MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE - Interpretive Plan
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Interpretive Plan
AMERICA’S OUTDOORS
Forest Service • National Park Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Bureau of Land Management
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
May 2005
Prepared by Interpretive Arts Unlimited! ~ A USDA Forest Service Enterprise Team
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Planning Team
(IAU! and R-9 Urban Tree House team)
Interpretive Arts Unlimited!
Skyanne Housser – Project Manager, Interpretive Planner
Melanie Fuller – Assistant Planner
America’s Outdoors
Jean Claassen – Public Affairs, USDA Forest Service
Oversight Committee and Reviewers
(R-9 Urban Tree House, and other stakeholders)
America’s Outdoors
Martha Malik – Public Affairs, USDI Bureau of Land Management
Mark Weaver – Community Planner, USDI National Park Service
USDA-Forest Service
Sherry Wagner – Director of Public and Government Relations
Barbara McDonald – National Urban Tree House program founder
Sandi Forney – Heritage Resources, Acting Regional Interpreter
Community
Bradley Blaeser – Outdoor/Environmental Education Manager, Neighborhood House
Victoria Toliver – Director, Midtown Neighborhood Association
Ken Leinbach – Urban Ecology Center
M I LWAU K E E U R B A N T R E E H O U S E
Interpretive Plan
URBAN TREE HOUSE BACKGROUND
A Place for Connections ..................................................................................... 7
Purpose of this Plan ........................................................................................... 8
Benefits of the Interpretive Plan ......................................................................... 9
The Planning Process ...................................................................................... 10
Introduction to the Site ..................................................................................... 11
Site Background ............................................................................................... 12
Overview of the Forest Service National Urban Tree House Program............. 12
Overview of the Milwaukee Urban Tree House Program ................................. 14
Milwaukee Urban Tree House Partners ........................................................... 14
VISITOR ANALYSIS
Our Visitors ...................................................................................................... 17
About the Neighborhood .................................................................................. 18
Existing Visitors—Primary Users ..................................................................... 19
Existing Visitors—Secondary Users ................................................................. 20
Target Audiences.............................................................................................. 20
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Milwaukee Urban Tree House Goals & Themes ............................................. 23
Goals ................................................................................................................24
Objectives ........................................................................................................ 24
Significance of Lynden Hill and the Milwaukee Urban Tree House .................. 25
Thematic Approach .......................................................................................... 26
Central Interpretive Theme .............................................................................. 26
Sub-themes and Storylines .............................................................................. 26
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN
EXISTING CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES............................................................ 29
Milwaukee Urban Tree House ......................................................................... 30
Surrounding Area ............................................................................................. 30
National Urban Tree House Program .............................................................. 32
Issues, Challenges & Opportunities ................................................................. 32
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 35
Partnerships – Expanding and Defining .......................................................... 36
Presenting the Options—The Visitor Experience Model .................................. 37
Media Options—Facilities, Products and Programs ........................................ 38
Desired Conditions .......................................................................................... 38
Site Design Parameters ................................................................................... 39
Site Design - Desired Conditions ..................................................................... 41
Programs - Desired Conditions ........................................................................ 47
Optimal Staffing/Volunteer Organization – Desired Conditions ....................... 49
Implementation ................................................................................................ 50
How to use this plan to get the work done ....................................................... 50
Phasing Options with Timeline ......................................................................... 51
Strategies for Implementation .......................................................................... 52
APPENDICES ........................................................................................................53
Appendix A: Measures of Success ................................................................. 54
Purpose of Evaluation and Monitoring ............................................................. 54
Monitoring and Assessment of Interpretive Programs and Media ................... 54
Monitoring of Visitor Positive Behavior Changes ............................................. 56
Evaluation of Message and Media Effectiveness ............................................ 56
Appendix B: References and Resources Cited ............................................... 57
Appendix C: General Design/Style Guides for Interpretive Media ................... 58
Appendix D: What Is Interpretation? ................................................................ 60
Appendix E: Accessibility Standards for Facilities, Products and Programs .... 61
Appendix F: Benefits to the Agency ................................................................. 63
Appendix G: A Brief History of Milwaukee ....................................................... 66
Appendix H: Interpretive Media Costs ............................................................. 68
Material Comparison ........................................................................................ 69
Appendix I: Architectural Drawings .................................................................. 70
Appendix J: Glossary of Terms ........................................................................ 72
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Interpretive Plan
A Place for Connections
PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN Management, National Park Service and US Fish
& Wildlife Service environmental education and
The purpose of this interpretive plan is to partnership goals and messages with community
determine partners’ management goals, priorities partner goals and messages to create a highly
and messages, and targeted audiences for the coordinated and well thought-out interpretive
Milwaukee Urban Tree House (MUTH) program. experience.
