Green Resources
Whether you're building a worm composting system or sustainable building materials, the Urban Ecology Center can help you ways to change your everyday life in order to live more lighly on the earth. From compost to vermiculture, water collection to community supported agriculture, we can help you begin projects that will change your perspective and habits.
You’ll never look at a worm the same way again.
Community Connections
Wild Ones’ Natural Landscaping with Native Plants Conference
Reducing greenhouse gases, conserving water, guarding against flooding, providing habitats for birds and insects are a few reasons why Wild Ones, a nonprofit organization, promotes replacing lawns with native plants. To help people learn how to help slow down global warming and prevent extinction of America's birds and insects, Wild Ones is sponsoring this one-day conference. Why use native plants?
- Using native plants to replace lawn grass helps in slowing down global warming because native plants have long, fibrous roots which absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
- Roots of native plants also absorb, filter, and release water into the ground slowly, preventing flooding.
- Native plants are drought-resistant and do not require artificial watering. Considerable energy is wasted to purify and pump the water used to irrigate yards. In addition, water is a scarce commodity in many areas making conservation vital.
- Landscaping with native plants sustains American birds and insects which depend on our yards for their survival.
Program choices will include homeowner experiences... and more.
Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, October 23rd 2010,
8:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
For more information about the Wild Ones visit
www.for‐wild.org or call 414‐299‐9888 x 3.
The Milwaukee Urban Water Trail
The Milwaukee Urban Water Trail is a guide for canoes, kayaks, and other small non-motorized boats on the “urban” portions of our three rivers. This guide is comprised of access points, portages, and resting sites, and also includes information on historic, cultural, ecological, or scenic points of interest along the way.
Green Milwaukee
Learn about efforts to improve Milwaukee's water quality, reduce energy consumption, and stimulate economic development in the green technology sector. This site also lists local and statewide green events.
Future Milwaukee Leadership Program
How can you impact the future of Milwaukee? Join the Future Milwaukee Leadership program or send an individual from your organization to participate. The Future Milwaukee program has been building a diverse group of ethically-based leaders in the Milwaukee community for over 30 years. Additional information about this program can be found at www.futuremilwaukee.org or by contacting Lori Kazaks, 414-288-7118 or lori.kazaks@marquette.edu
Safe Street Biking
If you bike to work, take a look at this site http://bicyclesafe.com/. It gives you some practical collision-prevention advice that isn’t very obvious at first, but makes a whole lot of sense.
(Please note: they minimize the importance of wearing a helmet. Don’t listen to them! Riding smart AND wearing a helmet just makes you all the more safe.)
Whether you’re a bicyclist or not, try this awareness test.
Interesting Links
Top dirtiest beaches in the USA
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-most-polluted-beaches.html
10 greenest cities in the USA
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/249/top-10-u-s-cities-of-the-future.html
UWM Article about invasives in Lake Michigan
http://www4.uwm.edu/news/features/details.cfm? customel_datapageid_11602=1376414
