future ecological decisions. Sen. Nelson based his idea around the teach-ins taking place all over the country around the Vietnam War. He hoped that students around the country would want to hold events on the same day to help grab the attention of news outlets and most importantly, lawmakers in Washington DC.

“You wanna see my fish?”

Eighteen participants sat in a circle of camp chairs looking at Ken, then at the small girl with the bucket. She was about five years old and on a mission.

Ken had not noticed her as she walked toward the circle. He continued to focus on the session-topic of volunteerism at the Urban Ecology Center. The group had gathered as part of a multi-day introduction to the model — connecting people in cities to nature and each other — pioneered in Milwaukee. The UEC staff was bringing their expertise as an urban environmental education and community center to people from cities across the U.S. and other countries.

We are excited to share this special piece by Urban Ecology Center (UEC) Board Director Dennis Grzezinski. Dennis has been volunteering at the UEC almost since its inception and has had a huge role in getting us to where we are today. We are proud of his accomplishments and thrilled that he continues to be such a strong UEC advocate.

Dennis was our pick for Volunteer of the Month in November 2019. We often ask our volunteers to list the experiences they've had at UEC and he wrote the article below that is part autobiography, part UEC history, and completely heartwarming. Thank you, Dennis, for everything you do!

Autumn is knocking, summer vacations are in the rearview mirror and we are preparing for the school year ahead and our Neighborhood Environmental Education Project (NEEP) for schools. While students are thinking about homework and teachers are creating lesson plans, we are in full-gear preparing for tons of outdoor experiences, nature play and educational fun!

Excitement for new connections

NEEP is a partnership program. We partner with schools within a 2-mile radius of our branches to provide multiple field trips per year. Students have multiple trips, sometimes for multiple years, to learn in and connect to the land in the green spaces we use as “outdoor classrooms.” In addition, our Educators work closely with teachers to ensure that our programming fits seamlessly into their curriculum.

Studies have shown that a child needs two things to inspire environmental awareness: constant contact with nature early in life and an adult mentor (parent, teacher, friend) who demonstrates positive behavior toward the environment. Our Environmental Educators are excited to get to know their students and teach them throughout the school year.

As Milwaukee’s urban ecosystem fills with the energy brought by more sunlight, blossoming plants and wildlife, the Urban Ecology Center overflows with people looking to enjoy the outdoors. How do we handle this great opportunity? With outstanding summer interns!

This year 28 interns spent 12 weeks exploring their dreams and ambitions while they worked to connect people to nature and each other.