Regular time in nature is critical to one’s mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Yet with more than 80% of the nation residing in urban areas, many don’t experience nature. While the Urban Ecology Center reaches a good portion of Milwaukee students and residents, there is additional work we can do to ensure that more people spend time in nature to develop environmental understanding and behaviors. Our Milwaukee Vision will allow us to introduce more people to the transformational properties of nature, ensure UEC’s longevity to reach generations of people, and respond to interest in our model so we can spread our knowledge and deepen our impact. Plans include:

Washington Park:
Sparking The Wonder of Nature in the Heart of the Neighborhood

Updating and expanding the current Washington Park UEC building will create a new community gathering and education center with surrounding greenspace to double our current programming and launch early childhood education programming reaching more kids and adults from across the city. 

Riverland Development:
A Gateway to Nature With a Neighborhood Feel 

Located to the West of our current Riverside Park branch, the Riverland property will feature a unique, eco-friendly event hall and an engaging environment for the community to enjoy greenspace. This inviting property will be a destination for neighbors near and far to connect to each other and to nature while supporting program expansion and operational needs.

Organizational Excellence:
Expanding Impact

Investment in our growing organization will allow for needed technology upgrades including new security systems, a website redesign, financial management tools and important capacity building for our team - allowing the UEC to continue to improve efficiencies and expand our impact while retaining and developing staff.

Endowment:
For a Healthy and Sustainable Future

Support of the Urban Ecology Center’s endowment today will have a profound impact on our ability to remain relevant, vibrant, financially strong and effective in the future. By strengthening the endowment fund, we aim to ensure a healthy organization that can respond to changing community needs well into the future.