I walked into work the other day to see a class of schoolchildren watching a large flock of cedar waxwings, flittering from branch to branch, feasting on sumac and juniper berries right in front of our building. The morning was chilly with frost covering everything but the birds were full of activity! What a sight for the kids to see! 

Did you know that birds and other critters will feast on berries and seeds throughout the winter? They can't exactly head to the grocery store now, can they? The more native plants you put into your landscape, the more high quality food they will have to sustain themselves year round. Many insects will overwinter under bark of trees and shrubs or in the stems of the past year's grasses and wildflowers. Leaving the vegetation standing in your yard until next spring allows those critters to have overwintering habitat and seeds to munch on during a critical time of reduced food sources. So let those stems stand for beauty and habitat! 

As the season winds down, many of our seasonal ROOT opportunities are ending for the year. But, don't worry, they will begin up again in the spring! Check below for our current year-round ROOT times at each branch. 

Join the ROOT times (Restoring Our Outdoors Together) at each of our Urban Ecology Center branches each week to improve biodiversity, connect to the land and help restore and improve vital habitat and native Wisconsin plant community types!

ROOT Times: (ROOT may be cancelled if the temperatures are above 100F, below 0F or if there is thunder and lightening)

*Please, arrive dressed for the weather in clothes and shoes you don't mind getting dirty. What to expect this week:

Menomonee Valley ROOT: 
Seed cleaning! Help us clean the native seed we've collected this past growing season. The seed will be spread out on the land or propagated to grow new baby plants to help improve the biodiversity and genetic diveristy of the plants in our parks.

Thursdays 9-11am 

Washington Park ROOT: 
We will be working on buckthorn removal and/or seed cleaning. Buckthorn is a woody invasive species quickly takes over in our wooded areas. The non-native berries are poor nutrient sources for our birds and other critters. Help us remove buckthorn to make space for future plantings of more high quality diverse native species. Seed cleaning will help us prepare to propagate new native plants to improve the biodiversity in our parks!

Wednesdays 9-11am  

Riverside Park ROOT: 
Seed cleaning or putting the nursery to bed for the winter. Help us clean the native seed we've collected this past growing season. The seed will be spread out on the land or propagated to grow new baby plants to help improve the biodiversity and genetic diveristy of the plants in our parks. Or, we will be covering and condensing the plants in our native nursery. They will emerge again next spring. 

Tuesdays 9-11am

Fridays 2-4pm

Recent Land Stewardship Blog Posts:

• Native Plant: Common Witch Hazel
• Native Plant: New England Aster & Downy Gentian
• Native Plants: Indian grass
• Plant Defenses
• Native Plant Spotlight: Meadow Blazing Star