We're hiring!
We are now taking applications for a Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum Intern. Click here for details.
Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum and Milwaukee River Gateway
A welcoming entrance into the Milwaukee River Greenway
Imagine that you're at the end of a stressful day at the office and you want a place to relax. You hop in your car (or on your bike!) and in a matter of minutes, you arrive at the Rotary Gateway and find yourself amidst trees, flowers, and birds -- wilderness, with a river running through it!
A living entrance, the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum leads to an unmatched recreational corridor for the entire city. Forty acres of a one-of-its-kind natural oasis, right in the heart of the city. A free and open place to be enjoyed by all — people of every age, race and physical ability.
A new arboretum? Tell me more!
The Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum will be the first official arboretum in Southeastern Wisconsin. More than a park, it will include newly acquired former industrial land added to Riverside Park and will total 40 acres along the Milwaukee River, planted with over 1,000 trees representing 72 species native to this area. The Arboretum will serve as a hub for environmental education, research, native tree propagation, recreation, youth job training and quiet reflection.
 |
 |
Where will it be located?
The Arboretum will lie between the Milwaukee River and the Oak Leaf Trail, south of Locust Street, and north of North Avenue.
A lasting, living tribute
The Arboretum will serve as a living entryway -- the “Front Door” -- to the 800-acre Milwaukee River Greenway. The addition of 1,000 new trees to our ecosystem will provide many benefits including:
- Eight tons of carbon sequestered from the air each year
- Seed stock of native species for the entire river valley
- Bringing our diverse community together during design, construction, planting and use
- The opportunity to connect with a living legacy! Our great, great, great grand kids will be able to enjoy the Arboretum.
Who, besides me, will be visiting?
Well over 100,000 people are projected to visit the Arboretum annually. Some of the expected visitors include:
- 15,000 students and teachers per year from the 30 schools that partner with the Riverside Park branch of the Urban Ecology Center.
- 12 local institutions of higher education will use this site as a field research station.
- Travelers from all over the city and region.
- High school and college students training for careers in conservation.
- Let’s not forget the wildlife! since important habitat will be created and restored we're sure to have a variety of of wild visitors.
Who is involved?
This project has gained momentum due to the tremendous support of a lot folks including:
- Rotary Club of Milwaukee
Pieter Godfrey, a visionary and dearly missed friend and nearby land owner - Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
- The River Revitalization Foundation
- Other nearby land owners
- State of Wisconsin – Department of Natural Resources
- Milwaukee County Parks
- City of Milwaukee
- Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition
- Milwaukee Public Schools
- Local Colleges and Universities
- Milwaukee Area Workforce Youth Initiative
- Local environmental groups and park advocates
- Neighborhood kids and families
The Urban Ecology Center and the River Revitalization Foundation are the lead organizations.
Cool! Now how do I get involved?
Glad you asked! We have a lot of work to do, including planting 1,000 trees, 500 shrubs and 100,000 herbaceous plants; removal of invasive species; restoring six acres currently dominated by invasive reed canary grass to a more diverse native plant community; restoring five acres of barren industrial land; mitigating stormwater runoff and soil erosion and more. We expect to engage at least 1,000 volunteers every year in habitat restoration work. If you'd like to help, please contact Susan at swinans@urbanecologycenter.org. Everyone, whether you're an individual or a group, is welcome.
