VOLUME 19, NUMBER 5, SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2010 A COASTAL BIRD, AN OIL SPILL AND ME by Ken Leinbach, Executive Director “Large beak, mostly white with black Happy Coastal Awareness Month! “Holy Cow! There’s your bird! wings and maybe black on its head, I That is so cool!!! Look at the way couldn’t tell for sure. I’d swear it had In honor of September being Wisconsin’s it glides. The wing span must be a orange feet. A REALLY big bird. Any Coastal Awareness Month as designated full eight feet! I’d know that bird ideas?” by Governor Doyle, our three lead anywhere; I just don’t think of them articles all focus on our coastal waters. in Wisconsin. It’s a white pelican!” “You’re sure it was not a gull ... right? Geez, the only thing I can think of that The next morning I convinced might match this description is the black crowned night heron ... but my host to join me in our inflatable sea kayak and go the orange feet don’t fit and the heron is big, but not REALLY big.” way out into Green Bay. My secret objective was to get a better sighting of this amazing flyer. It worked. I was visiting some friends in Door County There it was, gracefully gliding close over our heads. looking out at Green Bay. Literally ten minutes When it touched down on the water we gave chase. after this questioning I looked up in the sky. Continued on page 3 OF ASPHALT AND RAIN GARDENS: LAKE MICHIGAN MUSINGS A TEACHER’S SUMMER by Glenna Holstein, Environmental Educator by Beth Fetterley, Senior Director of Education and Strategic Planning How do teachers spend their summer? When they spend it I’ve been thinking a lot about water recently. For one with the Urban Ecology Center, they get to play outdoors, thing, at the end of this summer I am going to be moving meet professional colleagues and, most importantly, to Albuquerque, NM, a place with very, very little water. they tap into what drives them the most: learning. I’ve become more aware of how much I enjoy living in such a water-rich place and I’m determined to enjoy all of the For eleven years, the Urban Ecology Center has teamed up benefits it has to offer before I move. The more I think about with UW Madison’s Arboretum to offer hands-on, inquiry- it, the more privileged I feel to live in a place along the based ecological trainings for school teachers. This program, shore of Lake Michigan. The lake is so important, not just the Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS), was launched with because it supplies one of our most vital physical needs, but a vision of students and teachers working and learning because I believe it fulfills some of our deeper needs as well. together to create ecologically rich outdoor learning spaces on school grounds and study them. Implementing this Ask any child what her favorite day at summer camp was vision has been an exceptional challenge for participating and she’s likely to say “beach day!” It’s incredible how every urban schools because school property is often covered in single child is able to find something to connect to at the concrete and asphalt. Together we rose to the challenge, lake, whether it’s skipping stones, searching for “sea glass” working closely with over 30 schools and 100 teachers in (broken glass that has been worked over by the waves to make the Milwaukee area to plant native gardens and integrate it rounded and smooth), burying their counselor or splashing the planning and implementation into reading, math, in the frigid waves. Perhaps such an easily crossable boundary science, art and social studies lessons for urban youth. between land and water enables children to stop worrying about other “boundaries” they have in their minds and just So far, this initiative has been going very well. The Urban play. Or perhaps it’s the sheer vastness of sparkling water before Ecology Center is one of seven EPS hubs across the state them that allows their imaginations to run wild and their Continued on page 4 Continued on page 3 2 TM DROPLETS We are excited to welcome two program honors innovative bike- River Reflections is created and distributed new environmental educators friendly efforts and recognizes through a team effort by the following people: Carijean Buhk, Ginger Duiven, Judy to our team! Regina Miller employers’ efforts to encourage a Krause, Jeff McAvoy, Lindy Meer, Pat Mueller, brings with her over 10 years of more bicycle friendly atmosphere Shirley Spelt and a volunteer mailing crew. experience in the environmental for employees and customers. Contributing writers: Jamie Ferschinger, Beth education field and has a passion Fetterley, Glenna Holstein, Ken Leinbach, Jeff for teaching and connecting Congratulations, Eric! Long time McAvoy, Susan Winans and Joey Zocher. children to the outdoors. Haven Urban Ecology Center friend, River Reflections is a publication