Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Milwaukee Riverkeeper Milwaukee Riverkeeper is a licensed member of the Waterkeeper Alliance
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Our mission is to protect water quality and wildlife habitat in the river corridors and to advocate for sound land use in the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic River Watersheds.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is excited to host four new AmeriCorps positions! These roles will begin in September and run thro...
06/05/2026

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is excited to host four new AmeriCorps positions!

These roles will begin in September and run through the end of August 2027. Responsibilities, program details, and application instructions are available now at: Milwaukeeriverkeeper.org/about-us/join-our-team

Looking forward to meeting you!

In this 2-day photography course (June 13-14), you’ll learn from Troy Freund, a professional photographer and one of Mil...
06/02/2026

In this 2-day photography course (June 13-14), you’ll learn from Troy Freund, a professional photographer and one of Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s 2024 River Heroes!

Choose from one of the available classroom options on June 13th, and both groups will come together June 14th for a field session on the Westabrook Trail to practice skills learned in the classroom.

Connect your interest in photography with your passion for our waterways!

All ages, all gear welcome.

$40 total – Scholarships available!

Visit the Events page on our website for full details.

📷 Special thanks to Mike Crivello’s Camera and Imaging Center for making this possible!

Troy Freund Photography Mike Crivello's Camera and Imaging Center

Planning a beach day? Did you know you can check the beach conditions before you even hit the sand? The Swim Guide app i...
06/01/2026

Planning a beach day? Did you know you can check the beach conditions before you even hit the sand?

The Swim Guide app is a free and easy way to get updates on water quality. The app contains updated information about thousands of beaches, provided by local health departments, municipalities, educational institutions, and members of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Milwaukee Riverkeeper supports the effort by updating information about Wisconsin’s beaches.

Add the Swim Guide app to YOUR beach planning checklist today!

Join us next Saturday, June 6th, at 10 AM for a beginner-friendly paddle from Thiensville to Brown Deer. You'll get a ka...
05/31/2026

Join us next Saturday, June 6th, at 10 AM for a beginner-friendly paddle from Thiensville to Brown Deer.

You'll get a kayak rental, with paddle and life jacket, and a shuttle from Badger Meter River Park in Brown Deer to Thiensville Village Park from our friends at Forward Outdoor. From there, we'll provide you with land-based and on-water instruction as we paddle back to Brown Deer.

$30 per person for the trip. Still a few spots left! Register today at ForwardOutdoor.com under "River Kayaking Special Events."

Forward Outdoor

Hop aboard the Vista King for a sunset cruise through downtown Milwaukee and into the harbor. Enjoy views of Milwaukee’...
05/26/2026

Hop aboard the Vista King for a sunset cruise through downtown Milwaukee and into the harbor. Enjoy views of Milwaukee’s skyline, the Hoan Bridge, lighthouses, AND MORE from a unique vantage point!

This laid-back tour blends those stunning views with stories about our city and its waterways, touching on history, ecology, and efforts to keep the places we love clean and vibrant. You’ll hear about Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s three decades of work, as well as what is coming around the bend, from Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn and Executive Director, Jennifer Bolger Breceda.

Participants will enjoy a light dinner and tasty desserts on board, and a cash bar will also be available.

New this year: Purchase tickets for our 50/50 raffle, where half the proceeds will go to one lucky attendee, and the other half will benefit Milwaukee Rivekeeper’s mission of supporting fishable, swimmable rivers. We’ll announce the winner before we return to the dock!

Get your tickets today!

We will monitor water quality parameters at over 100 sites within the Milwaukee River Basin again this year...We are alw...
05/22/2026

We will monitor water quality parameters at over 100 sites within the Milwaukee River Basin again this year...

We are always extremely happy to have a high rate of returning volunteers, but we were also excited to have 17 NEW volunteers registered for our Level 1 training at Riveredge Nature Center earlier this month. In addition, we had 9 returning volunteers making the jump to Level 2!

