Join the Urban Ecology Center and borrow our equipment for free!
Instead of buying or renting outdoor recreational equipment, why not borrow it from us? As part of your membership benefit package, we loan out our canoes, kayaks, bikes, camping equipment, lawn sports, snowshoes, cross-country skis, sleds and gardening tools for FREE. This Equipment Lending Program is a benefit exclusively available to members of the Urban Ecology Center. You're not a member of the Urban Ecology Center? Then join today! Click here to become a member.
We offer this unique and exceptional benefit to our members for three main reasons:
- We want to get you outside! We love helping people have positive outdoor experiences and don't mind at all if your experience starts by borrowing our equipment.
- We hear the landfills are just filled with old snowshoes and gardening tools. As a way to limit consumption, we provide our equipment lending program to encourage the use of shared resources in our community.
- We don't have sugar. Remember when you had to borrow a cup of sugar (or milk, or doughnuts) from your neighbor? Well, just substitute "kayak" for "cup of sugar." We're really just trying to be a good neighbor. A neighbor who shares lots of stuff.
Summer Lending
Ah, summer. Time to get outside and garden or play. The Urban Ecology Center has the equipment you need to enjoy this fleeting season.
Available at Washington Park:
Lending Times: |
Available at Riverside Park:
Lending Times: |
Equipment can be kept for three days.
Urban Ecology Center Equipment Lending Guidelines
- Borrower must be member of Urban Ecology Center and 18 years of age or older.
- Borrower must have credit card, driver's license and $5 cash waiver deposit to insure proper and timely return of equipment or tools.
- Loan periods are a maximum of 3 days.
- Borrower must sign a waiver indicating they are capable of using equipment in safe and proper manner and assuming responsibility for any lost or damaged items.
- Equipment must be returned during open hours and checked in by staff or a receptionist. Deposit will be returned if there is no damage found and equipment is returned on or before return date. Late returns may be subject to a $5/day late fee.
Canoe and Kayak Lending Guidelines
Before borrowing one of our boats, we require all members to attend a Center led boating program or participate in a 30-minute Water Safety Course and pass a written water safety test. This is a one-time requirement; once you pass the test you will be certified to borrow any of our canoes and kayaks for the rest of your life. We require one member who has passed the Water Safety Course per boat borrowed.
In addition, due to safety concerns, Center staff will be monitoring water levels in the Milwaukee River to warn you about potentially dangerous conditions. In times of intense flooding, we may ask you to take the boat to a different location.
