Friends of County Grounds Park August 2023 Updates |
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Buckthorn, StoryWalk, Asahi, and More! |
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Habitat Restoration - Buckthorn Slaying County Grounds Park and Sanctuary Woods is home to a very old forest - with some trees over 300 years old. These majestic trees include oaks, maples, walnuts, basswood, willows, boxelders, and cottonwood. But this forest is in danger of dying out because the invasive buckthorn is preventing regenerative growth. We have a multi-year initiative to remove the buckthorn, which is only possible with great volunteers - like YOU! This is a great opportunity to live your conviction of making a local difference, contributing to environmental improvements, and volunteering in your community. Join other volunteers for a few hours of buckthorn removal this fall. There are tasks for any skill level including pulling buckthorn sprouts, hand-sawing, dragging, or stacking (or switching off). No experience needed, equipment training and supervision will be provided. Appropriate for all ages. Registration requested for coordination purposes. We have five 2023 dates scheduled, consider coming to multiple events! Saturday, August 26th 4pm-6pm Saturday, September 16th 1pm-4pm Saturday, September 30th 9am-Noon Saturday, October 14th morning (registration pending) Saturday, October 28th 9a-Noon |
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ASAHI @ County Grounds Park A Simple And Healthy Idea Join Sue for a guided session in the Asahi Nordic Health fitness program in the middle of the beautiful County Grounds Park. Asahi is a Finnish mind-body health practice ideal for anyone who wants to maintain flexibility and balance while gently increasing muscle stamina. It is a low impact exercise which is also adaptable for each participant's abilities and requires no mat or extra equipment. Join the group in being led through specific breathing and motion exercises that systematically relax the whole body. There are two more sessions scheduled for 2023. Sign up at the links below: Saturday, August 26th at noon Saturday, September 16th at 10am Got questions? More tour details are included at the end of the newsletter |
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Park Trash Removal On Sunday, August 6th ten students from the Medical College of Wisconsin volunteered to remove trash from around the retention pond in County Grounds Park. These students were from the Year 1 and Year 2 Pharmacy program. A note from Adam, the student leader, "It's heartening to see the positive impact that your hard work has had on fostering community engagement among the PY1 and PY2 students. The event not only brought us together but also contributed to the betterment of our environment." Thanks for all the hard work from those wonderful students. Special thanks to Freddy Hoppe who met the students with all the infrastructure and supervision needed for a productive event! Do you have a group who would be interested in a teambuilding event at the park? Start by sending an email to friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com |
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Sanctuary Woods StoryWalk FOCGP installed an StoryWalk along a quarter mile loop path in Sanctuary Woods for families to have a small adventure in the woods this August. The featured book this month is “Over in the Forest” by Marianne Berkes. Rhymes, colorful illustrations and nature facts accompany each of 12 stops along the trail. StoryWalks are installed all over the country and promote literacy and engagement with the outdoors for children and families. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. The storybook walk can be accessed from the parking lot in the center of the park (top left of the image above). From 87th and Watertown Plank Road go north, then west, 0.5 miles on 87th Street and park at the blue square "P". Hike a block, back east to a gravel road that goes south (shown in the next picture). The trail quickly veers left (east) again into the woods.
On this map, the black SOLID line shows the 12-sign storybook walk. The black DOTTED line shows a possible path back, or continue your forest adventure! For those familiar with the forest, the circle "3" is the men's pavilion. The circle "7" is the women's stairs. The Facebook post about the Sanctuary Woods StoryWalk turned viral with over 190 shares and a post reach of 17,000+. What a joy to connect so many people with an opportunity to visit the woods, promote literacy, and raise awareness about a woods worth saving. |
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2023 Tosa Green Summit Saturday, September 9th @ 8am to 1pm Several Friends of County Grounds Park will be staffing a table at the 2023 Tosa Green Summit. Come meet us in person and find out more about the park and how we live out our mission: To protect and improve the natural areas and wildlife habitat of the County Grounds and to continue the tradition of using this land to promote community health and wellness. Also meet lots of other like-minded organizations in and around Wauwatosa - along with a presentation by Eddee Daniel who kindly supports our group through his photography, tours, donations, and volunteerism. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/TosaGreenSummit/ |
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Wauwatosa Historical Society Presentation about County Grounds Tuesday, September 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Jonathan Piel helps champion the preservation of the County Grounds Park by connecting people with its rich past as a historic place of healing for Milwaukee County’s mentally ill. Jonathan addresses a very sensitive topic in accessible ways for people of all ages using first-hand accounts from historical administrators and patients. Participants will come to appreciate the challenges of delivering humane care for the mentally ill from the 1860s forward – what we learned, and what we’ve lost. The presentation will include many historic photos, maps, and onsite 1950 film clips to tell the stories about daily life, diving rafts, and dolphins. You’ll never look at Tosa’s County Grounds Park, Sanctuary Woods, or compassionate mental healthcare, the same way again. Presentation at the Wauwatosa Historical Society. Register at this link: https://wauwatosahistoricalsociety.org/event/history-of-milwaukee-county-behavioral-health-institute/ |
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Birding Tour @ County Grounds Park Saturday, September 16th Join birding enthusiast Dan Rambo for a walk in County Grounds Park. Dan will lead a tour to likely locations for bird sighting, identify the birds and share a little bit about them. Dan will also discuss about what birds do in the winter including the importance of shelter and food. Tour may be off-path so wear sturdy footwear. Bring binoculars if you have them, but not required. Pets are discouraged to maximize wildlife viewing. Appropriate for all ages. Sign up here: Saturday, September 16th at 10am Got questions? More tour details are included at the end of the newsletter |
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Friends of County Grounds Park (FOCGP) Monthly Meetings We meet monthly Topics include park improvement, communications, wildlife, outdoor classroom, youth friends, health/wellness, park signage, and tree planting For more information on times/locations to join the monthly meeting, email friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com
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More Information Regarding Guided Tours Tours are free, donations are appreciated. The tour guides are volunteering in support of the non-profit Friends of County Grounds Park (initiatives include tree planting, conservation, invasives removal, signage, trail building, and communications). Donations to the Friends group of any amount are appreciated and $5/person per tour is a wonderful value. If so inspired, donations can be made:
Again, these tours are free, any donations are based on your inspiration County Grounds Park has no formal address, but can be found and navigated to via Apple/Google/Waze Maps searching “Sanctuary Woods Parking”. That parking circle is 0.5 mile north and west of 87th & Watertown Plank Road. Eventbrite requires an address, but this address only gets you close. The tour begins and ends at the parking lot in the center of the park, see park map at: www.countygroundsfriends.org
Dress for the weather. There are no onsite restrooms. Consider bringing bug spray. Tours are suitable for people of all ages. Most tours are ~1 mile, with regular stops. The paths are not suitable for mobility impaired. Special access tours can be facilitated by contacting the email below. Friendly pets on leash are welcome on the following tours: History and Forest Pets are not allowed on the following tours: Cemeteries, Forest Bathing, Birding, Photography, Tracks & Trails
Got questions? Send email to friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com
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Reporting Suspicious Activity - The Milwaukee County Grounds is patrolled and enforced by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department
- Please be part of the solution and directly report any suspicious activity:
- Sheriff: 414-278-4788
- Fire or medical emergency: 911
- Thanks for helping take clear ownership for our shared space
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Sincere appreciation for a community that has been such good stewards for this precious space. We have a lot to be proud of, the ability to make a difference, and hope for the future. Thank you!! |
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