SHOREWOOD, WI. — A two-year restoration effort is getting underway at Shorewood Nature Preserve, where volunteers and community groups are working to protect native habitat, improve public access and preserve a piece of Lake Michigan shoreline tucked just off Lake Drive.
The work happening now starts at ground level.
On Monday morning, volunteers dug, cut and pulled invasive plants, including bittersweet — an aggressive vine that can climb trees, block sunlight and eventually damages or topples them.
TMJ4 News reporter Gideon Verdin spoke to volunteers about what this project means for them in the video below:
For Shorewood resident and volunteer Sue Kelly, the work is about making sure the preserve is still here for the people who come after her.
"If we don't take care of it, it's a resource that we lose," Kelly said. "We don't have a lot of spaces like this," said Kelly.
A larger restoration begins
Volunteers with Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve have been caring for the property for years. Now, that work is expanding through a partnership involving the Friends group, the Surfrider Foundation and its Milwaukee chapter, the Village of Shorewood.
The first phase of the project is backed by a $250,000 grant from Bader Philanthropies and is expected to focus restoration work on roughly 6.5 acres along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Moya Mowbray with Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve said removing invasive species is important because they can overwhelm the native plants and trees volunteers are trying to protect.
"It's a nice natural place of quiet within a metro area, and if we don't do it, these invasive species will take over," Mowbray said.
The work is about more than pulling weeds.
Plans for the first phase include managing invasive plants, removing hazardous trees, improving trails, addressing erosion and eventually creating a new stairway to provide safer access to the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Mowbray said people currently scramble down the bluff in some areas to reach the beach, which can contribute to erosion.
She hopes visitors will eventually see more native species taking hold and have an easier way to reach the shoreline — without turning the preserve into a manicured park.
"I'd like to see it still be a place of nature," Mowbray said.
Why the work matters beyond the preserve
The eight-acre preserve provides more than a quiet place to walk.
Mowbray said it serves as a stopover for migrating birds and monarch butterflies and gives people living in an urban area a chance to connect with nature close to home.
That connection, she said, can begin early.
"Big picture, saving the environment, but just a little space like this can connect a kid to the environment," Mowbray said.
Zoey Finney, who is helping represent the Surfrider Foundation's Milwaukee chapter, said the organization became involved because the health of the preserve and the health of the Lake Michigan shoreline are connected.
"It's a multi-year project, and it's a lot of work," Finney said. "We need help with everyone who cares about nature in Lake Michigan."
And organizers don't want the community simply watching the restoration happen. They're asking people to help shape it.
Have a say in what happens next
Residents can learn more about the restoration and offer their own ideas during the Shorewood Nature Preserve Restoration Project Community Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The meeting will be held at the Shorewood Village Center Meeting Room, 3920 N. Murray Ave. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the program running from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Organizers say the meeting is an opportunity to learn what's planned and tell project leaders what matters most to residents — including priorities for habitat protection, trails, beach access and other improvements.
Food will be provided, and the event will include information displays, a children's area and opportunities to provide feedback.
Want to get your hands dirty??
There is another opportunity to help just a few days later.
The Shorewood Nature Preserve Clean Up & Weed Out is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to noon at the preserve, 3950 N. Lake Drive.
Surfrider Milwaukee and Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve are inviting volunteers to spend the morning working in the preserve. Tasks are expected to include clearing trails, removing invasive species and other cleanup work.
No restoration experience is necessary.
For Kelly, getting more people into the preserve may be just as important as getting them to volunteer.
"It's a hidden gem," Kelly said. "People have to come see it, spend some time in it, appreciate it and understand that these things don't just happen. It takes effort to make sure they stay for their generation, their kids' generation."
HOW TO HELP
Community meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 6; doors open at 5:30 p.m., program from 6–7:30 p.m.; Shorewood Village Center Meeting Room, 3920 N. Murray Ave.
Volunteer cleanup: Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m.–noon; Shorewood Nature Preserve, 3950 N. Lake Drive.
People can also connect with Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve or Surfrider Milwaukee to learn about future stewardship and volunteer opportunities.
Contacts:
Moya Mowbray, Friends of Shorewood Nature Preserve
mmowbray2417@gmail.com
Elliott Wright, Surfrider Foundation
ewright@surfrider.org
media@surfrider.org
