At the Urban Ecology Center, we work towards making nutritious, healthy food accessible to everyone in our communities. Thanks to your support, our food programs have made a huge impact in helping hundreds of people in Milwaukee learn about and experience real, sustainable food. Here’s how!

Have you ever been snowshoeing before? If not, now may be the perfect time to give it a try! We've had wonderful weather for winter adventures lately, and every branch has been bustling with people of all ages borrowing snowshoes and hitting the trails. The amount of snow on the ground right now at all three of our locations is ideal for snowshoeing - we recommend around 6" to a foot (or more!) of snow. 

You did it! Thank you for your tremendous support during our Fall Fund Drive. Your support means we’ll be able to continue providing hands-on environmental education to children and communities in Milwaukee while taking care of the land we all stand on. Thank you for supporting the UEC during our Fall Fund Drive, Giving Tuesday, and every day!

In our December 2017 Weekly Guide emails we introduced our supporters and friends to some people they helped connect to the outdoors. We think their stories are pretty awesome so we put them together in case you missed any of the updates. Experience the Urban Ecology Center through the videos below. You'll find a determined teen, a budding butterfly scientist, a Menomonee Valley family, and one of our monthly donors.

Thank you for your support! You are helping teach kids and adults the mysteries of nature, tranform acres of urban land into beautiful green spaces and provide healthy habitats for plants and animals. After all, we're all in this together!

Iceland’s scenery is breathtaking – the result of glacial and volcanic processes. The country has a unique social and political history and its location just below the Arctic Circle will likely result in large impacts from climate change over the coming years.

Goðafoss, the "waterfall of the gods," just one of the extraordinary stops on our Eco-travel trip to Iceland! Photo: Ævar Guðmundsson

The lava fields of Dimmuborgir make for an otherworldly landscape. Photo: Sander Hoogendoorn

When

August 23 – September 1, 2018 (10 days, 9 nights)

Highlights

• 3 hour whale watching cruise from Húsavík
• Climbing an extinct volcanic crater
• Waterfalls exploration including Hraunfossar, which drains from under vast lava fields into the river Hvítá, Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Gullfoss, a beautiful double waterfall and Goðafoss, "the waterfall of the gods"
• Visiting Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier
• Touring amazing geothermal sites including geysers, lava fields and hot springs.
• Boat ride among the floating icebergs on the glacial lagoon at Jökulsárlón.
• Discover thousands of years of Nordic history

Cost

$5975.00 plus airfare (double occupancy)

This trip is already filled! If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Tim Vargo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (414) 964-8505 

The glacier-fed Dettifoss, in Vatnajökull National Park, is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe! Photo: Neil D'Cruze

The Urban Ecology Center Eco-travel program offers a unique way to explore local and international destinations while exploring issues around sustainability. Your participation supports the Urban Ecology Center’s mission.

HKE MKE registration is now open! Join us on Sunday, September 17th for the Urban Ecology Center’s 3rd annual HKE MKE. Enjoy a beautiful 2.5 mile family-friendly hike through the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum and along the Milwaukee River. Funds raised by participants help to preserve amazing urban natural areas and support the Center's mission of connecting people to nature.

Summer camp season is in full swing here at the Center, and our branches are echoing with the sounds of happy children having adventures! If you’re feeling a little jealous of all the fun our campers are having, then we have the perfect event for you – our Grown-Up Summer Camp, brought to you by our friends at New Belgium Brewing and hosted at our Riverside Park branch.

For many young people in Milwaukee living in poverty, the summer months can mean a lack of access to resources that support academic and developmental progress.

But YOU are making a difference! Your support is helping give Milwaukee’s children a chance to have a better summer experience by getting them outside and engaging in nature-based learning. Thank you!

Last Saturday marked the Urban Ecology Center's 10th annual Summer Solstice Soirée as well as the 10th Anniversary of our branch in Washington Park.

Guests enjoyed an illuminating evening with Washington Park’s lagoon as a picturesque backdrop as we celebrated how the Urban Ecology Center and our supporters are lighting the way by educating youth, preserving the land, connecting people to nature and bringing communities together.