10 Simple Ways To Conserve Water!

1.) Don't let water run while washing hands.


2.) Don't allow water to run while cleaning the dishing, if doing them by hand.


3.) Adjust sprinklers so it is only for the lawn and not going off into the sidewalk or other parts of the house etc.


4.) Have a  huge glass jar full of cold water, and keep it in the fridge, this way you can use it and not waste water by running tap water every time you want a nice, cold, glass of water.


5.) Water that you use to clean fruits/vegetables, you can reuse this water and use it to water your plants inside/outside.


6.) Shorten your shower by 1 or 2 minutes!


7.) Check if you have a leak in your toilet, if you do, this could save up to 1,000 gallons of water a year!!

8.) Don't use running water to thaw food,  place into a large container that you can fill up with water, let sit for however long time period is needed for the food.


9.) TURN off faucet after use!


10.) Turn off water while brushing teeth for 25 secs. save 25 gallons a month!


For more fun water conserving ideas check out this website: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php




Posted and Written By: Callie Beth Angsten

invasive species

Invasive species are those plants or animals that are not native, and affect the particular habitats of native born creatures.  Here are some tips to help avoid invasive species in your own home or garden!


Be careful of landscape disturbances
These plants can live on bare soil or rugged areas where native plants cannot thrive.  Watch out for areas like this, and keep plant beds where native plants thrive clean and tidy.


Be careful of your fertilizers
Go organic, or use compost or mulch piles.  Many invasive species can thrive off of soil with high nitrogen levels, so do a soil test before you put fertilizer onto into your soil.


control the situation before it gets out of hand
Scout out your gardens often, such as once or twice a week.  With any sign of invasive species, it is important to get them out right away.  Once a plant is settled in and spreads, it is much more difficult to control the situation.  Pull the weed out by the base of the root and throw it into a separate pile.  You can then dispose of them into something such as a compost pile.


Invasive plants that are often found in Wisconsin include:
-blackberry lilly
-black locust
-buckthorn
-chicory
-orchard grass
-poison ivy
-spotted knapweed


Invasive species can come quickly, so be careful of them.  Any plants that are non native can destroy habitats of plants that you wish to have in your garden.  By pulling them right away, they will be much easier to manage.


-Posted and Written By: Melissa Luke

One Tree Goes A Long Way!

One simple and fun way to keep our environment up kept is by simply planting a tree.  Trees have so many benefits, such as shade, food, beautifying land, and creates better drainage for water.


In Wisconsin, there are many native plants and trees.  Here are only a few:
-Juniper
-Pine
-Birch
-Oak
-maple
walnut
-willow
One of Wisconsin's most popular trees are the great Oak trees!

HOW TO PLANT AN OAK TREE


-It's best to plant an oak tree during either spring or fall
-Dig a hole three times as wide as the base of the root, and slightly shallower than the entire base.
-place the tree in the center of the hole, and fill it back up with the native soil.
-mound the soil up high around the base of the tree. It should appear as if there's a mound around it
-Baby trees require a lot of water, to ensure that their roots are getting enough nutrients and can grow.
-water your new tree every three to four days


It's as simple as that! By planting a tree, you will have created something that will be around for hundreds of years.  They make life more pleasant, and help to beautify the land.  They also help to moderate the climate, improve water quality, improve air quality, and give a place for wildlife to live.  By doing your part, you're not only helping your environment, but also helping the quality and look of your home.


-Posted and Written by: Melissa Luke

Be Eco Friendly!

Here are 5 easy ways of going eco friendly and helping the environment!!

First, start washing your hands with cold water instead of waiting for the water to heat up. Hot water uses more energy and it can save you money and water!! I know cold water is sometimes a little hard to handle, but stick it out for a minute to help out good old Mother Nature.

Buy your own reusable bags for shopping!!!! This can save LOTS of plastic and money to produce it. You can find reusable bags anywhere!! Take a walk down to your local market and ask to buy of bags!! If you don’t want to spend money on a shopping bag, dig through your basement or closet and I am sure you will find something that works!!

Instead of taking a nice warm relaxing bath, take a quick shower to save water, money and energy. Taking a bath uses a ton of extra water than a ten-minute shower! I know a bath can be relaxing after a long day at work or after a huge exam, but think about all the water you would be wasting..

Winters in Wisconsin can get cold, but by turning the heat down by a degree or two saves you money. Wear sweatpants, socks, and a sweatshirt if your cold or even throw on a couple blankets to keep yourself warm!

