Urban Ecology Center

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Urban Ecology Center It’s pretty simple. The Urban Ecology Center gets city people outside.

Trade your morning scroll for bird song and fresh air. Join us for a guided birding in Riverside Park as we search for l...
10/13/2026

Trade your morning scroll for bird song and fresh air. Join us for a guided birding in Riverside Park as we search for late fall migrations and year-round resident species.

Along the way, you'll pick up bird identification tips, practice using binoculars, and discover what makes this season such a great time to bird. Whether you're building your life list or just bird-curious, all experience levels are welcome.

After our time outdoors, sample locally-roasted bird friendly coffee, learn about how traditional coffee (and cocoa) farming impact birds and other wildlife, what you can do at home to support sustainable practices, and see birds that connect Milwaukee to farms in Central and South America as they migrate south for the winter.

Binoculars are provided.

Saturday, November 14 | 8 - 9:30am | Riverside Park

Register through the link below:
https://30781a.blackbaudhosting.com/30781a/Mugs--Migration

Take a nature walk and observe the small moments around you. 😍 Stop and observe a small section of your yard for a few m...
10/11/2026

Take a nature walk and observe the small moments around you. 😍 Stop and observe a small section of your yard for a few minutes...how much life can you see?!

Free Fall fun for the whole family! 🎃Pile into the leaves, paint a pumpkin, get curious about creepy-crawly creatures, a...
10/06/2026

Free Fall fun for the whole family! 🎃

Pile into the leaves, paint a pumpkin, get curious about creepy-crawly creatures, and discover the mysteries of the season!

-Create leaf art
-Paint your own pumpkin
-Meet worms, insects, and other tiny creatures
-Explore animal skulls and furs
-Warm up around the campfire and roast a marshmallow
-Face painting
-Grab a tasty fall treat, including hot dogs, and caramel apples

Saturday, October 17 | Washington Park

Get your free ticket through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/autumncelebration/event/autumncelebration/

What’s happening beneath the surface of Milwaukee’s waterways? Come explore your local watershed and get hands-on with t...
10/05/2026

What’s happening beneath the surface of Milwaukee’s waterways? Come explore your local watershed and get hands-on with the water around us!

We’ll start by mapping our connection to Milwaukee’s waterways and exploring what a watershed is and how we can influence the health of the water where we live.

Then, we’ll head outside to investigate the water ourselves. Working together, you’ll use water quality testing tools to collect and record data, look for signs of aquatic life, and discover what these clues can tell us about the health of our local waterway.

Come ready to get curious, get your hands a little wet, and see your neighborhood water in a whole new way!

This program is best suited for Ages 10 and up; anybody under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tuesday, October 13 | 5 - 6:30pm | Riverside Park

Register through the link below:
https://30781a.blackbaudhosting.com/30781a/Get-to-Know-Your-Watershed-13Oct2026

WARNING: Content may include the cutest thing you've ever seen. 🍁🐢One of our Landscape Technicians spotted this baby sna...
10/03/2026

WARNING: Content may include the cutest thing you've ever seen. 🍁🐢

One of our Landscape Technicians spotted this baby snapping turtle hanging in the park this week!

*reminder, we know it's cute but it is so important to keep wild animals wild and not collect them as pets!

Meet Elena, our Menomonee Valley Education Manager. Elena loves jamming out in her headphones, watching trash reality TV...
10/02/2026

Meet Elena, our Menomonee Valley Education Manager. Elena loves jamming out in her headphones, watching trash reality TV, and walking her dog.

🌿Who has influenced you most in your life?
The people who’ve influenced me the most in life have always been teachers. I was super lucky to continuously have great teachers from kindergarten through high school (college professors were a snooze) who constantly nurtured a love of learning and adventure in me.

🌿What’s the most unusual or funny thing that’s happened to you while outdoors?
What sparked my interest in birding was when I was on a COVID walk and a bird swooped down, grabbed my headphones off of my head, and dropped them onto my dog! We were both absolutely stunned. I went home and googled “black bird red wing”- the top article was titled “The Red-Winged Blackbird: Nature’s *sshole.” Since then I have become a pretty dedicated birder.

🌿If you could have any superpower related to nature, what would it be?
I thought about having the superpower of controlling the weather, but then that sounds super stressful because people would be mad at me if it rained on their wedding day. So instead I think I’d love to have the superpower of transforming into any animal (but not like in those spooky Animorphs book covers).

The UEC is a place to get outside, learn something new, and spend time with your community. And you don’t have to be a m...
10/01/2026

The UEC is a place to get outside, learn something new, and spend time with your community. And you don’t have to be a member, sign up for a program, or know anything about ecology to come through the doors.
We've been told we're a hidden gem...we don't want to be so hidden! Stop by and say hi 👋

September through the eyes of UEC staff 🦋A month of exciting research projects, little nature moments, and grooving into...
09/30/2026

September through the eyes of UEC staff 🦋

A month of exciting research projects, little nature moments, and grooving into the cooler weather.

Free Fall fun for the whole family! 🎃Pile into the leaves, paint a pumpkin, get curious about creepy-crawly creatures, a...
09/30/2026

Free Fall fun for the whole family! 🎃

Pile into the leaves, paint a pumpkin, get curious about creepy-crawly creatures, and discover the mysteries of the season!

-Create leaf art
-Paint your own pumpkin
-Meet worms, insects, and other tiny creatures
-Explore animal skulls and furs
-Warm up around the campfire and roast a marshmallow
-Face painting
-Grab a tasty fall treat, including hot dogs, and caramel apples

Saturday, October 17 | Washington Park

Get your free ticket through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/autumncelebration/event/autumncelebration/

All three branches will be closed this Thursday and Friday for our annual staff retreat. As always, the parks are still ...
09/29/2026

All three branches will be closed this Thursday and Friday for our annual staff retreat. As always, the parks are still free and open to explore. 🤗

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Milwaukee, WI

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