This spring the Urban Ecology Center (UEC) will be conducting prescribed burns at our Menomonee Valley, Riverside Park, and Washington Park locations. The burn will occur in partnership with The Prairie Enthusiasts and UEC Land Stewardship staff. 

The natural areas proposed for burning have become dependent on prescribed fires in order to survive and prosper. These prairie and woodland ecosystems need fire in order to return necessary nutrients to the soil, combat invasive species, and remove dead, built-up organic matter. Ideally, lands are burned on a consistent schedule. Land Stewards are responsible for developing a land management plan and enforcing a prescribed burn schedule depending on the ecosystem type. 

Even though we experienced a drastic cold beginning of winter, the temperatures have been mild so far this 2023 with rainy winter weather and no snow on the ground. As winter’s mild weather could be the new normal, at the Urban Ecology Center we plan ahead with a variety of programs that can be enjoyed with or without snow all winter long. 

The final days of 2022 are fast approaching so you may be turning your attention to gifts for family, friends and your favorite non-profits!  While we can’t help you decide what pair of socks to get Uncle Joe, we can help when it comes to end-of-year charitable gift planning!  

Whether you choose to support the UEC or other amazing organizations across our city, use this email as a guide—and don’t forget, December 31 falls on a Saturday this year which may require a little extra planning!

Cameron Flynn is a Photographer, Videographer, and Editor. He recently started volunteering with the Urban Ecology Center taking beautiful video footage of the parks we manage! Read on to learn about his journey and connection to nature and also learn how to volunteer at the UEC!

We are so fortunate to have had Kim Forbeck as the Manager of Land Stewardship for 22 years! Today she is officially retiring and we wish her the very best on her new adventures.

Kim has guided our Land Stewardship department as a tireless advocate for green spaces in Milwaukee. Due to her leadership, the UEC has provided a variety of ecologically diverse and resilient spaces for all to enjoy. The biodiversity and access to three distinct public greenspaces within the city of Milwaukee have been genuinely transformed, including two conversions from brownfield rubble, the enhancement of a degraded forest, and the evolution from sterile trees and lawn to an amazing diverse habitat in the middle of the city.

Anyone who lives or has lived in South Eastern Wisconsin can attest that Milwaukee in the summer is a place where everyone and everything thrives. At the Urban Ecology Center, the same applies. Neighborhood Engagement, Community Programs, Summer Camps, Land Stewardship, and many other departments at UEC are in full bloom. The Center needs extra hands during the summer months which is where the help of all the summer interns come into play. With the new excitement and energy that the summer interns bring to UEC, let’s dive into a few of their stories.

Local artist Shelly Rosenquist will display her art exhibit 'Eco Stars' at the Urban Ecology Center Menomonee Valley later this July. Everyone is welcome to the opening reception on July 22 from 5-7 pm. 

Shelly Rosenquist says, “My subject matter ranges from what influences me in our world, but I tend to take much of my inspiration from nature and the organic. I believe that in our hectic human existence, we have strayed from what makes this world a beautiful place. I like to use my work as a tool to remind people to look around them, breathe the air, to appreciate the detail and miracles of nature. I express myself by taking the neglected and twisting it into something unique that cannot be ignored. 

People are finding many ways to celebrate this warm (maybe a little too warm?) summer. The one that has caught my attention the most is fireworks. As the night skies filled with flashing bright colors and a resounding loud noise, I’ve found myself considering the effects of fireworks on our urban environment from an ecological perspective.

Fireworks affect all of us in Milwaukee in more ways than you might imagine.