Why get the newspaper every morning with pages flying out every where and flipping through the sports page to find something you read on the front cover, when you can read it online! This is a GREAT way to save paper and trees!! Start emailing your friends and family instead of writing letters. I know letters are old fashion and are awesome when you get them, but remember you will be saving trees!

I know we all think about ourselves and try to make ourselves happy, but at least once a day think about our environment. These things are not very hard to do and don’t take a lot of time either!! Yeah we all like our warm water, but don’t make the water so hot where your skin is like red because the waters so hot!! Bundle up when your cold especially if you live in the Midwest!!

Posted and Written By:Cheyanne Clure 

Car Pollution is BAD!!

Pollution is very dangerous to the environment and human health!! Car pollution can cause respiratory problems and even lung cancer. Car pollution affects the ground-level ozone and the ozone layer, which is designed to help protect plants and other organisms for harmful ultraviolet radiation rays.  Ground-level ozone causes hazy smoke from buildings or factors that can create respiratory problems. Vehicles cause a lot of the ozone pollution, because they release chemicals such as nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. Ground-level ozone is being more popular in developed counties like the Untied States and Europe.

Car pollution is affecting our global warming, because cars release carbon dioxide which it dangerous to our health and the environment. The reason why so many people are becoming concerned with global warming is, because it is raising sea levels and dying coral reefs. This starts to become a problem, because coral reefs are where fish live and other living organisms under the sea.

The picture above is an example of a damaged coral reef bed due to global warming.

Global warming also affects weather conditions, because it can cause droughts or extreme severe storms. This causes a huge problem when it comes to habitats. Places like the rain forest or a jungle can’t survive if there are droughts all the time, because they need huge amounts of water to support living organisms.

Instead of driving around all the time, we should take more advantage of bus system for transportation, it is cheap and saves the environment!! When your going to work, try to find co-workers who work the same hours as you do and try and catch a ride with them instead of all driving separately, it will cut costs on gas expenses. Walk or ride a bike to your destination instead of driving a car!! This is a great source of exercise and will save you money so you don’t have to spend all your money on putting gas in your car!!! You could be spending that money on other things!!

So before you hop into your car, take a second and think about the environment and your health :)

Posted by Cheyanne Clure

OVERALL

When I first started this new class project, my ideas of it were much different than they are now.  I was very unsure of what id' really be like.  As I stared the project, my ideas quickly shifted.


From this experience I have learned several new things that I would not have otherwise.  Only a few specific components truly stood out to me though.


First off, it is helpful to act environmentally friendly in all and as many ways as possible, even if you don't feel the personal effects.  At the Urban Ecology Center they promote the idea of "acting locally,  thinking globally."  Every little bit really does help, and the world will change if everyone does their part to help make the world a better place.


There are more than one way to help out.  Everyone thinks of the usual planting of a tree or recycling their bottles, but in reality there is so much more.  All anyone needs to do is just get out there and open there eyes, opportunities are everywhere.  I never knew of this park, but because of the class it opened my eyes to just one more opportunity to help.


Finally, and most importantly, volunteer work can be fun! Sure, waking up early isn't always the best, but it is worth it.  In the end, the feeling you get makes it worth while, and you're never alone it it.  I've met several new people through this experience, which is another important part in life.  Not only did volunteering at the Urban Ecology Center teach me how to respect our earth, but it also introduced me to new friendly people, not so different from myself.

-Melissa Luke

Compost Piling

One technique I noticed being used at Washington Park was compost piles.  I've seen this before in my hometown, but have never really understood exactly how they worked.  The purpose of compost piles is to create home made mulch that helps moisturize and put nutrients into the soil it's placed on.  It protects the roots and plants, and enhances the soil.


The Urban Ecology Center does many good things to help the environment, but I feel most importantly they help to promote what they do, and how everyone can do their own part to help make our work a healthier place.


BUILD YOUR OWN COMPOST PILE


It can be easy and fun!
They help to complete any garden, anywhere!


Benefits:  conditions the soil, feeds soil microorganisms, helps plants stay healthy, adds nutrients, helps soil to properly drain


1. Find an out of sight location to built your new compost pile.
2.Use wire mesh or simple boards to create a corall for the compost
3.Add the two basic elements of a compost pile; green debris ( grass clippings ), and brown debris (dried leaves).  Do this one part green, two parts brown.  Continue adding these amounts until the pile is at least three cubit feet.
4. Add a shovel full of compost soil
5.Add enough moisture to help break down the compost,but not too much so that it is watery
6.Once a week, turn the pile from bottom to top to help it to mix easier, and keeping the pile from compacting.
7.After about two months, your compost pile will be finished!  You will know it's done if you cannot identify the original debris thrown in there, and if it does not heat up anymore.