This plan provides recommendations on how to
A Place for Connections
deliver those messages to the targeted audiences
with the most effective interpretive products and
programs, including, but not limited to, thematic Interpretation
landscape design, environmental/conservation A communication process that forges intellectual and
education programming, and orientation. emotional connections between the interests of the
audience and the inherent meanings in the resource
The plan serves as a filter through which to (National Association for Interpretation).
determine priorities, frame decisions, and focus
efforts. It also documents the process, the
Environmental Education (EE)
analysis, and provides the sideboards for those
Educational activities with organized groups
who will be implementing the plan (architects,
(schools, scouts, community groups, etc.) or
landscape architects, graphic designers, educators, seminar participants that are designed to develop
interpreters, artists, etc.). understanding, appreciation, and caring for the
natural environment (National Park Service).
The plan provides a framework for developing an
integrated network of interpretive opportunities
at the Milwaukee Urban Tree House site. It
supplements previous efforts by providing specific
interpretive themes; management goals and
priorities; and design guidelines. It will guide the “Plans don’t make thing happen. People make
development of products and programs to meet things happen, and a good plan makes it easier
these goals and objectives. It integrates the United for that to take place.”
States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service
-- Lisa Brochu, “Interpretive Planning:
and Natural Resource Conservation Service, The 5-M Model for Successful Planning Projects”
and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land
8 Interpretive Arts Unlimited!
A USDA Forest Service Enterprise Team
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN
This interpretive plan contains recommendations for • Develop the most cost-effective and sustainable
interpretation (including interpretive environments, communication methods;
such as thematic landscape settings and structures) • Provide consistency throughout the site;
at the Milwaukee Urban Tree House site, and
implementation priorities.
BENEFITS OF THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN
A Place for Connections
This planning process has provided a filter through A New Direction
which to evaluate effectiveness and make decisions I see now that we would have been much
about the Milwaukee Urban Tree House structure more effective going through the interpretive
and other media. The planning process has de- planning process earlier on. We thought
personalized design decisions and has already we had our Urban Tree House planning
helped re-direct partners down a path that better and design all figured out. With the help
meets their goals. of Interpretive Arts Unlimited!, we took a
step back to make sure that what we were
In addition, this interpretive plan will help Milwaukee
going to build fit our management goals,
Urban Tree House stakeholders and staff:
messages, and themes, and met the needs
America’s Outdoors of our visitors and partners. The planning
• Effectively use interpretation and education to process turned us around and sent us in an
meet management goals and priorities; entirely new direction—one that all involved
• Address the goals and objectives of the are happy with. The work done with IAU!
partnering agencies’ national and regional was invaluable.
plans and strategies, such as “The Recreation
- Jean Claassen
Agenda,” the Forest Service National “Strategic Public Affairs Specialist
Plan,” the Forest Service “Conservation Urban Tree House
Education Vision to Action Strategy”, the Forest Milwaukee, WI
Service “Conservation Education Action Plan”,
the “BLM-Eastern States Priorities” and “FY2005
State Director Priorities”, and the Integrated
Forest Service Urban Outreach in the Northeast
1
Details about how this plan meets Forest Service national
strategies and priorities are provided in Appendix F.
and Midwest Vision and Strategy.”1 Interpretive Arts Unlimited!
A USDA Forest Service Enterprise Team 9
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS MUTH, and identified key messages.
The IAU! planning team used the information
• Provide key outdoor education experiences gathered from the stakeholders and federal
for neighborhood children and school groups management staff to develop statements of
while maintaining open green space, promoting significance for the MUTH. The Statements
community and enhancing stewardship; of Significance were then melded with the
goals identified to develop interpretive themes.
COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS
A Place for Connections
Management, interpretive, and visitor experience
• Meet the obligations of their lease with the city goals and recommended delivery systems were
of Milwaukee through continuous environmental developed with the input of federal management
education programming on the site; staff and stakeholder through meetings, interviews,
• Develop consensus within the Lynden field trips and research conducted in October and
Hill Partnership on long-range vision for November.
Interpretation and Environmental Education;
• Provide direction on means to handle governing
decisions, maintenance, liability, etc.;
• Provide consistent direction when the Lynden Hill
Partnership stakeholders and staff change; and
• Provide an increased presence on-site.
