Earth Day 2023: Milwaukee River Spring Cleanup and more ways to volunteer
Wisconsin has a long legacy of conservationists, from Sierra Club founder and Father of the National Parks John Muir growing up on a farm in central Wisconsin and Aldo Leopold developing his land ethic philosophy at a shack along the Wisconsin river to Lorrie Otto pioneering native landscaping and leading the fight against DDT and the Menominee Nation's forest serving as a model for sustainable forestry.
Gaylord Nelson is among those ranks as well. The former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator helped launch the first Earth Day in the U.S. on April 22, 1970.
More than 50 years later Earth Day is a global affair, with environmental events and cleanups held across the world.
Here are some ways to tap into the state’s legacy and give back this Earth Day in the Milwaukee area.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup
Choose from more than 80 sites across the Milwaukee River Basin to help pick up trash during Riverkeeper’s 28th annual cleanup from 9 a.m to noon April 22. The nonprofit provides gloves, trash bags and T-shirts; you provide the labor. Share a photo on social media of the most unusual piece of trash you find (tag @mkeriverkeeper and include the hashtag #MRKCleanup28), and you’ll be entered to win a Patagonia bag full of goodies valued at $200. Head to Rock the Green after to celebrate your hard work. The zero-waste event from noon to 3 p.m. at the Harley-Davidson Museum will feature live music, food, drinks and more. For more information on the cleanup and to register for a site, see milwaukeeriverkeeper.org.
Free beer at Lakefront Brewery cleanup
One site in Riverkeeper’s cleanup comes with an added bonus: free beer. Meet under Lakefront’s entrance ramp at 9 a.m. April 22 to clean up trash along the Milwaukee River, then cash in a voucher for a free beer inside the brewery after (or at another time, if you choose). Volunteers can also get a free terra cotta mini planter kit (for the first 100 who request the “wee planter kit” from the gift shop after it opens at 11 a.m.). Additional kits will be available for purchase, with proceeds going to Milwaukee Riverkeeper. Register at the Riverkeeper site and find more information at lakefrontbrewery.com.
Work Play Earth Day in Wisconsin state parks
A handful of parks, forests and recreation areas around the state will play host to cleanups as part of the DNR's annual Work Play Earth Day event on April 22. In southeastern Wisconsin, join cleanups from 9 a.m. to noon at Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee (part of the Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cleanup), the Kettle Moraine State Forest’s Northern Unit in Campbellsport (beginning at 8:30 a.m.), Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan and Pike Lake in Hartford. Harrington Beach State Park in Belgium will host a cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon April 29. Park admission at each event is free for volunteers. For more information and other events, see dnr.wisconsin.gov/events.
Earth Week at the Urban Ecology Center
The UEC’s three branches — Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place; Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St.; and Menomonee Valley, 3700 W. Pierce St. — will play host to a week of Earth Day events, starting with the Riverkeeper cleanup at each branch on April 22. Other volunteer opportunities and free events include:
Clothing Swap: Bring clothing you no longer want or need and snag some new-to-you clothes from others. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 22, Riverside.
Garlic Mustard Pull-a-thon: Help remove invasive garlic mustard. 9 a.m.-noon April 17-27 and April 24-28, Riverside.
Forest Prep-A-Thon: Help prepare areas of Washington Park for new native Wisconsin forest. 9-11 a.m. April 24 and 25, 1-3 p.m. April 26, 9-11 a.m. April 27, 1-3 p.m. April 28.
Habitat Helpers: Help the habitats in Three Bridges Park thrive. 9-11 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. April 24, Menomonee Valley.
Community Garden Bed Prep: 1-3 p.m. April 25, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 29, Menomonee Valley.
Garden Bed Breakdown: Help break down old raised garden beds. 3-6 p.m. April 25 and 27, Washington Park.
Trash Pickup in Three Bridges Park: 4-6 p.m. April 25, Menomonee Valley.
Build New Nature Play Areas: 9-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. April 26.
Washington Park Trash Pickup: 9:30-10:30 a.m. April 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 28.
ROOT (Restoring Our Outdoors Together): Help with planting, removing invasive species, trail work and more. 3-5 p.m. April 26, Riverside; 9-11 a.m. April 27, Menomonee Valley; 3-5 p.m. April 27 and 9-11 a.m. April 28, Washington Park.
Freshen Up Play Areas at Three Bridges Park: 3-5 p.m. April 28, Menomonee Valley.
Seedling Swap: Take home as many plants as you bring to share. 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. April 29, Riverside.
Trash Talk and Break-Up with Plastics: Help pick up trash, then join a trash audit and discussion on going plastic-free. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. April 29, Riverside.
For more information and to register for any of the events, visit urbanecologycenter.org.
Earth Week in Waukesha County Parks
Parks in Waukesha County also will play host to events in the week leading up to Earth Day, culminating with a Volunteer Cleanup Workday at all parks and an Earth Week Celebration Event at Retzer Nature Center on April 22. The cleanup will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at every park in the system; admission will be free for volunteers, and garbage bags and safety vests will be provided. The free Celebration Event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will include a hands-on recycling exhibit and other kid-friendly activities inside and out. For more on Earth Week events, see waukeshacounty.gov/earthweek.
More Earth Day cleanups and events in the Milwaukee area
Amani Earth Day Cleanup: Join the Dominican Center, 2470 W. Locust St., and other partners to help clean up around the Amani neighborhood beginning at 9 a.m. April 15. For more information, contact amanda@dominican-center.org or see bit.ly/amaniearthday.
Earth Day Cleanup at Hawthorne Glen: Help clean up the outdoor education center at 1130 N. 60th St. from 9 a.m. to noon April 22. For more information, call (414) 647-6043.
Beach Cleanup at Schlitz Audubon: Pick up trash along the shore of Lake Michigan at this nature center in Bayside from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 22. Register at schlitzaudubon.org.
Celebrate Trails & Earth Day Cleanup: Gather a group and sign up to clean a segment of the Eisenbahn State Trail or Sandy Knoll County Park in Washington County on April 22 or 23. Register at washcowisco.gov/parks.
Humboldt Park Cleanup and Bird Walk: Join the Humboldt Park Friends for a bird walk guided by a Wisconsin master naturalist beginning at 8 a.m. April 22, followed by a cleanup at Humboldt Park from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet near the pavilion. Buckets, bags and grabbers will be provided.
Contact Chelsey Lewis at clewis@journalsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew and @TravelMJS and Facebook at Journal Sentinel Travel.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Earth Day 2023: Milwaukee River Cleanup and more ways to volunteer
