Celebrate Earth Day every day
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Today marks Earth Day, a nationwide event created in 1970 to inspire Americans toward acts of environmental stewardship. Now in its 31st year, Earth Day is celebrated in over 100 countries, unifying the many peoples and cultures across the globe in an effort to preserve our most precious resources. In Milwaukee, businesses and organizations are hosting an array of eco (and family) friendly activities and events throughout the month of April and beyond. Click on the links below for more information.
The Urban Ecology Center
April 22, 7-10 p.m.; Free – donations appreciated
Riverside Park
1500 E. Park Place
Call 414-964-8505 to register
Join Jahmes Finlayson, Jeff Poniewaz, Suzanne Rosenblatt, Harvey Taylor, and Holly Haebig Wake for an evening of wisdom, passion and humor. Humans have placed our home, Planet Earth, at risk of foreclosure. Now you can celebrate that home and contemplate ways to protect it.
River Clean-up by canoe
April 30, 9 a.m.-noon; Free
Meeting at Rowing Club Boathouse
1190 N. Commerce
Take part in Milwaukee Riverkeepers annual Spring River Clean Up. We will use canoes to get to sections of the river and river bank that are hard to clean up from the shore. It is a fun way to serve the community and the river. Parental/Guardian permission is required for this program. All ages are welcome. Visit the UEC online to download a permission form.
Weed Out!
April 30, 9 a.m. – noon, Free
Riverside & Washington Park locations
Bring your gardening gloves and work alongside community members and volunteers as we work to improve biodiversity and eradicate Garlic Mustard and invasive plants from our parks.
Earth Day Festivals
April 30, noon-4 p.m., Free
Riverside & Washington Park locations
Fun for everyone! With guided hikes, crafts, canoeing, bird walks, hands-on experiments and much, much more.
Boerner Botanical Gardens
In Celebration of Trees
April 29, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
5879 S. 92nd St., Hales Corners
Kids can connect with nature by exploring hiking trails, creating artwork, adopting a tree and more, during this special Earth Day / Arbor Day event.
Milwaukee County Zoo
Party for the Planet
May 15 & 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Learn about taking care of planet Earth at the Milwaukee County Zoo, featuring exhibits and habitats highlighting the importance of conservation. Learn ways you can lessen your impact on the Earth and protect our endangered species.
Various Locations
Help keep Milwaukee’s beaches clean! Interested volunteers can sign up for local Adopt-a-Beace events through the Alliance for the Great Lakes, an organization that provides water quality testing and coastline clean-up in the Great Lakes region. To find out about local events, click here.
Plant a Tree for Earth Day/Arbor Day (Links to Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee)
April 29, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Treat everyday like it’s Earth Day: A few simple tips for living a cleaner, greener life
Drive less. With gas prices exceeding $4/gallon, this one is a no-brainer. But when/if prices go down, think about consolidating your drive time. Car pool to work and school. Ride the bus, or better yet — ride a bike! There’s no better view of Milwaukee than the one you’ll get on two wheels. Help cut down on nasty emissions while toning those gams up for shorts season! It’s a win-win.
Bike trails and bike lanes provide excellent riding conditions, but if you’re weary about cycling in the city, check out the Bike Federation of Wisconsin for tips and (depending on location) alternate routes.
Use less water. It’s earth’s most precious resource, and it’s in peril. Shorten your showering time (one minute less per shower can save up to 150 gallons per month!). Don’t let the tap/hose run. For gardeners, use barrels to harvest rainwater for watering your lawn and garden. There are many ways to conserve water — some require only a change in habits. If you’re able, think about upgrading your faucets and appliances to more efficient models. Also: It takes about 5-7 gallons of water just to flush the toilet, so, uh follow the “If it’s yellow, let it mellow” rule whenever possible.
For 100 different ways to conserve water, click here.
RECYCLE. No, really. Do it. It’s so easy. Much of the glass, plastic and paper we use on a daily basis can be repurposed, meaning that it will stay out of the ever-growing landfills. Better yet — reuse those items at home! Plastic bottles can be used to make indoor window farms, glass wine bottles make great DIY drinking glasses, and old newspaper and junk mail are perfect for paper-mache. Piñatas for everyone! If crafts aren’t your thing, check out the DPW’s Clean & Green project website for full recycling guidelines.
So no to disposables. Each year, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups and utensils to circle the equator 300 times. Whoa. While they might be a mainstay for backyard barbeques and take-out, disposable items like coffee cups, water bottles and dining utensils are piling up in landfills and seeping chemicals into the water and soil. Plastic grocery bags are even worse. (If they emit chemicals into the soil, think about what’s going into your body.)
Coffee drinkers: invest in a nice, thermal travel mug — it’ll pay for itself by the end of the week. Instead of buying plastic water bottles, purchase a reusable Nalgene or stainless steel bottle. If you don’t like tap water, filters are relatively inexpensive. Reusable grocery bags are cheap and easy to find, and some stores even give you a discount for using them.
Turn off the lights. Anyone who’s had to deal with WE Energies is probably already doing this. This one is just plain common sense, and something our dads have been screaming at us since we were little. If you’re not in the room, the light doesn’t need to be on. Keep the refrigerator door closed. Turn off the TV/radio/computer at night. Unplug appliances or devices (coffee pot, cell phone) that are not in use. Use energy-efficient bulbs — the upfront cost is a bit more, but they last significantly longer than regular bulbs and will save you tons on your electricity bill each month.
Plus, dinner by candlelight is so much more romantic.
Buy Local. Beside the fact that your purchases are supporting local businesses, chances are their goods and services don’t really on oil or shady labor to get here. It’s more of a “big picture” sort of thing, but every bit counts.
Compost! Get the most out of your organic waste and table scraps. Whether it’s yesterday’s coffee grounds, leftover food (with some exceptions) or the dying leaves from last fall, you can compost it. It stays out of the landfill and enriches your soil! For gardeners, this is a great way to really boost your beds and conserve water. No garden? No problem. You can collect and donate your composted materials to neighborhood gardens and urban ag. sites like Growing Power.
Grow (some of) your own food. While this is not always the easiest option depending on where you live, luckily Milwaukee has the Victory Garden Initiative to make it more accessible. If you have the garden space already, VGI will help you set up growing beds in your own backyard. If you live in an apartment building or simply don’t have the land, VGI has options to buy into plots in community gardens. Not only do you get to play in the dirt, you have the satisfaction of growing your own organic produce. It’s delicious, and it could save roughly $650 in a single season.
