Nature and social equity in Milwaukee

July 2013

Post by Post by Sarah Schramm

Sarah is a graduate student at the University of Virginia, pursuing a Masters in Landscape Architecture.

While it may take a car, train, or plane to get to some of the nation’s greatest natural wonders, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it doesn’t take much gas money or time off work to get to hiking trails, frog ponds, kayaking, snowshoeing, and fishing.

In fact, some of the city’s greatest natural spaces are in communities where it may be most challenging for residents to get away.  To top it off, non-profit organizations run nature education programs there to teach and inspire visitors about the local and regional ecology.

Wisconsin’s only urban state forest, Havenwoods, is located on the north side of Milwaukee. With 237 acres of forest, grasslands, wetlands, and community gardens, this beautiful public natural area provides many opportunities for people to get outside and explore.  More than 6 miles of trails invite residents to walk or jog through the different habitats and periodic signs provide information about ecological processes featured at each site.

For more hands-on engagement with nature, Havenwoods offers programs for school field trips, junior ranger programs, and weekend family activities teaching kids and adults about the plants, amphibians, insects, and other wildlife that live there.

Participants learn a range of naturalist skills from identifying frog calls, examining insects under microscopes, and representing nature through arts and crafts projects.  All that identification training helps support citizen science programs and record keeping of the species found on the site helping Havenwoods keep track of the populations it is supporting.

The video below is a clip from a June afternoon at the frog pond.  Insect humming and bird chirps fill the air and provide a break from the city sounds of traffic.