Where nature is within reach.

When looking at the world around us today, we might feel like we have no way of making a change big enough to matter. As a young college student, it’s hard to wrap my head around what I can do to help my community. But just like anything, taking the first small step matters more than you can imagine. I find that inspiration blossoms within myself and those around me through small acts of kindness and initiative. When we take one seemingly small step—like volunteering, supporting a neighbor, shopping locally, cleaning up a local park, donating to those in need, or simple acts of kindness—we set everlasting change in motion.

When Heather first started volunteering with the Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds (WIngs), she was shocked to discover that window collisions are the second leading cause of death for songbirds in the U.S.—second only to cats. An estimated 1 billion birds are killed annually by collisions with buildings and other man-made structures across the United States.

Discovering your new favorite hobby might be right in your backyard

When you walk into the Urban Ecology Center at Washington Park, you’re greeted by color, movement, and story. The walls themselves have come alive. Two local artists, Tia Richardson and Mi Salgado, helped transform the space into a celebration of connection — to nature, to community, and to one another.

The story of how one change brought us closer to urban nature — and each other.