Grown Up Summer Camp rocks Washington Park!
August 23, 2025 | Topics: Events, Places
By Eddee Daniel, with a little help from Urban Ecology Center staff
What is Grown Up Summer Camp? Perhaps the idea of summer camp conjures images of children cavorting in a natural setting, making friendship bracelets, tie-dying shirts, canoeing on a placid lake, and—of course—roasting marshmallows for s’mores. Grown Up Summer Camp at the Urban Ecology Center is all of that, except for adults instead of children. There were also some adult-oriented activities that you probably won’t find in children’s camp programming, such as yoga in the park and bicycle maintenance. There was even a house-plant propagation station where participants could take house plant cutting home with them to add a touch of nature to their every-day lives.
Oh, and here’s something you won’t find at a kids’ summer camp: an after party with pizza … and beer!
I asked Cassie Bauer, summer camp director, why they hold a summer camp for adults. She responded in an email:
“Because we all need a break — and a little fresh air goes a long way. Between work, responsibilities, and a lot of screen time, it’s easy to forget how good it feels to simply play outside. Grown Up Summer Camp gives adults a chance to unplug, move, laugh, and connect — all while soaking up the benefits of being outdoors right here in the city.
The Urban Ecology Center hosts summer camp for hundreds of youth each year, but the UEC is also a community for adults. This is one day to be a kid at heart.”
The Urban Ecology Center, which has three Milwaukee branches, has traditionally held its Grown Up Summer Camp at Riverside Park. This year it was moved to Washington Park in order to take advantage of the brand-new building, which opened earlier this year, as well as to introduce more people to the particular landscapes of this large, Olmsted-designed park.
According to Jen Hense, Executive Director of the UEC, who was on hand for the camp, the event was a great success. The eighty participants were a diverse crowd, including a group of moms, people of different ages and backgrounds, couples, and individuals who just came on their own. “The number of people who got in a canoe for the first time was incredible!” She said. The mission of the UEC is to connect people in cities to nature and each other. Grown Up Summer Camp seems to being doing all of that!
“I hope the “grown ups” that joined us have learned that the UEC is a place for everyone regardless of age or experience and that the folks at the UEC are genuinely happy to help people get connected to nature in the city.” ~ Cassie Bauer
For more information about Washington Park go to our Find-a-Park page. For more information about the Urban Ecology Center go to their website.
Related stories:
Burning Washington Park, a prescribed burn conducted by the Urban Ecology Center.
Cycles & Cider with Urban Ecology Center
Thanks go to Cassie Bauer and Jen Hense of the Urban Ecology Center for providing information for this story.
All photos by Eddee Daniel, except as noted. Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks and a member of the Urban Ecology Center. The UEC is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.
About Preserve Our Parks
Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces. Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine.
For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces. More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.