Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center needs YOU!

OK, if you have been following Urban Wilderness, chances are you’ve heard of the Urban Ecology Center. In my humble opinion, it is one of the jewels of Milwaukee. Their programming is bringing the urban wilderness to school children in our city on a daily basis. If you aren’t already a member, I encourage you to become one. Not only will you be supporting a great place, but membership is a GREAT DEAL!!! Read on.

The following is excerpted from a message sent out recently by Judy Krause, who works at the center.

The Urban Ecology Center is an amazing place with a great mission. (If you are already a member, thank you, and please consider asking a few of your friends to join, enjoy the membership benefits and support this great place!)

The Center provides outdoor learning experiences for tens of thousands of urban youth who rarely, if ever, get the chance to be outside in the natural environment. They learn things like: 

• How to canoe, while discovering the science of a pond
• How wild birds are netted, banded and released, while assisting researchers as they do their work
• Where their food or water comes from through hands-on lessons in our gardens and with explorations along the Milwaukee River or the Washington Park lagoon.
• How solar power works with tours of our green building in Riverside Park.

It is a one-of–a-kind program for the kids ... but more than this, the Center provides incredible experiences for the whole community. If you are not a member, I am asking that you consider becoming one. It is only $25 for an individual (which allows you to bring a guest to most programs) or $35 for a family. For this small tax-deductible contribution you get four things:

1) The good feeling of knowing that you are supporting a way for kids with limited opportunities to get outside and active in natural setting within their neighborhood.

2) A year's subscription to the UEC newsletter. Check it out! There are a lot of amazing programs being run here that I think you would enjoy. Many of them are reduced or free with your membership. Download a sample newsletter here.

3) The ability to borrow a broad array of equipment from the center for FREE. This includes kayaks, canoes, cross-country skis, posthole diggers, extension ladders and more. This service easily pays for the membership. For example, you can borrow one of the Center's tandem bicycles and cycle two miles on the Oak Leaf Trail down to the Art Museum with a friend for lunch, or strap a Center canoe to your car (we even lend out the straps) for a weekend getaway.

4) The chance to support this amazing place. We currently have over 3,500 households that have figured out the value of the Urban Ecology Center. The more people that are involved, the more kids we can serve and community programs we can offer. It’s a win, win, win.

You can become a member by clicking on this link: UEC Membership

You can learn more at our website: Urban Ecology Center.

Thank you for your consideration!

Judy Krause

Director of Finance and Operations
Urban Ecology Center
1500 E. Park Place
Milwaukee, WI 53211
414-964-8505 x. 102
414-964-1084 (fax)