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Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum Receives EPA Grant by Ken Leinbach, Executive Director and Jeff Mcavoy, Marketing Communications Associate

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Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum Receives EPA Grant by Ken Leinbach, Executive Director and Jeff Mcavoy, Marketing Communications Associate VOLUME 19, NUMBER 6, NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2010 TAKING ROOT: Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum Receives EPA Grant by Ken Leinbach, Executive Director and Jeff McAvoy, Marketing Communications Associate We are very proud and excited to announce that the Urban a more diverse native plant community, restoring five acres Ecology Center will be receiving close to a million dollars of barren industrial land, mitigating stormwater runoff and from the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the soil erosion and more. The GLRI grant includes funding that Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)! This $953,450 will allow us to hire additional help to achieve these goals! competitive grant will help us add acreage to Riverside Park such that a total of 40 acres of “urban wilderness” can This work will be taking place between Locust Street and be created and preserved along the Milwaukee River. North Avenue, between the river and the Oak leaf trail, and will contribute to the restoration and protection of the larger In partnership with the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, and primary environmental corridor which extends all the way many other partner organizations, we have developed a plan up to Silver Spring Drive. Preserving this bit of “wilderness” for the restoration of riparian habitat and the creation of an in the city provides habitats for wildlife, resting stops for arboretum along the Milwaukee River. A huge amount of migrating birds and improves the water quality in this stretch this work is to be completed in the next three years in order of the Milwaukee River which feeds into Lake Michigan. to be ready for the Rotary Centennial Celebration in 2013. This GLRI grant provides some of the funding necessary to Although this grant is a major step forward, we still turn this vision into a reality! We have a lot of work to do, need lots of community support. We are expecting to including planting 1,000 trees, 500 shrubs and 100,000 engage a minimum of 1000 volunteers every year in herbaceous plants, removal of invasive species, restoring six habitat restoration work. If you’d like to help, watch for acres currently dominated by invasive reed canary grass to opportunities to get involved in future newsletters! NEW BEGINNINGS LIFE’S LESSONS by Joey Zocher, Washington Park Program Director by Haven Davis, Environmental Educator For many, winter is “Whoa,” one of my students said, his mouth open and a time to relax, slow eyes wide with surprise. He just realized the incredible down, hang out at the number of ways his digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, house, adjust to the nervous and musculoskeletal systems interacted to allow shorter days and colder him to hike with his class through Riverside Park. This temperatures. Like bears was my very first teaching experience at the Urban Ecology we tend to hibernate. Center -- a Body Systems class for the Neighborhood Not so here at the Environmental Education Program (NEEP) -- and I had Washington Park branch one of those “light bulb” moments that reminds me of the Urban Ecology Center. This winter we are looking why I am an environmental educator. There is nothing forward to a vibrant schedule of activities, special more rewarding than seeing students fully comprehend events, winter skills programming and a revitalized what you are trying to communicate to them. lecture series. Leading the charge on these exciting programs are our new community program staff! Even though I am finished with my schooling (for the foreseeable future), I am having new-school-year anxiety. Our new Community Program Coordinator, Willie Karidis, Instead of a new building to navigate, I have a new city to has a contagious passion about the approaching colder months. explore. Instead of new coursework and assignments, I have my I have always enjoyed winter, but Continued on page 5 first full-time job. My “homework” is to Continued on page 11 2 TM DROPLETS Many thanks to John Clancy Caitlin will work to implement the River Reflections is created and distributed who, after four years as Board land restoration and forestry goals through a team effort by the following people: Carijean Buhk, Ginger Duiven, Judy President, is stepping down. It was of the GLRI grant (see page 1). Krause, Jeff McAvoy, Lindy Meer, Pat Mueller, during John’s watch that we started She formerly worked at the Center Shirley Spelt and a volunteer mailing crew. programming in Washington as Bookkeeper and as a Summer Contributing writers: John Clancy, Haven Park, expanded to our full capacity Intern and is completing her degree Davis, Beth Fetterley, Ken Leinbach, serving over 40 neighborhood in Forest Conservation and Forest Susan Winans and Joey Zocher. schools, launched the very exciting Management this year through River Reflections is a publication of the Menomonee Valley