Place the newly made compost into your garden, and watch them grow!


Reuse what you have, and it's easy to better the earth!


-Melissa Luke

Washington Park

Thursday, September 23rd, the four of us, Callie-Beth, Cheyenne, Eric, and myself, changed it up a bit, and headed out to Washington Park, rather than the usual Riverside Park.  We piled into Eric's car and made our way out there.  The overall experience and location was much different than it had been at Riverside.


The drive alone was much different than anything I was ever accustomed to, and it was a big eye opener for me. The neighborhood we drove through was somewhat of a rough neighborhood, and I would not have felt comftorable volunteering on my own there.  We took a couple wrong turns, but ended up finding our way safe and sound.
Even in a poverished area, the Urban Ecology Center still found the means to create a beautiful park for anyone to enjoy.  We were welcomed by the same friendly people as were at Riverside Park.  There was a beautiful pond with willow trees overlooking it, and people all over playing soccer, frisbee, or taking casual walks on the paths.  As they put us to work, I realized that we also weren't the only people volunteering.


Our job that day was weeding out flower beds that had become overgrown with non native plants and weeds.  We got on our hands and knees, using shovels to dig out the unwanted plants.  Just like prior volunteering days, the work really wasn't all too difficult.  We asked Joel several questions, and he helped us to get a better understanding of what the park was like.

Overall, this experience at Washington Park hit me the hardest.  I realized that even in the worst of areas, being environmentally friendly is important and possible.  Just outside of the park was vacant buildings, yet there was an amazing place that anyone could enjoy right in the middle of it.  This volunteering day opened up my eyes, also making me want the best for others who are less fortunate, as we all try to better ourselves.


-Posted and Written by: Melissa Luke

Renewable Energy

There are starting to become more and more types of renewable energy that people are finding out are starting to help the environment. By trying to use renewable energy in our everyday lives is becoming more and more popular, because it can save money and help our earth live longer. 

Biomass energy can greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. It can also reduce the use of certain outside sources of oil, because oil is not a renewable source of energy, whereas biomass is renewable. To understand biomass in easier terms it is also known as energy from plants.

Lots of renewable energy sources come from Mother Nature so it is almost impossible to run out of renewable energy. Solar energy is a type of renewable energy source because, people have relied on the sun for heat. To produce solar energy you can put solar panels on top of buildings or sometimes even stop signs have them to make the stop sign more noticeable. These panels accumulate solar energy from the sun and are used to heat buildings. They even make special kinds of windows that allow the sunlight to come through the windows. This sunlight is taken in by the walls, floors, and ceilings to create heat.

Wind Power energy is generated through the use windmills. The great thing about windmills is that they create electricity through the movement of air! There is always some kind of air movement so it is impossible to run out of wind power energy. Another benefit to windmills is that they take up a small portion of land area, meaning you can have several windmills in just a couple acres of land.

Hydroelectric Power is the flowing of water to generate electricity. This kind of renewable energy is interesting, because it makes its energy under the surface of the water. These spinning turbines under the water spin due to the flowing of water produce its energy. As long as there is flowing water there will always be hydroelectric power.

These are only a few types of renewable energy that I found were the most important and interesting. Other types of renewable energy that you can research are hydrogen and fuel cells, geothermal energy, and tidal energy.

Renewable energy would save the environment, because the world wouldn’t have to rely so much on burning fossil fuels and using nonrenewable energy. Big companies should switch over to solar energy or wind power, cause they need so much energy and electricity to produce heat and light. If they used these energy sources they would save money in the long run and they would be benefiting the environment a ton!!

Posted and Written by:Cheyanne Clure

Refection of my Service Learning Experience

My overall experience volunteering at the Urban Ecology Center was something I will never forget. When I first heard we had to do a service learning project, I wasn’t too happy and I didn’t know what to expect. But after the first day I felt better about myself that I was able to help the environment that I live in. I never knew that Milwaukee had organizations like this. I believe the Urban Ecology Center is a great way for people to get involved within their community. If every city has a program where kids are able to volunteer some of their time, I think the world will slowly become a better place. It would open people’s eyes and they can see what they have been missing out on. You don’t know how bad or damaged the environment really is until you get involved.

We did many different tasks at the Urban Ecology Center such as planting trees, weeding, and planting grasses. I have never planted a tree before so that was probably my favorite memory at the Urban Ecology Center. I have weeded before with my mom in the garden but I never really understood why she did it, except for showing her flowers and plants off. But weeding actually allows other meaningful plants to grow out their roots.

