Preserve Our Parks sponsors Week 3 of Greenway 15!
July 14, 2021 | Topics: Events, Spotlight
By Eddee Daniel
You are invited!
Everyone can come. Really, read on.
Please join me as I lead tours of the Milwaukee River Greenway during Week 3 of Greenway 15, the 15-week celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition.
I will be leading physical hikes in different sections of the Greenway. These are limited to a manageable number of participants. But I will also be presenting a Zoom tour of the Greenway that all can attend. Details below.
The photographs in this blog post are a sneak preview of the slide show that I will present on Zoom. All were taken in the Greenway.
Chances are very good that if you’re reading The Natural Realm you already know about the Milwaukee River Greenway and the Greenway 15 celebration. But here’s a synopsis:
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 I am among those who are endeavoring to make it more well known.
You can explore and learn about this treasured place during any of the 15 weeks of Greenway 15. Greenway Coalition partner organizations—like Preserve Our Parks—are sponsoring many types of outdoor, family friendly activities! 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. It is all well connected with paved and woodland trails.
For more information about the 15-week celebration check the Greenway15 website.
Week 3 is July 19-25, sponsored by A Wealth of Nature / Preserve Our Parks
As project director of A Wealth of Nature, I am leading actual hikes and making a virtual Zoom presentation.
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
Click on this link in order to attend:
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/93859510808
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
Contact me at [email protected] to register. Space is limited at 20 max.
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
Contact me at [email protected] to register. Space is limited at 20 max.
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 board member of Preserve Our Parks and currently serves as Artist in Residence for River Revitalization Foundation. All images by Eddee except as noted.