Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition Celebrates 15 Years!
July 6, 2021 | Topics: Events, Spotlight
By Eddee Daniel
Calling our parks Milwaukee County’s “crown jewels,” County Executive David Crowley kicked off a unique celebration this morning at Lincoln Park. Unique because the celebration that starts today will go on for the next 15 weeks in order to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of the founding of the Coalition. Each week a different Coalition partner will host a variety of events and activities. I am proud to announce that A Wealth of Nature / Preserve Our Parks is among those partners. More about that below.
What is the Greenway?
Just 1.5 miles from downtown, the Milwaukee River Greenway is an 878-acre stretch of urban wilderness—bigger than New York City’s Central Park! Containing more than 28 miles of hiking, biking and water trails, it nevertheless remains somewhat of a hidden treasure. But maybe not for much longer!
Explore and learn about the Greenway during the next 15 weeks by joining the partner organizations for outdoor, family friendly activities starting today! Of special interest are weekly healing nature hikes with a forest bathing guide. Especially during this past year, getting outside in nature has helped mental and physical well-being. Other offerings include bike rides, paddling, bird walks and art shows; something for everyone.
The Greenway owes its existence to a multi-faceted, grassroots coalition established 15 years ago with the promise to preserve a natural experience in an urban area. The Greenway, managed by a coalition of government, nonprofit and civic groups, is unique in that it preserves the river’s “viewshed,” meaning that anyone who’s on the water won’t see buildings. This creates an immersive natural experience and the sense of being miles from the city. “The Milwaukee River Greenway has been protected as a natural river valley in a dense urban environment, thanks to a grassroots effort and progressive zoning passed by the Village of Shorewood and the City of Milwaukee” said Kimberly Gleffe, executive director of the River Revitalization Foundation (RRF).
The Greenway hugs an eight-mile section of the Milwaukee River that begins at the former North Avenue Dam in Milwaukee and ends at Silver Spring Drive in Glendale. A combination of urban wilderness and managed parkland, the deep river valley is home to wetlands, upland forest and lowland forest.
County Executive Crowley and Kimberly Gleffe were joined this morning by Milwaukee County Parks Director Guy Smith to kick off the 15-week celebration. Today’s event was billed as a Commonwealth Clean Up, sponsored by RRF and Friends of Lincoln Park. The clean-up was especially welcome, said Smith, after the long holiday weekend. Additional events are scheduled every day this week.
Week 3: A Wealth of Nature / Preserve Our Parks
As project director of A Wealth of Nature, I am leading hikes and making a Zoom presentation during week 3, July 19 – 25.
Event 1: Explore the Milwaukee River Greenway: A Virtual Tour
For the past year I have served as Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway for River Revitalization Foundation as part of a program called ARTservancy. In this Zoom presentation I will take you on a virtual tour of the Greenway and share my photography of this special place.
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 20th from 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Virtual – Zoom link will be posted on the Greenway 15 website.
Event 2: Photographing Nature in the Greenway
This will be a tour with a bonus lesson in nature photography. We will walk through or past several named parks, including Riverside, Hubbard and Cambridge Woods. Our tour will begin at one of Milwaukee’s newest parks, the Rotary Centennial Arboretum. We can explore the “tunnel to nowhere” along the way.
You may bring any kind of camera, including a cell phone, or no camera at all.
The hike, while not strenuous, will take us on uneven ground and may be muddy, depending on conditions. Dress appropriately.
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 21st from 1:30pm-3:30pm
Location: Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum – 1449 E. Park Place, Milwaukee
How to find us: We will meet at the arboretum parking lot, located at the dead end of E. Park Place. Drive past the Urban Ecology Center and turn left into the lot at the very end of the road near the large stone arch. Call if necessary: 414-771-8857
Event 3: Hike the East Bank – West Bank Loop
We will walk through or past several named parks, including Riverside, Gordon, Turtle, and Caesar’s, finding clues along the way to the river’s illustrious past as a resort and learning how the Greenway was developed. Our tour will begin at one of Milwaukee’s newest parks, the Rotary Centennial Arboretum.
The hike, while not strenuous, will take us on uneven ground and may be muddy, depending on conditions. Dress appropriately.
Date/Time: Saturday, July 24th from 10:00am-12:00pm
Location: Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum – 1449 E. Park Place, Milwaukee
How to find us: We will meet at the arboretum parking lot, located at the dead end of E. Park Place. Drive past the Urban Ecology Center and turn left into the lot at the very end of the road near the large stone arch. Call if necessary: 414-771-8857
Don’t forget, this celebration lasts from now until October 17th! Check the Greenway15 website for complete event information.
Eddee Daniel is a former art and photography teacher, a board member of Preserve Our Parks, and author of “Urban Wilderness: Exploring a Metropolitan Watershed.”