August "Gift to the Community:" Free access to sites that advance conservation, adventure, ecology

MILWAUKEE -- FOX6 and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation are teaming up to bring you Gifts to the Community – unique experiences that highlight the remarkable resources the community has to offer – as we celebrate the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s 100 years of service to the Milwaukee area.

The August Gift to the Community will show you the wonders of the natural world as you experience a day of free access to sites in greater Milwaukee that advance education, conservation, adventure and ecology.  For this August Gift, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is partnering with the Urban Ecology Center, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Riveredge Nature Center and Mequon Nature Preserve to offer free entry and an array of special programming across six different locations on Saturday, August 22nd.

Mequon Nature Preserve
Where: 8200 W. County Line Road, Mequon, WI 53097
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 22nd (trail access:  dawn to dusk)
Phone: 262-242-8055

Mequon Nature Preserve is 438 acres of hardwood forests, wetlands, prairies and fields.  Its primary mission is to be a guiding example of land restoration by returning an urban/suburban area to pre-settlement conditions.  In addition, it serves 7,500 students annually through a science-based, hands-on environmental education program.  All programming is provided without fees to schools or students, and transportation is provided at no cost to City of Milwaukee schools, an area of focus.  The land offers five miles of trails and is free and open to the public daily, sunrise to sunset.

Get details for the day here: mequonnaturepreserve.org/gmf-gift-to-our-community

Three highlights:


    Riveredge Nature Center
    Where: 4458 County Road Y, Saukville, WI 53080 (all parking at Fireman’s Park, 508 Main Street, Newburg. Shuttles will be provided).
    Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 22nd (trail access:  dawn to dusk)
    Phone: 262-375-2715

    For nearly fifty years, Riveredge Nature Center has been a pioneer in engaging people with the natural world.  Its 379 acres of restored wild Wisconsin ecosystems, 10 miles of trails for adventuring, and a legacy of hundreds of thousands of kids transformed by a deeply intimate interaction with nature are a testament to Riveredge’s passion for this cause. That passion continues today through the building of a movement to bring the great outdoors to families, schools and neighborhoods.

    Get details for the day here:  riveredgenaturecenter.org/gifts-to-the-community

    Three highlights:


      Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
      Where: 1111 E. Brown Deer Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217
      Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 22nd (trail access:  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
      Phone: 414-352-2880

      Once a farm for the Schlitz Brewery draft horses, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is Milwaukee’s comprehensive nature center.  It offers six miles of trails that take visitors through 185 unique acres of forests, wetlands, restored prairies, ravines, bluffs and a shoreline.  You will see evidence of its active and progressive management of the land, restoring habitats unique to the region and reclaiming its bountiful natural history.

      Conveniently located just north of the city on Lake Michigan, it provides the full experience of nature throughout all seasons.  With leading experiential, environmental education for people of all ages, Schlitz Audubon is both a destination for adventure and an oasis from the busyness of life.

      Schlitz Audubon is a designated Important Bird Area because of the habitat provided by the lake for certain waterfowl.  It is also a birding hot spot because of its location within a migratory flyway.

      Get details for the day here:  schlitzaudubon.org/greater-milwaukee-foundation

      Three highlights:


        Urban Ecology Center
        Where: Three Milwaukee locations (see below)
        Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 22nd (all branches)
        Phone: 414-964-8505

        The Urban Ecology Center fosters ecological understanding as inspiration for change, neighborhood by neighborhood.  Its Environmental Community Centers:


          Today, the Urban Ecology Center has three locations throughout the City of Milwaukee:  Its original location and organizational headquarters in Riverside Park, one in Washington Park to serve communities and schools on Milwaukee’s west side, and one in the Menomonee Valley on Milwaukee’s south side.  It is a vibrant and growing organization, serving more than 77,000 people each year and protecting and restoring urban green spaces in Milwaukee.

          Get details for the day here:  urbanecologycenter.org

          Three highlights:

          Menomonee Valley Branch, 3700 W. Pierce Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215


            Riverside Park Branch, 1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee, WI 53211


              Washington Park Branch, 1859 N. 40th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208