The Spring Newsletter is Here!!!!

Find out what we've been up to, events for this spring, and how you can get involved......click here for RRF's Spring Newsletter

C.R.A.F.T. Adventures

C.R.A.F.T.  Adventures

     The River Revitalization Foundation has launched this summer an exciting and innovative math/conservation education project to benefit Milwaukee’s urban youth.  We are calling it C.R.A.F.T. Adventures (Conservation, Recreation, and Apprenticeships for Teens). The new project provides a unique integration of conservation education and math education through traditional wooden boat building and river restoration activities.  Yes, boat building!  C.R.A.F.T. Adventures is part of RRF’s local response to innovative conservation and recreation projects called for in President Obama’s national initiative, America’s Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations. That initiative is based on the belief that America needs healthy and accessible lands and waters and healthy and active youth who are connected to them. 

     This past spring RRF was also selected for and participated in a national training program funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research called Building To Teach. Building To Teach is a learning program that uses the traditional boat building process to excite students about math and reinforce the essential math skills they need for their future.  We intend to also use these hands-on projects to connect youth to Milwaukee’s rivers and their importance.

     Over the course of the next 12-18 months, our goal is to engage 50-75 Milwaukee youths through in-school, after-school, and summer sessions in hands-on wooden boat building and hikes within the Milwaukee River basin. 

     And we’ve already started.  A group of MPS middle and high school students attending the Bay View summer Community Learning Center program built a  12-foot rowing skiff that they later launched at South Shore beach.  The educational boat building project was part of a six-week session.  Students met two afternoons each week.  They learned to read scale drawings, loft the plans to full size, and practice carpentry used to construct their boat.  The project also provided lots of opportunities to practice their mathematics skills, from measurements to being able to perform basic operations with whole numbers and fractions. (Scroll down the page for more photos of the Bayview summer program that just wrapped up)

     Currently, C.R.A.F.T. is being led under the direction of Bill Nimke, RRF’s education specialist, and builder Kevin Sawicki.  However, we are looking for volunteers to get involved.  If this is something of interest to you and you would like more information, please contact Bill at RRF or email him at bnimke@riverrevitalizationfoundation.org.

Land Trust of the Year!

RRF named Land Trust of the Year 

by Gathering Waters Conservancy!

We are honored to be named Land Trust of the Year by Gathering Waters Conservancy's 2012 Land Conservation Leadership Awards!

The Land Conservation Leadership Awards are given to individuals and organizations to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of individuals, policy makers, and land trusts who are working to protect the places that make Wisconsin special.  The awards honor the power of committed citizens and offer inspiring examples of conservation success. We are thrilled to be a part of this years award winners. Thank you to all of our wonderful partners, supporters, and volunteers, as you are each instrumental in RRf receiving this award! Congrats to the other award winners this year! We are in great company!

 

Land Trust of the Year – River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee’s urban rivers land trust since 1994,  has increased public access to Milwaukee’s rivers and enhanced the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Its partnerships throughout the community provide opportunities for immersion into the natural world, educate about conservation in an urban setting, and illustrate the synergy between land conservation an urban development.     

Policy Maker of the Year – John Koepke, a member of the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection board, as well as the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Council, has championed efforts to promote and defend the Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative.  His committed actions and voice as a farmer from Oconomowoc have proved invaluable to farmland protection in Wisconsin.

Rod Nilsestuen Award for Working Lands Preservation – Dale Katsma, Department of Natural Resources Area Wildlife Supervisor in Plymouth, has spent the last decade quietly and successfully pioneering working lands preservation. His patient and persistent efforts to build relationships and trust between the DNR, landowners, and other conservation groups have played a pivotal role in the protection of 1,887 acres of farmland and 684 acres of wildlife habitat & natural areas in southeastern Wisconsin. 

Conservationist of the Year – Ellen Kwiatkowski, the Executive Director of Bayfield Regional Conservancy, a valuable asset to the state’s PACE Council, chair of Wisconsin’s Land Trust Council, and co-owner of an easement-protected farm, has been an essential player in the permanent protection of over 1000 acres of land throughout northern Wisconsin and in successfully leading BRC through the national land trust accreditation process.

Harold “Bud” Jordahl Land Trust Pioneer Award – The Ridges Sanctuary celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and was the first land trust in Wisconsin. Inspiring stewardship of natural areas through educational programs, outreach and research, The Ridges can undoubtedly be credited for positively impacting the history of land conservation throughout the state and laying groundwork for future conservation efforts throughout the Door Peninsula and beyond.

 ***Save the date for the Land Conservation Leadership Awards Celebration from 5:30 to 8:30 on Thursday, October 4th at the Monona Terrace in Madison***

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Awards $45K to RRF

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Awards $45,000 grant for public access improvements in the Milwaukee River Corridor

 A $45,000 grant to the River Revitalization Foundation will help its work toward closing a critical gap that exists in a 13-mile shared use trail within the Milwaukee River Greenway.

The grant supports the construction of one mile of trail along a parcel of land just north of Capitol Drive that was a former landfill. The land runs along the site of the Milwaukee Area Technical College’s solar voltaic farm. The money will fund habitat restoration, public education and support student and volunteer work crews.

                                               Read the press release here.

Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee Pledges $100,000 to RRF's Greenway Gateway Project!

Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee recently presented a check to RRF in the amount of $100,000 for the naming of the soon-to-be improved canoe launch, Kiwanis Landing, on the Greenway Gateway property. The $100,000 will go towards the acquisition of the property. RRF continues to restore the property, which provides public access to additional greenspace in the heart of Milwaukee.

The Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee, a "flagship club", in a worldwide service organization is committed to improve the Greater Milwaukee community, especially for youth, through volunteer resources and action. Their commitment to projects, such as the Greenway Gateway, is key to creating a healthy, vibrant community for Milwaukee residents.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Kiwanis Club for your generous support of the Greenway Gateway restoration project.

Thank You MillerCoors Volunteers!

A huge THANK YOU goes out to the MillerCoors volunteers who came out not once, but TWICE, to help RRF staff install a pollinator garden on the Greenway Gateway Property earlier this week!

It was a beautiful fall afternoon to plant some native flowers, grasses, and trees in the Greenway Gateway. Site prep, materials, and plants were paid for using the funds we received as part of the MillerCoors River Network grant. The garden will help reduce stormwater run-off, improve soil conditions, and improve the aesthetics of the area. Check out more pics from the afternoon below.......

TA-DA!!!!

Gathering Waters Conservancy Highlights RRF Wheelhouse Project

Gathering Waters Conservancy , Wisconsin's statewide service center for the land trust community, is highlighting RRF's Greenway Gateway restoration project as part of their "Land Trust Stories" series. Check out the story here!

Thank you to all the GWC folks who put this together!