Where nature is within
reach.

Christmas music is filling the store aisles, and the unmistakable scents of peppermint and clove are everywhere. The first snowfall of the season clings to the windows of a Colectivo coffee house as I sit here typing this. Winter has officially arrived in Milwaukee.

If I’m being honest, I couldn’t even visualize a sturgeon in my head prior to working at the Urban Ecology Center. So, when a coworker mentioned there’d be a sturgeon release at UW-Milwaukee’s Great Lakes Research Facility, I jumped at the chance. It sounded intriguing—plus, I’d never heard of a fish release before. Which got me thinking: What exactly do sturgeons do? What is their backstory? And why do they need releasing in the first place? I quickly realized I didn’t have the faintest idea.

What do you hope people leave with after engaging with your work? I like being a part of the whole UEC experience. For me it’s so much about seeing something for the first time as well as seeing something familiar but in a different way. I hope people come away with a shared awareness of my studio efforts and UEC’s mission. 

Interning at the Urban Ecology Center has been nothing short of amazing. Working with other team members who have the same goal has been a refreshing breath of fresh air. Not to mention all the actual fresh air I enjoyed as I worked outside all summer!

Is that tree ok? It looks like its bark is falling off. Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is a native deciduous tree found across the eastern half of the United States. This species is characterized by its “shaggy” bark, which peels away from the trunk in curving plates. Despite its unusual looks, shagbarks are great eco-neighbors.