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.

In 2009 eight year old Jamarquan was just a boy riding his bike through Washington Park when a staff member at the newly opened Urban Ecology Center, invited him to learn about decomposers. That simple invitation transformed his life.