of the Davis will spend a year with us Eric Hansen, received a first place Urban Ecology Center. The Urban through the Lutheran Volunteer award for Commentary/Editorial Ecology Center is a 501(c)3 tax exempt Corp. She recently graduated from the Wisconsin Broadcasters nonprofit organization. Its facility and from Gustavus Adolphus College Association for his WUWM op-ed programming are made possible through the generous annual contributions of 82 with a degree in environmental essay originally titled “Copenhagen, foundations and corporations, over 3000 studies and English and has Climate Change and Common member and donor families and many in- experience teaching environmental Sense Conservation in Wisconsin”. kind donors. No tax dollars are used to education in Minnesota. Eric hopes that this award is “a operate the Urban Ecology Center. solid encouragement to other To make a contribution, please see page We are sad to say good-bye to citizen essayists, a nudge to stand 14 for the easy to use form, visit our website at www.urbanecologycenter. three excellent educators. Glenna and deliver. The door is open org or call 964-8505. Holstein has been connected to and there is much to be said.” the Center as a volunteer, intern The Urban Ecology Center fosters ecological understanding as inspiration for and staff member for the past Call for your best rummage change, neighborhood by neighborhood. six years. Her insightful and items. The Victory Garden Our Environmental Community Centers: thoughtful approach to teaching Initiative needs items for their • Provide outdoor science and life are exhibited in her article rummage sale at the Urban education for urban youth. “Lake Michigan Musings” found Ecology Center Fall Festival on th • Protect and use public natural in this newsletter. She is moving September 25 . Please contact areas, making them safe, to Albuquerque, NM for new Gretchen Mead at gretchen.mead@ accessible and vibrant. adventures in teaching and the gmail.com if you have gently • Preserve and enhance these natural outdoors. Jon Rogers started last used items valued at $5 or more areas and their surrounding waters. summer as a summer intern and that you are willing to donate. • Promote community by offering then became an educator through resources that support learning, the Lutheran Volunteer Corp. volunteerism, stewardship, Jon’s positive “can-do” attitude WISH LIST recreation, and camaraderie. and ability to inspire kids to • Practice and model environmentally learn and have a whole lotta fun To see our complete list visit our website www.urbanecologycenter.org responsible behaviors outside will be missed! His year Urban Ecology Center of service ended in August and For Riverside Park Contact: Judy Krause, 964-8505, x102. Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place we look forward to seeing where • Beekeeping veils Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211 he uses his talents next! Jeanne • Ceramic and terracotta pots (414) 964-8505 Fax: (414) 964-1084 Salmon has worked with us as • Chain saw [email protected] a High School Outdoor Leader • Dandelion diggers & trowels • Globe (one that has a base and spins) Hours of operation: intern, an Adult Summer Intern Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. • iPad and Urban Adventures Assistant. • Seasoned firewood Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m - 5 p.m. This fall Jeanne will be taking on a Sunday: 12 noon - 5 p.m. • Woodworking tools hand or powered new adventure with Public Allies. Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St., We’ll miss her and hope to see her For Washington Park Milwaukee, WI 53208 again, so instead of “goodbye” we’ll Contact: Joey Zocher, (414) 344-5460. (Mailing address: 4145 W. Lisbon Ave., • Adult and youth plain tshirts and Milwaukee, WI 53208) just say “See you later, Jeanne!” sweatshirts (for silkscreening) (414) 344-5460 Fax: (414) 344-5462 • Electric golf cart [email protected] The Urban Ecology Center is • Old plastic cards to use for silkscreening Hours of operation: delighted to be the recipient of • Outdoor paint (any color) Tuesday - Friday: 4 - 7 p.m. the 2010-12 League of American Saturdays: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Rakes Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Business • Softball equipment www.UrbanEcologyCenter.org Bronze Award. This national award 3 A COASTAL BIRD, AN OIL SPILL AND ME continued from page 1 Being the nature nut that I am, these catastrophe is unconscionable ... but ... was not intentional. Unfortunately, are the kinds of moments I live for. We when making a profit is the primary however, the accident is a statistical got within 30 feet of this amazing sea motive for a company, cutting corners likelihood when we live in a world that bird (or lake bird in this case).