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A Walk in the Park at Kosciuszcko Park

A Walk in the Park

January 28, 2024  |  Topics: Places

By Adam Carr

Photography by Eddee Daniel

Is there a bad time for a walk in the park? 

Many of us may feel like we cannot tear ourselves away from the demands of our life for something so basic. And especially if that’s the case, the time is likely worth it.

That, in its simplest terms, is what A Walk in the Park is about.

It’s an event series that began May 2023 that aims to be as straightforward as its name. On the first Friday of every month, we gather in one of our 150+ Milwaukee County Parks to spend time in a great park with good people. (Event details here.)

It is a reminder — our parks are a treasure. And they are here for us!

Some Milwaukeeans don’t need this reminder and that’s a good thing. Many do need the motivation. So whether our neighbors accept our invitation to walk in the park or take their own walks, we enthusiastically endorse the effort.

Personally, I need these nudges to indulge in our parks, especially after joining the staff at Milwaukee Parks Foundation in July 2022.

A Walk in the Park at Lincoln Park
A Walk in the Park at Lincoln Park

Milwaukee Parks Foundation exists to support Milwaukee County Parks and we do that through fundraising and supporting community members who love their parks. It is an honor to do this work and it’s also a fight — our system has been dangerously underfunded for nearly my entire lifetime (I’m almost 40), so the challenges are deep and complex and worthy.

If there’s been a time in my life that I’ve needed to feel the restorative power of a walk in the park, it is now. 

We’ve done eight walks so far and each has been lovely in its own way. We’ve talked history and culture on gentle walks through parks like Mitchell, Dineen and Kosciuszko. We’ve explored the beautiful unfolding environments of Jacobus and Grobschmidt. We’ve soaked in the splendors of nature on the trails of Lincoln Park, Warnimont Park and the Milwaukee River Greenway. 

A highlight, each time, is meeting the people who join us. We’ve had groups as small as five and as large as twenty. The largest walk attendance in 2023 was on a cold, rainy day in December in Lincoln Park. These events have included elders sharing stories of their beloved parks, to volunteers organizing around community issues in park spaces, to folks just looking for a new adventure. The conversations are sometimes serious, but I always encourage them to wander. 

For 2024, we have a lovely series of walks planned throughout Milwaukee County. 

In this cultural moment, we need mental sanctuary. Not to unplug from reality, but to connect to parts of it that allow us to come as we are. That is the promise of our parks. And A Walk in the Park is a humble invitation to spend an hour making good on that promise.

Hope to see you out there!

Photographer’s note: I did not make it to all of the walks in 2023. The following are selections of the images I shot at the ones I did attend, in a variety of seasons. ~ Eddee Daniel

Dineen Park

Walking in the park at Dineen
Walking in the park at Dineen
A couple take a break from walking to use the Dineen Disc Golf Course.
A couple take a break from walking to take advantage of the Dineen Disc Golf Course.
It's always a bonus to stop and smell the flowers along the way! Black-eyed Susans in this case.
It’s always a bonus to stop and smell the flowers along the way! Black-eyed Susans in this case.
A panoramic view of the recently developed flood detention basin in Dineen Park.
A panoramic view of the recently developed flood detention basin in Dineen Park.

Grobschmidt Park

Adam Carr and Tony Giron lead the way at Grobschmidt Park.
Tony Giron of Milwaukee County Parks and Adam Carr of the Parks Foundation lead the way on the Mud Lake Trail at Grobschmidt Park.
Deborah Unger of the Friends of Grobschmidt Park leads the way through a thicket along the Forked Aster Trail, which runs through a portion of the park.
Deborah Unger of the Friends of Grobschmidt Park leads the way through a thicket along the Forked Aster Trail, which runs through a portion of the park.
Some in the group take a spur trail down to the shore of Mud Lake.
Some in the group take a spur trail down to the shore of Mud Lake.

Kosciuszcko Park

A distant view of the Basilica of St. Josaphat through the trees at Kosciuszcko Park.
A distant view of the Basilica of St. Josaphat through the trees at Kosciuszcko Park.
The group stops at the Del Porter Boxing Club Pavilion to learn about its history.
The group stops at the Del Porter Boxing Club Pavilion to learn about its history.
A whimsical snowman someone created on the plinth in front of the statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszcko after whom the park is named.
A whimsical snowman someone created on the plinth in front of the statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszcko after whom the park is named.

The banner photo at the top is also from Kosciuszko Park.

Lincoln Park

The trailhead for the Lincoln - Estabrook Connector Trail, part of the Milwaukee River Greenway trail system.
The trailhead for the Lincoln – Estabrook Connector Trail, part of the Milwaukee River Greenway trail system.
Part of the group on the Lincoln - Estabrook Connector Trail. This was about half of those who attended this walk on a drizzly day in December.
Part of the group on the Lincoln – Estabrook Connector Trail. This was about half of those who attended this walk on a drizzly day in December.
The newly reconstructed Connector Trail runs under the newly reconstructed I-43 overpass in order to get from Lincoln to Estabrook Park.
The newly reconstructed Connector Trail runs under the newly reconstructed I-43 overpass in order to get from Lincoln to Estabrook Park.
Walking in the woods along the Connector Trail.
Walking in the woods along the Connector Trail.

Warnimont Park (January 2024)

Milwaukee County Parks Department Trails Coordinator Jacob Sanchez leads the group on the Forked Aster Trail in Warnimont Park.
Milwaukee County Parks Department Trails Coordinator Jacob Sanchez leads the group on the Forked Aster Trail in Warnimont Park.
A portion of the trail runs along the top of the Lake Michigan bluff.
A portion of the trail runs along the top of the Lake Michigan bluff.
The Warnimont Park group pauses to pose against the backdrop of Lake Michigan.
The Warnimont Park group pauses to pose against the backdrop of Lake Michigan.

A Walk in the Park is a collaboration between Milwaukee Parks Foundation and Milwaukee County Parks that takes place on the first Friday of the month at noon in a different park.

The next walk will take place on Friday, Feb 2 at noon in Jackson Park. Check the Foundation website or Facebook page for where to meet in the park.

2024 schedule

Adam Carr is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Milwaukee Parks Foundation. Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks. Milwaukee County Parks Department is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.

One thought on "A Walk in the Park"

  1. Carolyn Wells says:
    February 3, 2024 at 10:52 am

    Just beautiful— photos and commentary, as always.

Comments are closed.