Groundwork Supporters! The newsletter is back! It’s been a minute, but we weren’t hibernating. We were working behind the scenes to prepare ourselves for the 2022 season. We’ve got open positions. We’ve got new Ground Corps members. We’ve got spring clean-ups planned. Kilbourn registration is open. Read all about it below!
message from the executive director
open positions
Great groundwork get together
garden network
Kilbourn garden
CLIMATE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS
ground corps
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke-
Spring is here! I’m sure because I spotted a robin last week. But I've lived in Milwaukee long enough to know that sometimes snow happens in April. So, I’m trying not to get too excited. I've lived all over the United States (Alabama, Louisiana, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, California, Texas, and Washington) and I tell you: No place celebrates spring and summer like Milwaukee does. Groundwork is here to help you celebrate. So, get ready Milwaukee, we've got some cool stuff planned.
Sincerely,
Young
OPEN POSITIONS
Check out these open positions! Come work with us!
The Great Groundwork Get Together
On March 9th, Indeed Brewing Company graciously hosted us for an evening of family, friends, and fun, aka The Great Groundwork Get Together. Indeed donated all proceeds from the day to Groundwork Milwaukee’s work in the community. DJ Bohdan generously contributed awesome music, we held a quirky little raffle, and the trivia contest was a hit. It was great to meet and spend time with Groundwork Milwaukee supporters, volunteers, garden leaders, board members, and thirsty bystanders. We enjoyed introducing all these folks to one another! The greatest successes of the event were the connections formed and fun memories made. Thanks to everyone who made it out! We hope to do it again.
GARDEN NETWORK
Seedlings
Seedlings under a grow light in the Groundwork Milwaukee office.
Seedlings have been started in our new grow tower. Thank you to the generous volunteers who helped plant the seeds! Collards, peppers, tomatoes, and more have started their great journey to find homes in the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network this spring and summer.
One Tree Planted
Photo by Shuai Want via Unsplash.
This year, with funding from One Tree Planted, we will be planting 60 fruit trees across the city in 13 different sites. We will bask in the glory of fresh local fruit! Our first planting day is April 30th @ Hepatha Community Garden. Come volunteer to dig some big holes with us.
Spring Clean-Ups
As the growing season begins, we’ll be traveling garden to garden picking up trash, repairing beds, and setting these greenspaces up for spring success! We’re looking for volunteer support on the following clean-up days. Come join us!
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
Kilbourn in full bloom.
Registration for Kilbourn Garden is open for the 2022 season! There are still plenty of available beds. Come garden with us! Reserve your bed below.
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
A map of Lindsay Heights showing historical waterbodies, closed depressions, and a 100yr storm flood model. A key component of Climate Safe Neighborhoods is resident engagement using maps. This example shows areas that are vulnerable to flooding. We’ll use maps like this to start conversations around resource distribution and mitigation strategies.
Our Milwaukee Climate Safe Neighborhoods initiative is taking shape, as we build the foundation for activating residents in a movement to understand climate impacts at the neighborhood level; examine the disparities of those impacts affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities significantly more than predominantly white neighborhoods; and to call for relevant local change for the health and wellbeing of Milwaukee residents.
We are partnering in upcoming work including a grassroots urban heat mapping project, a neighborhood air monitoring program, a report on flood risk and health impacts, and more. Please stay tuned to support resident-led actions in the coming months, and contact Jess if you would like to learn more about Climate Safe Neighborhoods (jess@groundworkmke.org).
GROUND CORPS
Darryl (left) and Devin (right) prepare an ADA accessible permeable pathway as part of the Healing Spaces Initiative in 2021.
This month we hired four members of our 2022 Ground Corps Crew. We’re proud that three of the four members are returning members from previous years. They’re already out in the field with Nick making things happen. From everyone at Groundwork, welcome (back) to the team, Darryl, Devin, Jaylen and Nate!
