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--

Before you ask that for "To Go" please read!

     I was walking home from the Milwaukee public library today, when I saw heaps and heaps of garbage along the side of the road.  I thought to myself, it was not just one little piece of trash that could be cleaned up rather quickly. No, there were heaps and heaps of cups, plastic soda bottles, wrappers of candy and food items dispersed along the street. 


       Through my study and work at the Urban Ecology Center, I was very impressed at how much emphasis they put on educating our children, our youth  and communities in Milwaukee to start small in saving the Earth. What does that mean, one may ask? Well, if one can take care of the Earth in his or her own nook of the world, then that is a HUGE start.  One beautiful way to help Mother Earth, is by not buying things in plastic containers or by consuming so many packaged items.  As I began to roam back home to my apartment, I thought to myself, how and why did we get this way? Why do so many people treat the Earth, the ground, the air and the water like it is a massive garbage dump that reads: Discard here.  How sad! 


A little mantra I have heard that we can all use: the THREE R's:


-REDUCE
-REUSE
-RECYCLE


The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste.


This fact made me gringe!! America we must change now, not later, but TODAY!

    America this is beyond daunting, this is sick, we must stop being slobs and we must take care of our country, one small step at a time!!!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, theaverage American produces about 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds (13 kg) per week and 1,600 pounds (726 kg) a year.


Source retrieved from: <http://blog.ecochange.org/2009/04/17/the-usa-is-the-1-trash-producing-country-in-the-world-2/>


With the craze of holiday shopping coming up for family, friends and loved ones, ask yourself the simple question, Do I really need to buy this for myself or for my family? Do I have anything else I could do or make for them that I already currently own? 


Perhaps, America needs to slow down, and truly ask themselves the simple, old age question: Do I really need this in this moment??


Save a tree.....
for your grandson or grand-daughter...for our future generations.


Posted and Written by: Callie Beth Angsten

What Simple Ways Can One Do to help Mother Earth?

Now that my eleven hours have been completed, one must truly discern/contemplate what one took from being immersed at a Center that is living and breathing the motto: think local, act global.  As an American, we, yes I am stating the whole country of America, consume way too much! Whether it be food, clothing or even water, the statistics I presume are incredibly high.




These are a few tips I have carried with me from the Urban Ecology Center:


1.) After washing hands, don't use a paper towel, allow your hands to be free, by shaking them and trying to get the water off that way. You will be saving a TON of trees! And besides, your hands get a bit of a work out.


2.) COFFEE SHOPS: There is this eco-green feel at every coffee shop, YET, a ton of people get coffee cups to go and still sit there.  Lets buy a nice, to go cup that can be reused 24/7 and thus, we would stop clogging up land fills with our so-called Eco friendly cups.


3.) Receipts after shopping... has it ever occurred to anyone how much paper we waste with receipts after shopping. Even when you say, No i do not want my receipt they still have to print it off... Could Google or some tech savvy person please design a system that can get us out of this paper wasting mess?? It would be greatly appreciated to Mother Earth and to our future men and women that will be walking this Earth in the years to come.


4.) Take some time to get outside and be with nature, to be away from technology and busy-ness of life.


5.) When one gives of themselves that is when they are truly happy :)= volunteering


~Posted and Written by: Callie Beth Angsten~

Moving and Building New Things from Bricks to Nature's Beauty!

Now in 2010 this is what is left.

2013: This will be a beautiful arboretum like this one in Madison!

   

Urban Ecology Center just received the approval of turning a brick yard business, which will soon be turned into a huge natural garden and arboredum. This will be beautiful! This project will take about three years, so please come and volunteer to help see each step of the way! They need volunteers! On my last day at the Urban Ecology Center we were able to go on this vast amount of land and we dug out several plants that we wanted to take and preserve and put into use.  I found this to be rather difficult, because we were on a slight            angle and a huge hill! With the aid of fellow volunteers, I was able to persevere! Always a beautiful thing! I also had the quaint opportunity of picking off several seeds, of which, looked like turkey's feet, sounds odd, but very very true!


There was a tiny mouse that one of the Urban Ecology worker's found! This was cool but scary at the same time.






-Callie Beth Angsten-

Last Day at the Urban Ecology Center :(

This morning was my last couple of hours at the Urban Ecology Center. This morning we pulled out buckthorn trees, which are an invasive plant species to Wisconsin. The reason why we pulled the buckthorn trees out is, because it gives the birds and another animals who eat the little black berries it produces, diarrhea. Also, when buckthorn grows it eliminates the species diversity of the plants and animals, because the buckthorn takes over the land area where other plants are suppose to grow.

The picture above it a picture of what a buckthorn plant looks like. If you see this type of plant growing is massive areas, you should pull it out at the bottom of the stem and pull the roots out of the ground. This is allow other native plants to grow and in the end, it will help make the environment better :)


Volunteering at the Urban Ecology Center has made me realize how important it is to keep the environment clean. Even though I have completed my required hours of service learning, I think I might go back and volunteer, but in the spring. Volunteering makes you feel good about yourself and when your done you realize you made a difference in Wisconsin.


I want to thank Joel and everyone else at the Urban Ecology Center who have opened by eyes to the environment. I have met a lot of people who have made a difference in the way I see the environment. 

Buckthorn Plant

Posted by Cheyanne Clure