News You Need to Know
Butterfly advocates, UWM clash over County Grounds
It’s called the butterfly effect, and many of us are familiar with the idea; that one small event can cause a ripple that causes a wave that grows into a tsunami that crashes onto a distant shore.
It’s amazing to think about; that one tiny creature can effect so much change in the world.
And so it is with Barb Agnew, a Milwaukee-area florist. It is because of Agnew’s actions that County Board officials, UW-Milwaukee administrators, the local press and upward of 100 concerned citizens gathered in a conference center at Milwaukee County Zoo late last month. And they gathered to talk about butterflies.
Agnew raises butterflies in her store, and for the past two years has been preserving a trail she created on the Milwaukee County Grounds; a trail that plays host to hundreds of Monarch butterflies each year as they stop en route during their migration to Mexico.
It’s a natural phenomenon. The butterflies are wired with the instinct to fly south when cold weather hits, but what is truly amazing is the distance involved. Monarchs east of the Rockies fly some 2,500 miles to warm nesting grounds in the Transvolcanic Range in Mexico. That’s a long way from the County Grounds site, nestled between Watertown Plank Rd., Hwy 45, Hoyt Park and Underwood Parkway in Wauwatosa.
Agnew discovered that the butterflies chose this undeveloped plot of land as a roosting site, and has advocated for its preservation since. With the blessing of Parks Director Sue Black, Agnew signposted the trail that she created by hand with a weed whip and shears.
Eagle Scouts have helped develop the trail, by planting milkweed and constructing information booths. And the visitors have been piling in. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee turned the trail into an outdoor classroom last summer, exposing students to the natural world on their doorstep.
But Eagle Scouts are not the only ones interested in the area. Under the charge of Chancellor Carlos Santiago, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been pushing for expansion, growth and research partnership opportunities. Officials have settled upon the County Grounds as the ideal spot for Innovation Park; a graduate research campus for the School of Engineering.
It is here, university officials say, that the university best positions itself for partnerships with organizations already in the area, such as GE Healthcare and Medical College of Wisconsin. These partnerships, they say, would attract talent and funding to the program, and would, in turn, foster economic growth in the form of jobs.
Vice-Chancellor for University Relations and Communications, Tom Luljak, used the zoo podium as an opportunity to highlight what he called a “recession-proof” Pittsburgh; a city where strong links between the university and industry have created a resilient economy.
In fiscal times like these, it’s hard to argue with that logic. But the plan is not without its opponents. Some believe the university should focus its expansion plans downtown, providing an economic surge to Milwaukee, not Wauwatosa. And then there are the urban sprawl issues to consider. A group calling itself “UWM Downtown” maintains a web site www.uwmdowntown.org outlining the advantages to an expanded urban campus.
With a web site as her launching pad www.themonarchtrail.org, Agnew has launched a PR campaign of sorts, to persuade the developers to consider the butterflies when they draw up their blueprints.
Agnew has posted letters from academics and trail-lovers alike, along with photos of the roosting Monarchs and children enjoying the spectacle. She provided links so people could express their concerns to county officials.
And she was heard.
At the zoo last month, Wauwatosa Mayor Jill Didier walked to the podium with her daughter. She spoke of the need to move forward with economic development. She spoke of the importance of good, open dialogue with UWM, and she assured that all elements of the development would come before the council so that dialogue would continue, even as development begins. Then she talked about the trail on a more personal level:
“As a mom,” she said, “I understand the uniqueness… and the desire to educate a generation to come.”
Milwaukee County Grounds has long been a source of debate and tension between developers and conservationists; between business interests and public concern.
Let’s hope that a middle ground can be reached over these prized grounds. Let’s hope that, as one retired librarian put it that night at the zoo, UWM can live up to its own example, and honor a conservancy that would protect this unique environmental treasure, just as the university has done with its careful fostering of Downer Woods.
Future Green’s future grows greener with rooftop garden
A one-stop shop for consumers seeking socially responsible goods. That was the idea behind Future Green, the store owned by Lisa and Swee Sim on Kinnickinnic Ave. in downtown Bayview. And sure enough, a quick glance around the store reveals organic seed packets, organic cotton clothing and baby goods, and chemical-free health and beauty products.
The store was opened in 2005 and boasts eco-conscious, energy-efficient features, remarkable to see in a century-old Tennessee stone building. From a rooftop solar panel to solar tubes for lighting, radiant heat floors and a recycled store counter, the Sims truly embraced their green convictions during the remodeling stage.
But a couple of ambitions had to be left on the backburner; a rooftop garden and a café.
A shipment of special, light-weight soil was delayed by April snow, but the Sims and their helpers made progress on a cold, sunny afternoon by constructing “earth bins,” recycled plastic drums cut in half, to be filled with soil and outfitted with a drip irrigation system. Container gardening, we were told, is the sensible rooftop option.
While tomato seedlings reach skyward in the basement, Lisa is not sure where it will all lead. She says she would like to provide area restaurants with produce, supply food pantries or organize a work share system.
“The main thing,” Lisa says, “is to get people excited about gardens … there are so many flat roofs around here!”
The Sims hope the roof will yield crops of tomatoes, leeks, broccoli, eggplant and cabbage. You can follow their progress by visiting www.futuregreen.net
