It is the season of the asters and composite flowers! Our parks are all blooming with shades of yellows, pinks, and purples. This is a great time to observe all sorts of critters in the frenzy of fueling up before the cold weather sets in. Monarchs are preparing for the long migration to Mexico, while many butterflies and insects have other ways of surviving the deep Wisconsin freeze. Curious how a particular species overwinters? The Wisconsin Pollinator webiste has loads of information about a variety of pollinator topics. Each species has its own method of survival... Morning Cloaks, Eastern Commas and Question Mark spend the winter in their adult form, hibernating in hallowed logs or loose bark of trees. Several hairstreak species overwinter in their egg form while many species of skipper, fritillary, swallowtail and admiral spend the winter in their larval caterpillar stage. Eggs and caterpillars tend to overwinter on or within the plant tissue of their native host plants. All the more reason NOT to cut down last year's growth of your native perennials! Those little critters are in there, waiting to emerge in the spring when they will continue their lifecycle to become beautiful butterflies. Learn more here   

This is also a wonderful time to add more habitat to your own yard. You can plant native perennials, trees, and shrubs until the ground begins to freeze. Herbaceous flowers are not the only way to provide habitat and attract birds and pollinators to your yard. Native shrubs add important food sources throughout the seasons from spring flowers to berries, nuts and seeds in the later summer, fall and even into the winter. Read more to find out how you can benefit migratory and resident bird populations in Wisconsin.  

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 canceled if the temperatures are above 100F, below 0F or if there are thunder and lightning)

*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. Occasional indoor native seed cleaning.

Wednesdays 9-11am *(Ends at end of October)

Thursdays 9-11am 

Washington Park ROOT: 
Join us for the beauty of all seasons! We will focus on invasive woody species removal throughout the fall and winter to improve the biodiversity and improve important habitat within Washington Park. Occasional, indoor native seed cleaning. 

Wednesdays 9-11am 

Thursdays 3:30-5:30pm  *Cancelled 10/31 (Ends at end of November)

Riverside Park ROOT: 

Join us while we experience winter in Wisconsin! There is still work to do out in our parks. We will focus on removing invasive woody species, like honeysuckle and buckthorn, to make space for native species and improve the habitat diversity of Riverside Park. Most days we will venture outside, so please come prepared. Occasionally, we will remain inside to clean native plant seed.  

Tuesdays 9-11am

Fridays 2-4pm 

1st Saturday of each month (April to Nov) 9:30-11am  *(Ends after November)

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