Hey Groundwork Supporters! Here’s the April newsletter! It hasn’t felt quite like spring yet, but we know the growing season is just around the corner. We’ve been busy prepping and building new gardens, cleaning waterways, planting trees and connecting with residents. Keep reading to learn more!
message from the executive director
open positions
green space action
Kilbourn garden
CLIMATE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS
GREEN TEAM
ground corps
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Today is Earth Day and with all of the disturbing stories in the news lately, I've been thinking of "The Real Work," a poem by Wendell Berry:
It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.
The world is baffling but we have to keep going. One carrot won't change the world but an empty vacant lot that's turned into a garden full of carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and collards, in a small way, will. When you multiply that positivity by the 80+ gardens in our garden network and consider all of the networking, social bonding, improved nutrition, low-intensity exercise, and healing that happens when people grow things together – then you have a difference maker for Milwaukee.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed when we think of ourselves as solitary individuals, but when I remember to put things into the context of a community, I start to feel better. It's the small things we all can do – like a kind word to the cashier at your grocery store, checking in on an elderly neighbor, or planting heirloom tomatoes – that will make a difference. Taken together our actions will move the needle for Milwaukee and our planet.
Sincerely,
Young
OPEN POSITIONS
Check out these open positions! Come work with us!
GREEN SPACE ACTION
Earth Day
Groundwork Milwaukee participated in an Earth Day green resource fair at the Urban Ecology Center at Washington Park with Nearby Nature. There were over 100 volunteers participating in a clean-up at Washington Park and several different partner organizations. The weather was beautiful! This was part of a citywide effort organized by Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Clean-Up. Thousands of volunteers participated at over 80 sites throughout the Milwaukee River Basin. Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson both were in attendance as well. On Earth Day we also cleaned up our adopt-a-river site at Havenwoods State Forest and kicked off the Discovery World Garden.
Southside Spring Clean-Up
In April, we held our first spring clean-up event on the southside, in partnership with Story Garden and Madison Pocket Park. Ten volunteers showed up at Story Garden. They collected debris, retired old hoses, clipped bushes, and collected branches. We were also able to plant seeds in seven planter benches and install two welcome signs, which were painted by Groundwork volunteers! Garden Leader, Brenda Rios, was very excited to have one of her students show up to help. He learned to operate a drill and connected the garden sign to its post. Other volunteers then helped install it in the ground. At Madison Pocket Park, we had support from five volunteers. Together with Groundwork staff and Garden Leader Sarah Luther we weeded and filled garden beds with soil. The weeds were no match for our teamwork! The garden is now ready for the upcoming season.Both of these events were powered by people who canvassed, and brought materials, ideas, and a willingness to work.
Tree Planting at Hepatha Community Garden
We’re very excited to have held our first tree planting of the season at Hepatha Community Garden. Thanks to funding from One Tree Planted, we were able to plant five trees: one sweet cherry pie, two red haven peach trees, one golden delicious apple tree, and one haralred apple tree. Thanks to all the community leaders and volunteers that came out to help!
Volunteer
We’re proud to support our inspiring gardeners and look forward to working together as the season continues. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in the next month. Keep an eye out for weekly opportunities on our Volunteer Sign-Up page and social media.
KILBOURN GARDEN
Gardening has been kicked off at Kilbourn. We’ve already rebuilt 33 beds and have begun filling them with soil. Keep your eyes peeled for the front bed to be painted with the garden’s name. We’ll finally have a sign!
If you’re looking for a growing space for this season, registration for Kilbourn is open and there are still beds available. Reserve your bed below!
Great Groundwork Grill Out
Volunteer
Throughout the growing season we’ll be hosting regular volunteer workdays at Kilbourn on Wednesday evenings from 5-7pm. Stop by and help us keep the space beautiful!
Climate Safe Neighborhoods
We’re out here! On Saturday, April 23, we hit the streets to start introducing Climate Safe Neighborhoods to Milwaukee residents. We love meeting neighbors and it’s very important to hear about their health, safety and climate related experiences and concerns. We’ll be out regularly to learn more about the issues and put our minds and energy together to build a grassroots movement for local change.
Energy Burden
Energy burden is the comparison of income to energy expenses per household. Data shows that Black, Latinx and Hispanic households in MIlwaukee, and those who live in formerly redlined areas, are paying the most of their income toward these bills, and experiencing shut-offs and credit impacts as a result. This is an equity issue we are highlighting with our grassroots Climate Safe Neighborhoods initiative. To learn more, contact keviea@groundworkmke.org. Together, we can make change happen!
Check out the press event video here to learn more, and head to this link to calculate your household energy burden.
Heat Watch Mapping Campaign this Summer
Groundwork Milwaukee is partnering with the Wisconsin DNR, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and several other local organizations in an urban heat mapping project this summer. Thanks to the application submitted by the DNR forestry division, Milwaukee was chosen along with 13 other cities across the country to receive heat sensor equipment, logistical support, and data analysis by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and CAPA Strategies in 2022 for a summer day of people-powered mapping action. This means we’ll be recruiting volunteers to drive planned routes with sensors on their vehicles a few times during one of the hottest projected days of this summer (probably in July, TBD - stay tuned!). This data can be used to better understand the disproportionately high temps in some residential areas, and around schools and other populated areas in the city. With this information, city leaders and organizations can take measures to ensure safety for all Milwaukeeans on hot days, especially as we experience more extreme weather conditions due to climate change. More info to come. We hope you’ll get involved!
GREEN TEAM
Starting in May, Groundwork will be providing Green Team youth programming with three partner organizations, Thoreau Elementary School, Craig Montessori School and with SPLASH, Belonging Place at Solomon Community Temple. We can’t wait to get started!
GROUND CORPS
April marked the start of Ground Corps programming and their calendar was packed. They began their maintenance of city bioswales while completing an ADA accessible stage and rain harvesting structure at the MacCannon Brown Community Garden. They also built new garden beds, complete with soil, for the Community Agriculture Growing Experience (CAGE) Garden, Andre Lee Ellis’ new project. The garden was featured in this story on TMJ4.