Elizabeth Terry, a graduate student from the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, has joined the team this spring to assist with coordinating our community science programs. If you see her around this summer, make sure to welcome her!

Whether you’re looking for an educational experience or just a fun activity to connect you with the waterways of the Mil...
05/21/2026

Whether you’re looking for an educational experience or just a fun activity to connect you with the waterways of the Milwaukee River Basin, we’ve got something for you over the next month!

May 29th - Bay View Gallery Night at Component Brewing Company featuring Milwaukee Riverkeeper's Sustainable Creatives

June 4th - River Regale cruise aboard Milwaukee Boat Line vessel, The Vista King

June 6th - Intro to Paddling with Forward Outdoor (Brown Deer)

June 13th and 14th - Photography Crash Course with Troy Freund Photography and Mike Crivello's Camera and Imaging Center (classroom session + field session)

June 16th - Intro to Urban Paddling with Milwaukee Kayak Company

June 23rd: Hands-on mussel survey with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources mussel biologist Lisie Kitchel

Visit the Events page on our website for full details and to reserve your spot today! Bring a friend or share this post with your whole network – we're going to have a lot of fun this summer!

Special thanks to all of our partners who help make these events possible! 💙

Final totals from our 31st Annual Spring Cleanup!Volunteers - 4,923 Trash weight - 111,452 pounds (over 55 tons)!Wild fi...
05/19/2026

Final totals from our 31st Annual Spring Cleanup!

Volunteers - 4,923
Trash weight - 111,452 pounds (over 55 tons)!

Wild finds - 3 toilets, 2 mattresses, 5 fire extinguishers, 39 tires, 11 construction barrels, 6 construction signs, 6 shopping carts, and 1 golf bag (with clubs)!

Check out Eddee Daniel's piece about thr cleanup on The Natural Realm blog at A Wealth of Nature / Preserve Our Parks for more details and photos from the event.

Have you wanted to try kayaking without having to invest in a bunch of new equipment? Or even thought about renting a ka...
05/16/2026

Have you wanted to try kayaking without having to invest in a bunch of new equipment? Or even thought about renting a kayak but would like some personalized guidance on safety and basic paddling technique?

We've got you covered with TWO "Intro to Paddling" events in June! Both will feature brief on-shore instruction before taking to the water to practice what you've learned.

Join us and our friends at Forward Outdoor
on June 6th, from 10AM - 1 PM, when we'll be paddling in Brown Deer OR:

Join us and our friends at Milwaukee Kayak Company on June 16th. We'll be paddling in downtown Milwaukee and offering an intro to urban paddling, with groups kicking off at 4:30PM, 5:00, and 5:30.

Full details on the Events page of our website. See you out on the water!

Join us Friday, May 15th at Klode Park Beach in Whitefish Bay for our first robotic cleanup of the 2026 season! We’ll be...
05/13/2026

Join us Friday, May 15th at Klode Park Beach in Whitefish Bay for our first robotic cleanup of the 2026 season! We’ll be there from 10 - noon with our BeBot.

The BeBot is an eco-friendly beach cleaning robot that mechanically sifts sand, rakes seaweed, levels sandy areas to remove plastic waste and other debris without harming the local environment. It is 100% electric and can operate for up to 3 hours on a single charge. Friday is your first opportunity of the year to not only see it in action – but get up close and personal. You can also help sort the plastic waste and other items collected.

Our BeBot’s name is Taylor Sift, and our time with her is made possible through the generous funding and support provided by Midwest retailer, Meijer.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s BeBot deployments are part of a larger regional effort: Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, an initiative of the Council of the Great Lakes Region and Pollution Probe.

We are cleaning up at Klode this week in partnership with the Village of Whitefish Bay, and Taylor will be working alongside the village’s beach groomer. Visit the Events page on our website to sign up for Friday’s event, or join our Volunteer Waitlist, to be notified about future robotic cleanups and waste characterization opportunities!

Address

600 E. Greenfield Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
53204

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14142870207

Website

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