Hey everyone! It’s the June newsletter! Early summer is one of the most exciting times of year for Groundwork. Last month we welcomed our Green Team and have already been out learning, building and growing in the neighborhood. We’re grateful for the good energy this crew has brought. Read what Green Team has been working on along with other program updates here, in the June edition of the Groundwork newsletter.
message from the executive director
open positions
green space action
GREEN TEAM
GROUND CORPS
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Groundwork Supporters,
This month I thought I would share with you a favorite quote of mine that comes from Wendell Berry:
"It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."
Sometimes things don't go as planned and our best intentions are stymied. But in my experience, if I have enough like-minded people around me, there's almost always a way through. I hope that your gardens this summer are turning out to be places where you can be in community with like-minded people.
Sincerely,
Young Kim
OPEN POSITIONS
Check out these open positions! Come work with us!
GREEN SPACE ACTION
Congratulations, Marissa!
Milwaukee is a better place because of the tireless efforts and big hearts of our Public Allies, including Groundwork's Marissa Cudworth. Marissa lifts us all up, collaborates like a pro, doesn’t mind the dirt (soil ) and is a joy to be with in hard work and big fun. Congratulations to all Milwaukee Public Allie graduates! It's surely a bittersweet occasion. We wish Marissa the best in whatever path she chooses next!
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.
Green Team
We’re always so excited to welcome our summer Green Team to Groundwork. Groundwork Milwaukee’s Green Team is a service-learning program for 14 to 19 year-olds, living in Groundwork’s most engaged communities. The program's dual goals are to prepare youth for a lifetime of environmental leadership, as well as, to support garden leaders’ power to steward community within the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network. We got started in June. Here are some highlights from the first week.
Below are pictures with commentary from Green Team members, in their own words. Enjoy!
Water Quality Monitoring by Keenan
We are the Green Team of new fun youths who help the community by planting vegetables, flowers, and helping gardens look better and more presentable.
On June 24, the Green Team completed Water Quality Monitoring on the Milwaukee River. It was a new experience for everyone. We wore waders and tested the water to see if it was clean and safe for humans and wildlife.
Hilltop Community Garden by Angel
At hilltop garden we were good sports and worked through the unpredictable weather. We picked strawberries from the garden. Auntie Lavella, one of the gardeners, gave us ingredients to make mint tea. We had the opportunity to plant different kinds of vegetables and we cut up the potato and planted the stems to regrow. We were able to see all the different projects that are in progress including an underground greenhouse that’s been a work in progress for months now. There were so many different plants and vegetables. We were able to plant squash, tomatoes, and more.
Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. Garden by Keenan
At Marcus Mosiah we met Robert, the garden leader, and his family. We fixed up his garden and planted vegetables. He shared homemade lavender lemonade with us. We tried getting water out of the Rainwater Harvesting Structure but the water was coming out too fast. We struggled with water access so the neighbor let us use his hose. This was a big deal because the neighbors haven’t always been interested in the garden being right next to them. I wonder what changed?
Painting Benches by Charles
I had experience painting things like shirts before, but I'd never had experience painting benches. It was fun to get to do it with other people. We were just painting and vibing. There was music playing and talking. I did the people. They had crazy hair and outfits. The benches will be for garden leaders. We will get to paint and design two benches with Peace Park this summer.
GROUND CORPS
Ground Corps Supports the Andre Lee Ellis & Company Community Garden
Ground Corps has been busy all over Milwaukee working on green infrastructure construction and maintenance. One highlight from the past month was a work day at a new garden being started by a long-time Groundwork friend. On June 18th, Groundwork’s Ground Corps supported Andre Lee Ellis’ new project called CAGE (Community Agricultural Growing Experiences). The crew measured out the soon-to-be-constructed labyrinth garden at 1313 West Reservoir Avenue. Andre is an inspiration to many and we are proud to play a role in realizing his vision for this space.
