Volunteering took place at Milwaukee’s Lynden Hill Urban Teach Responsible Environmental Education (TREE) House, located at North 22nd Street and West McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee. The area is a green space used to help urban children learn the value of natural resources. There are gardens for local kids to come and plant vegetables. Lynden Hill Urban TREE House plans to have classes for the kids to learn how to make meals out of the things they grow. The property has a rich local history. The site was the location of the residence of Milwaukee’s first mayor, women’s rights activities, orphanages and hospitals dating to the 1800s.
The Environmental department’s community service project consisted of relocating, mulching and watering trees; paving and finishing a stairway entrance into the area; cleaning a garage for use with the environmental learning center, and helping with community gardens and trash pickup.
Mesha Johnson, office assistant, and Liz Stueck-Mullane, manager - land quality, organized the event, and Steve Stretchberry, senior engineer, and Bob Paulson, senior environmental consultant, served as team captains. About 35 environmental staff members provided the muscle, resulting in a successful team contribution to the community.
“I was impressed at how beautifully kept the area was,” said Johnson. Even a little boy from down the street came and helped us. It was a pleasure to help with what they are trying to accomplish. I was truly touched by the experience.”