project and, UW-Madison. Caitlin is excited to Urban Ecology Center. The Urban through his role in the Milwaukee work with volunteers and partners Ecology Center is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit organization. Its facility and Rotary Club, he assisted us in to implement this community programming are made possible through garnering their support for the project! the generous annual contributions of 82 Milwaukee Rotary Centennial David Salmon, our new Urban foundations and corporations, over 3000 Arboretum (see page 1). These Adventures Assistant, was a member and donor families and many in- kind donors. No tax dollars are used to are the more visible signs of his Summer Intern at the Center operate the Urban Ecology Center. leadership. What is less visible, this past summer. In addition to To make a contribution, please see page but perhaps even more important, working with us, David has great 14 for the easy to use form, visit our is the organizational infrastructure experience working with youth website at www.urbanecologycenter.org that has been put in place during outdoors at Manitowish Waters. or call the Center at (414) 964-8505. his time at the helm. John, and his We are excited to have him on our The Urban Ecology Center fosters wife Christi, established the winter team and look forward to absorbing ecological understanding as inspiration for Summer Camp Fundraiser party some of his youthful energy! change, neighborhood by neighborhood. Our Environmental Community Centers: that has brought in many tens of thousands of dollars for scholarships WISH LIST • Provide outdoor science over the years. Thankfully John education for urban youth. For Riverside Park is not leaving us. He will remain Contact: Judy Krause, 964-8505, x102. • Protect and use public natural on the board as the chair of the • Cornstarch areas, making them safe, Menomonee Valley project. • Electric corded or cordless accessible and vibrant. impact driver • Preserve and enhance these natural • Ice auger areas and their surrounding waters. We welcome Jeff Geygan as our • Ice skates new President. Jeff has been • iPad(s) • Promote community by offering a board member, Treasurer and • Miscellaneous hand resources that support learning, volunteerism, stewardship, Vice-President during his tenure tools, drill bits, etc. recreation, and camaraderie. and we are excited to move forward • Miscellaneous hardware, nuts, bolts, screws, etc. • Practice and model environmentally under his leadership. You will get • Mittens and gloves- responsible behaviors to meet him in our next newsletter. especially adult sizes • Skate skis Urban Ecology Center Wow! More new staff! Bridget • Sleds Brave has joined our development • Sweatpants Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place • Woodworking tools Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211 team to fill the position of hand or powered (414) 964-8505 Fax: (414) 964-1084 Development Systems Specialist [email protected] and Events Coordinator. Bridget For Washington Park Hours of operation: brings her experience in event Contact: Joey Zocher, (414) 344-5460. Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. • Adult and youth plain tshirts and Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m - 5 p.m. planning, database management and the added bonus of her recent sweatshirts (for silkscreening) Sunday: 12 noon - 5 p.m. • Arts and crafts materials Juris Doctorate from Marquette • Bike locks Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St., Law School. Bridget relocated to • Digital cameras Milwaukee, WI 53208 Milwaukee in 2005 from Phoenix, • Electric Golf Cart (Mailing address: 4145 W. Lisbon Ave., Arizona. She and her husband live • Globes (Earth models) Milwaukee, WI 53208) on the Eastside where they are • Hipwaders (414) 344-5460 Fax: (414) 344-5462 • Small portable soccer goals [email protected] creatively working on reducing • Stop Watches Hours of operation: their carbon footprint. • Trailer Tuesday - Friday: 4 - 7 p.m. Caitlin Humber is a fantastic new Saturdays: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. addition to our land stewardship See our full list at www. www.UrbanEcologyCenter.org team. As our Forestry Specialist, urbanecologycenter.org/wishlist 3 REFLECTIONS OF A SUCCESSFUL YEAR by Beth Fetterley, Senior Director of Education and Strategic Planning Sometimes you have to verify something 97% felt that their emotional we have learned in the classroom.” that you already know. At the Urban connection to the environment -- Ms. Marchewka, St. Catherine School Ecology Center, we already knew had deepened because of that our work was impacting people’s their experience with us 94% of people indicated they lives and behaviors, but we wanted value public parks more some data to back it up. This past “I liked pulling out the weeds because because of their experience year we asked program participants it made me feel like I was helping of all ages to share how well they the earth be a better place.” -- 3rd “It’s great for kids to see/experience think we are meeting our mission. grade student from La Escuela Fratney something they don’t realize exists in their community, and develop Here are some of the 91% felt that their ecological an appreciation for nature.
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