Buds are opening and catkins are dangling. A sure sign of spring! Really!! Even if they are currently covered in snow. Those native plants are amazingly resilient with our unpredictable Wisconsin weather. Other plants are waking up, too. Invasive species, like garlic mustard, are also beginning to emerge. This is a great time of year for us to get a jump start on removal and eradication of the early emerging invasive species. Join us at any of our ROOT sessions at all three Urban Ecology Center sites.  

Have you noticed all of the trash that has emerged during our spring snow melts? Help us clean up our parks at our Earth Day of Service event, at each of our three branches, next Saturday, April 27th from 9am-noon. This year we are partnering with Milwaukee Riverkeeper for trash clean-up at each of our sites. Please, go to our Urban Ecology Center webpage to register. Help us do our part to help clean up the Earth in honor of Earth Day!

Next month we will begin Botany Walks at all three branches! Come join our Land Stewardship staff to walk and see what's emerging and blooming in our parks. We will learn to recognize common plant family patterns and individual species characteristics. The walks will alternate weeks, occurring once per month at each branch on Fridays from 9-10:30am. 1st Fridays of the month at Menomonee Valley; 2nd Fridays at Riverside Park; 3rd at Washington Park. Join us for any or all and have the opportunity to get to know the plants and the land at all three of our beautiful parks!

See below for ROOT times, below, to come help us improve the habitat diversity at all three of our branches! 

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: 
We will be working on invasive species removal in Three Bridges Park. Help us remove invasive species to provide more room for native species to improve the diversity of habitat in our parks.

Wednesdays 9-11am *Start of seasonal opportunity

Thursdays 9-11am 

Washington Park ROOT: 
We will be uncovering and 'waking up' the native plant nursery at Washington Park. In the future, those little plants will be planted out into our habitat restoration areas to help improve the biodiversity of Washington Park. We will also be mulching some trails to provide access to the natural spaces without getting muddy shoes and working to prepare the woodland for the next stage of habitat restoration. 

Tuesdays 9-11am 

Thursdays 3:30-5:30pm *Start of seasonal opportunity

Riverside Park ROOT: 

We will be working on invasive species removal to make space for native species to improve the habitat diversity of Riverside Park. We will also be "waking up" the nursery by removing the overwintering mulch layer. Come prepared to work outside!

Tuesdays 9-11am; Tuesdays 2-4pm *Start of seasonal opportunity 

Fridays 2-4pm

1st Saturday of each month (April to Nov) 9:30-11am *Start of seasonal opportunity

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