More people should get involved volunteering at places that help the environment. It’s actually a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of nice people along the way. I mean, how many times are you doing nothing or watching TV? Instead of doing that stuff, take 2 hours out of your day and do something good for the environment!! I am glad I was able to take this geography class, because I actually learned a lot about the environment and how dangerous things are getting.

Volunteering at the Urban Ecology Center made me look at life through a different perspective. I know think about the environment and ways to keep it clean. I also learned how to tell what different kinds of plants are and I was never able to do that before. There are so many different kinds of plant tools that I’ve never seen or used before so it was a good experience getting to use those tools.

People need to understand that they are part of the environment and what they do effects how we live. From my volunteer experience I am now going GREENER and informing others about how they can make an impact on the environment as well.

Posted By Cheyanne Clure

Homemade Organic Fertilizer.

Do you want to save money and help the environment at the same time?! Well I have the perfect solution for that, HOMEMADE ORGANIC FERTILIZER!!

Making homemade organic fertilizer isn’t that hard. You can make it out of lot of things found around your kitchen. If you have left over vegetables in your refrigerator, vegetables are a good way to make your own organic fertilizer. However, left over vegetables can be very smelly and can allow flies to come around and bug you.

To make homemade organic fertilizer, take something like an empty gallon ice cream bucket and start filling it up with food leftovers, fruits, or vegetables. Green and brown objects work the best to make a rich fertilizer. If you live near a body of water, seaweed can be a great fertilizer for your garden. Seaweed has a lot of potassium and nitrogen that is released into the soil!!! This results in richer and better tasting food!!!!

You may be thinking, “What kind of brown things can I find to make fertilizer?” Well you can actually use things such as, empty toilet rolls, saw dust, and cardboard, because all of those things decompose into the ground and make excellent items to put into your homemade organic fertilizer mix. Also, coffee grounds and ashes from a fireplace decompose very nicely and provide chemicals such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous to help make your plants more tasteful and richer!!

Making your own fertilizer can make your vegetables in your garden taste better because they are made from your own fertilizer!! Instead of buying fertilizer every year, you should really just make your own, because it’s not that hard to do!!

Posted By Cheyanne Clure

Reuse, and Recycle.

Sure, the thought of recycling brings up the idea of dragging the recycle bin down to the end of the driveway, and out by the street, but never really feeling the results personally.  Still, so many places just like the Urban Ecology Center promotes recycling.  Just walking into the restrooms there are signs stating to only use one paper towel, to help save our world.  It seems like one small task such as that really doesn't help, but in truthfulness it really does, and there are other things that can be done as well.


SAVE OUR PLANET THROUGH RECYCLING


Fact:  Only one recycled aluminum can can save enough energy to power a television or a computer for three hours.


Fact:  Recycling a one foot high stack of newspapers can heat a home for a total of seventeen hours.


IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD DO
-Recycling doesn't only mean cans and paper, but energy as well.  There are many things that anyone can do to take part in it.


-Save energy! Unplug appliances that are not used often
-Simply set your computer to hibernate when it's not in use
-Put a jacket on! Lower your heat, and you will save a lot of energy use.
-don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room
-Separate bottles from garbage

Do your part, every bit does help.


-Posted and Written by: Melissa Luke

To Use, or not to use, Pesticides

At the Urban Ecology Center, the usage of pesticides are as limited as possible.  A pesticide, or "any mixture substance intended for preventing or repelling any pest" can have its positives and negatives.  Here are some helpful tips to help decide what's right.


Advantages
- They are fast acting
-Pesticides help to control large areas at a time
-Low labor is necessary
-They help to prevent form foreign pests that can become issues to our ecosystem


Disadvantages
-Pesticides target other species that the one you are after
-There are health effects that can range from simple skin irritation to cancer if used to often
-limited exposure is necessary


Types:  Pesticides don't only come in one form, and they can be used to control a small home garden or a large corporation field.  There are many types of pesticides, but the most common are; chemical substances, biological agents ( viruses), and antimicrobial


Pests; So,who exactly is it that's being destroyed? Well, pesticide are meant to target certain invasive species, but can end up harming the entire population of plants and animals in that area.  It is important to not use pesticides to reduce the amount of native plants and animals becoming harmed. Pests include; non-native plants that are overgrown, insects, plant pathogens, weeds, or any other type of animal that destroys natural properties.

-Melissa Luke

Welcome To The Urban Ecology Center!

