Urban Ecology Center

An evening where community, conservation, and impact come together. On the longest day of the year, join the Urban Ecology Center for our Summer Solstice Soiree presented by CJS Trust, Prairie Springs: The Paul Fleckenstein Trust, and R.A. Stevens Foundation. 🌞 This event celebrates Milwaukee’s green spaces, environmental education, and the people who make this work possible. Friday, June 26 | 5:30 - 8:30pm | UEC's Prairie Springs on Park Enjoy an inspiring evening featuring cocktails, dinner, auction experiences, and stories of how community investment creates access to nature for thousands of Milwaukee kids and families. Your participation helps support outdoor education, environmental stewardship, and equitable access to nature across our city. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating what’s possible when a community invests in its future. 🎟️ Get your tickets today: https://lnkd.in/gE7SPq4i #Milwaukee #NonprofitLeadership #EnvironmentalEducation #CommunityImpact #Philanthropy

Meet Devin, our Grants Manager! She loves going to different Lake Michigan beaches with her family (the sounds of the waves, the view, exploring trails, and playing in the sand with my kids is the best!), going to the library, and checking out new restaurants/food trucks. We sat down with Devin to learn more about what makes her an Eco Enthusiast. 🌿If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I would love to go to Puerto Rico with my family- the food, the music, the rainforest, the beaches-- it is on our family bucket list for top destinations to visit! 🌿What/where is the place that continuously brings out your child-like wonder? When I have visited my husband's family in Ecuador, I am always amazed at the incredible biodiversity and breath-taking views. The wildlife and mountain drives definitely inspire me to explore more. 🌿What’s your favorite childhood memory of being in nature? My grandpa would take my brother and me on weekly Sunday adventures- we'd walk around Kletzsch Park by the river and look for fish and wildlife. Definitely formed awesome core memories with some of my favorite people!

✨ Thank you BOGS Footwear for sponsoring World Migratory Bird Day! This event is coming to Washington Park on May 9th! The event will feature family-friendly activities, guided walks (English & Spanish), educational opportunities, community connections, and much more.

We are honored and excited to receive the award for Community Impact at the 2026 Milwaukee Business Journal Real Estate Awards for our renovation of the Urban Ecology Center’s Washington Park Branch. 🌿 Being included alongside these projects shaping Milwaukee’s future is so meaningful to us. The Washington Park Building is an all-electric building and has a forward-thinking design in order to expand access for all visitors. We see this building as much more than a renovation; it’s an investment in people, parks and our communities. We are so grateful to everyone who helped us bring this vision to life. ✨ Now we want you to come bring the building and park to life! How will you explore Washington Park this summer? You can paddle the lagoon, bike on the paths, learn to fish....the possibilities are endless!

🌎 Earth Week Volunteer Shoutout! Thank you to the team at Molson Coors Beverage Company for coming out to Washington Park to help mulch and UV protect our boats. The park is looking ready for summer fun! 😍

🌎 Earth Week Volunteer Shoutout. UEC Board Member Rebecca Mitich and her team at Husch Blackwell came to Riverside Park to plant shrubs and helped complete a project with our facilities team. Thank you so much for coming out this week and getting your hands dirty!

We wanted to give a big shoutout and thank you to our Earth Week Sponsors 🩵 🌎 Presenting Sponsor: FTI Single Days Sponsors: Arch Solar, Charter Wire, Husch Blackwell, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Rehlko, Regal Rexnord, Veolia

Meet Erin, our Finance and Evaluation Manager. Erin loves to get outside, whether in her own backyard or exploring the city. We sat down with Erin to learn more about what makes her an Eco Enthusiast. 🌿 Can you share a memorable experience in nature that influenced your environmental values? My interest in environmental science stemmed from weekend trips to the Milwaukee County Zoo as a child. We used to go every Saturday when we were young and my favorite building was the aquatics and reptile building. I became obsessed with aquariums and was very curious about our waterways. I think my love for caring for the land and our aquatic friends all stemmed from my exploration experiences there. 🌿 If you could visit any natural wonder in the world, where would you go and why? I would go see the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I have gone diving in the Caribbean and Hawaii, but seeing the largest coral reef system would be incredible. The abundance of life in such a vast coral reef system is exciting; there is much to learn and see that cannot be found anywhere else. 🌿 What do you like to do in your free time? Gardening. I love a good flower garden and enjoy taking the time to maintain it. Last summer I planted 20 trees and over 30 different flowering plants in my backyard. In my opinion, there is always room for more plants in the yard (although my husband would disagree). I already have seeds started indoors to introduce more flowers to my garden this year! Biking. Whether I'm biking downtown Chicago on the lakefront or taking a lap around Mackinac Island, I love an opportunity for a scenic ride outside, preferably by a body of water. In colder weather, I usually ride my stationary bike. My favorite rides to repeat on the Peloton app with Robin are The Greatest Showman and Hamilton rides. Traveling. I love the opportunity to visit different places and eat good food. We try to sprinkle in new trips here and there, while others we love so much that we have made them annual traditions with our list of must-stop restaurants along the way.

Talk about JOY. Rain can’t slow us down at the UEC. Huge thanks to PNC for the Muddy Buddies, keeping these kiddos dry and making puddle-jumping even more fun! 🦆 💦 🌧️

Yesterday, our team hit the streets for our annual Thank-a-Thon, visiting community partners across Milwaukee to say THANK YOU! 💚 Why? Because strong communities thrive on connection, collaboration, and gratitude. From local businesses to neighborhood groups, these partnerships make it possible for us to care for the land, create learning opportunities, and build a healthier, greener Milwaukee. We couldn’t do this work without you, and for that, we’re deeply grateful. 🌿