Milwaukee Urban Ecology Blog

As an avid hiker, Brianna Joy Seipel believes in the power of wild spaces to heal, inspire and transform. Inspired by backpacking trips with her husband, Joel, her vibrant oil paintings reveal the expansive beauty of national parks, forests, and wilderness areas. Her work invites us to consider landscapes as “places of refuge” and time outdoors as restorative care for the spirit, mind, and body. 

Before becoming a member of the UEC during the winter of 2020, Anushka Fonseka had lived in Indiana for 9 years. “I’m new to Milwaukee, so I was looking for outdoor things and how to get involved in the community.” Shortly after moving here, he decided to become a member after it was suggested by his friend and UEC staff member Victoria Bahe.

Can you imagine Milwaukee without the Urban Ecology Center? Have you lived in or visited a city where people did not have a place that helped them connect to nature and each other?Many of us living in Milwaukee have come to rely on the Urban Ecology Center as a place that provides us with a community space, in three distinct locations across the city.

The Urban Ecology Center always encourages everyone to enjoy urban nature any time of the year as we truly believe that the wonders of the outdoors bring people together. And winter is not an exception.  Between sports and outdoor winter activities, including Urban Candlelight Hike, Pop-Up Excursions, and Adventure Days, there are plenty of amazing things to do in Milwaukee in the winter.  At the Urban Ecology Center, we are offering great activities to do outside during the coldest season of the year.  Here are a few of our highlights for this winter:

“I think we’ll be members forever now.” The Urban Ecology Center had the opportunity to speak with new members, Linda Gorens-Levey and Mike Levey, about their experiences with their UEC membership thus far, and aside from their cheery commitment to being lifelong members, following is some of what they had to share when asked why they decided to sign up. Mike explained, “We had two great experiences this year.” Mike and Linda’s son, Ben, had been living at home while working remotely since last March, and they were looking for outdoor family activities. Linda had been aware of the UEC for several years and decided to sign the family up for a cross-country skiing class led by UEC staff member…

We are happy to announce that Meghan Schopp will be joining us as our Director of Education, starting on Monday, December 13th. Meghan will be coming from the Milwaukee Public Museum, where she leads program development, builds community partnerships, and helps guide strategic planning while managing an interdisciplinary team that delivers innovative programming for children, families, and lifelong learners.

The holidays are around the corner! We sure hope you'll enjoy time relaxing, spending time in nature, and connecting with people you care about.Looking for some holiday gift ideas? Give the gift of a UEC experience! Plus, you'll be supporting our mission of connecting people to nature and each other. Urban Ecology Center gifts are gifts that keep on giving!  Check them out:

As holiday shopping season nears, a collaboration of over 40 Milwaukee-area nonprofits, including the Urban Ecology Center, are joining together to emphasize the importance of supporting our communities through an effort called Giving First on Tuesday, November 23rd. The Giving First date flips the script by coming one week before Giving Tuesday, which traditionally falls after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber-Monday shopping and has been a day of giving for many nonprofits. Local nonprofits put the community first all year long and hope the community will put them first this giving season.

The leaves are turning and the cool air is unpredictable, fall is here! As we are taking in the wonderful fall activities, the Volunteer Department at the UEC is slowing down and wrapping up some of our ongoing volunteer opportunities, and getting ready to celebrate you, our wonderful volunteers.

The path that led Chamong Xiong to the Urban Ecology Center this summer has been a winding one. His story of being called back to the land is an inspiration for all of us to do the same and cultivate a meaningful connection with the outside world. Even if it means taking risks and leaping into the unknown to find it.