At first, i'll admit, the idea of waking up early to volunteer at a park for class didn't sound all that appealing to me.  Monday the 20th at night, I thought about what the next day may be like.  I would be waking up at 7:30, and meeting two girls that I had just met.  Sure, we didn't know one another very well, but we had to start somewhere.  We would walk together to this park, and I pictured myself doing some type of hard outdoor labor.  I knew It had to be done, but I wasn't overly excited for it.


As it turns out, the start of the morning was just as I had planned, which made me nervous.  I woke up early to a chilling morning, and prepared to leave.  Luckily, the morning took a quick turn for the better.  The two girls, both older than myself, were not indimidating at all, but rather fun and very nice.  I quickly felt more comftorable as we talked the entire walk there.


As we arrived at the park, the other people there were quite friendly themselves.  I signed in, and we began to work.  Nothing at all how I imagined, the work was nothing that I couldn't handle.  My first day included watering newly planted shrubs and flowers, which is definetely something that I can handle.
As the few hours ended, I felt satisfied in what I had done.  Working with friends to better the environment really isn't such an undesirable task, and I knew personally that next time would be just fine.

Reflection on My Service Learning at Urban Ecology Center

     I was joyful and eager to volunteer at the Urban Ecology Center.  Each week my tasks always varied in degree of specialty.  My first day at UEC consisted of planting trees on a cold rainy day! This was probably my greatest and most difficult task while working with UEC.  I had never planted a tree before and this was a beautiful experience.
    Before going into this I had little knowledge about weeding, pulling out dead parts of a plant and about using only native species of plants, only native to Wisconsin.  This was a new idea to me, but once Joel explained that native trees/plants are what people must plant (native only to their specific state) should use.  Whether large or small tasks, the UEC always taught me something that I can carry on out into the world and put into praxis.
     I would personalize and state that the UEC mission statement is 'think local, act global'.  The UEC is an environmental education resource center seeking to educate the youth, adults and elders of Milwaukee and other surrounding communities to partake in everyday, learning about the environment and ecology.  One must truly remember that healing Mother Nature, is like a drop in an ocean, one small drop at a time makes all the difference to the ocean, and we, as humans are a part of this grandiose equation with saving the environment. 


     Each person must remember they are a part of the environment too. We must start with little changes in our mundane existence, use less water, use less plastic.. the List could go on. I have learned from the UEC, one cannot think that over-night they are going to 'save the world'. I am taking small steps to help save Pacha Mama!

One small change will help the environment. You and I can make a difference in making our Earth Green!

     Volunteering at the UEC has made me a better person and has helped me once again understand the intricate beauty that Earth is. I am making small changes in order to make an impact upon the Earth! I am planning on going back to the UEC in Spring of 2011 to help out with the Arboretum.  The UEC truly practiced what they preached, they were Eco-friendly & Green and educating others each and every day!!


Posted and Written by: Callie Beth Angsten

Reflection on my Service Learning

Wellll, after completing all my service learning hours with the Urban Ecology Center, I've been able to reflect on all the things I learned through the experience.  My last day at the UEC involved the removal of buckthorn trees (an invasive species the UEC is attempting to eradicate).  As discussed in a previous post, buckthorn is rampant throughout Wisconsin, which decreases our overall biodiversity.  It also leaves native species less area to grow in, and the UEC less area to plant in.  So we spent a few hours removing as much as we could! 


Another project we worked on was the moving and storing of piles of burlap bags.  The UEC acquired a bunch of these burlap sacks, which I at first had no idea what their interest was in a bunch of bags.  I found out as we were working that they use the bags to prevent landslides!  Which I thought was a pretty great use for those old bags.  They lay them down against a sloping hill, or an area which has the potential for large amounts of erosion.  This reinforces the bank, and prevents the soil and trees from sliding downhill.


I also helped water a new "edible food forest" the UEC planted and is very excited about.  Basically, the UEC planted a bunch of trees, all of which will bear edible fruit.  Apples, plums, pears, and some berries as well.  They hope to harvest the fruit and have it available to any passer-by who needs a bite to eat!


The overarching them which links all the work I helped out with at the UEC is simple sustainability.  They are very good at developing very uncomplicated solutions to make big changes in the community, specifically with our ecosystem!  The projects they had us volunteers engage in were simple, yet satisfying and fulfilling!  At the end of the day, the task, whether difficult or menial, gave me a sense of accomplishment and productivity.  All the small changes and steps the UEC takes are all steps toward a brighter ecosystem for the Milwaukee area.


--Eric Anderson--