About Us

The Urban Ecology Center is an environmental education organization with two community centers adjacent to Milwaukee County parks (or, as we like to call them “outdoor classrooms”). On any given day and you’ll find classes of students from local schools engaging in hands-on learning about science, nature and how to live more sustainably, community members using the array of resources we offer, adventure-seekers borrowing our outdoor recreational equipment, climbing the rock-wall in Riverside Park or canoeing in the lagoon in Washington Park , or people just visiting the center, its staff and volunteers. Best of all, the Urban Ecology Center is available to everyone for fun and learning nearly every day of the year!
The Urban Ecology Center is a neighborhood-based, environmental education, nonprofit community center. Our “outdoor laboratories,” located in two urban parks, include 15 acres of wooded land and riparian habitat on the east bank of the Milwaukee River, an imaginative, habitat-themed playground, and a lagoon. The “green” building in Riverside Park that houses our main offices, resource areas and classrooms is home to live animals, informational exhibits and user-friendly resource materials about the environment.

What We Do

Research shows that children who explore natural areas throughout their childhood, guided by environmentally literate mentors, are likely to become ecologically responsible adults. All of our programs — from our award-winning Neighborhood Environmental Education Project to our fun-filled Urban Adventures programs — are designed with this research in mind.

The Urban Ecology Center has programs and resources for:

Schools/Teachers

Families and kids

Adults

Teens

Youth Group Leaders

Neighborhood Environmental Education Project

Each year, over 15,000 students and teachers from 30 neighborhood schools explore the ecology of their local community with the Urban Ecology Center. Educational programs enrich the existing MPS K-12 science curriculum with outdoor hands-on learning experiences. Click here for more information about this nationally recognized program.

Urban Adventures

The Center offers nature-based outings, for example: hiking, rock climbing, canoeing and kayaking.

See the Events Calendar for scheduled Urban Adventures. You can also schedule an outing for your group or organization. Contact Urban Adventures Coordinator Chad Thomack at cthomack@urbanecologycenter.org for details.

Citizen Science

We offer many ways for people to participate with researchers in publishable scientific field research. As an assistant in a Citizen Science project you are at the forefront of scientific discovery!

See our Research page or contact Tim Vargo, Research Coordinator at tvargo@urbanecologycenter.org or (414) 964-8505, x116, for more information or to become involved in a study.

Summer Youth Camp

With trained, professional environmental educators as their guides, summer campers investigate the natural world using green spaces located in Milwaukee and surrounding areas. We also offer canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, beach combing and other outdoor activities that allow for environmental exploration from a variety of perspectives. Visit our Summer Camp section to learn more about this fun program.

Adult Lectures, Workshops and Discussions

The Center offers monthly programs with topics related to:

• Local environmental issues
• Environmental information
• Natural history
• Ways in which to live lightly on the earth

See the Events Calendar for this month's schedule.

Internships

The Urban Ecology Center is an internship site for local universities and high schools.

Community Interest Groups

The Center is the base for many community groups, including:

• Urban Stargazers
• Vegetarian Potluck
• Urban Ecology Center Camera Club
• Paths to a Sustainable Future
• Friends of Real Food

In all that we do, process is as important as the end product, and everything has a community focus. From the daily donation of baked goods by Alterra Coffee Roasters, to the over 250 active volunteers, to the community-designed and -built exhibits in the classrooms—we spell “Community” with a capital “C”.

History

In the early 1900's Riverside Park was a well groomed, popular park for seasonal swimming, boating, skating and curling. Over decades of industrial use, the Milwaukee River reached a level of pollution that no longer attracted visitors and the park was essentially abandoned. In 1991, after much discussion regarding the best way to revitalize the area, the Urban Ecology Center was born. Dr. Else Ankel, Environmental Scientist in Residence at Riverside High School, was the driving force behind this grass roots effort. The organization grew from a few volunteer teachers taking children into the park into what we are today.

Financial Base

• Donations from Friends
• Program Fees
• Grants
• Annual fund raising events

Urban Ecology Center Mission Statement

The Urban Ecology Center fosters ecological understanding as inspiration for change, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Our Environmental Community Centers:

• Provide outdoor science education for urban youth.
  
• Protect and use public natural areas, making them safe, accessible and vibrant.
  
• Preserve and enhance these natural areas and their surrounding waters.
  
• Promote community by offering resources that support learning, volunteerism, stewardship, recreation, and camaraderie.
  
• Practice and model environmentally responsible behaviors