THE PLANNING PROCESS
Development of this Interpretive Plan began in
October 2004 with facilitation by Interpretive Arts
Unlimited!, a USDA Forest Service Enterprise
Unit, and was completed in April 2005. Stakeholder
meetings were conducted over a one-week period
in October (A stakeholder participant list is included
in Appendix A). Teams of internal federal managers
(FS, BLM, and NPS) and external conservation/ At the beginning of the planning process, a request
environmental education specialists and community for bids for the tree house construction had already
partners identified goals and values important to the gone out to potential construction firms. The
10 Interpretive Arts Unlimited!
A USDA Forest Service Enterprise Team
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANstructure, as designed, was to be a large, partially
roofed, wooden deck. The main feature was to be a
20-foot tall tower that people could climb.
Although much planning and forethought had
gone into the design of the UTH structure by the
partnership up to this point, during the interpretive
A Place for Connections
planning process it was discovered that the large
structure did not meet the primary target audience
needs; did not have sufficient operation and
maintenance resources available; and did not
meet the goals of the MUTH program. In fact, the
large structure overwhelmed the green space and
one side; the other three streets are lined with old
defeated the goal to keep as much open green
houses, some under renovation.
space as possible. The planning process guided
partners to design facilities and products that better
You spot a group of kids headed across the open
meet MUTH needs and goals.
field down below. You watch them for a while as
they take turns rolling down the steepest hill and
INTRODUCTION TO THE SITE then get up, stumbling with dizziness, and head
When you arrive at Lynden Hill, you are struck by back up the hill to do it all over again. You remember
how open and grassy it is. You take a walk around when you and your childhood friends used to like to
the site, crossing through the open field—perfect do the same thing.
for a game of tag. You are intrigued by the shadows
and shade up on the hill, and decide to investigate. You wonder if this place has always been like this—
It feels so different under the trees—they are so tall an open space for the neighborhood to socialize,
and so many, you feel protected. And from up here, gather and play. You wonder what animals live here,
this place feels a lot bigger than 3 acres. and if any people have ever lived here. You try to
imagine what the view would have been like before
There’s not another open, park-like green space like all these houses were built. It’s like a breath of fresh
this for many blocks. The big brick buildings of the air, a place for peace and quiet, surrounded by the
Milwaukee High School of the Arts border the site on hustle and bustle of the city. You take another deep
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANbreath, make your way down a staircase back to OVERVIEW OF THE FOREST SERVICE
street level, and walk towards home. NATIONAL URBAN TREE HOUSE PROGRAM
The National Urban Tree House Program was
SITE BACKGROUND conceived as a way to educate minority youth about
The entire Milwaukee area was once a marshy the natural environment, and pique their interest in
environment—a mixture of open wetlands and natural resources and potential careers. Program
A Place for Connections
woodlands. Wild rice and other foods were abundant founder Barbara McDonald started the program as a
here, and supported the native peoples who lived volunteer with the Forest Service in 1989. Two years
and traveled through here. later, the first Urban Tree House—located in Atlanta,
Georgia—was fully operational.
Since the mid-1850’s, Lynden Hill has experienced
a number of land developments. It supported one The goals of the national Urban Tree House
of early Milwaukee’s most elaborate mansions and, program are:
later, a hospital for unwed mothers and geriatric • To cooperatively create, with interested
patients. In 1977, the hospital closed its doors, and partners, an environment of mutual respect
the buildings remained vacant until 1982, when the for and education about urban and rural
city sent in a demolition crew. natural resources, which results in increased
understanding, knowledge, and interest in these
In 1993, community members rallied to protect resources.
Lynden Hill from the construction of a large housing • To improve short- and long-range opportunities
development. They wanted to make sure it remained for creating a more culturally diverse work force
as open green space, a valuable asset to their urban within natural resource professions through
way of life. Residents worked with the Midtown involvement in co-creative natural resource
Neighborhood Association and in 2002 secured a education and recreation.
lease from the city to keep it as open space, and • To apply social science theories and methods
promised to keep it well-maintained. Integral to the in Urban Tree House settings and communities
preservation of the lease is the commitment to provide to improve understanding of urban-natural
ongoing environmental education programs on-site. resource interactions and the impact of
natural resource conservation education in local
communities
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANProgram elements include: the country is unique. In addition to the Atlanta and
• Partners as Teachers Milwaukee locations, Urban Tree Houses have been
At the Urban Tree House, partners provide much designated in Washington, D.C.; Salt Lake City,
of the natural resource conservation education UT; and Portland, OR. The function of the space
conducted on-site. Unique in this respect is emphasized over form. The shape and size of
from most other programs, the philosophy of the structure count for much less than the activities
partners as teachers insures a well-balanced that takes place within or on it. Some Urban Tree
A Place for Connections
and knowledgeable education program, House sites have structures, others hardened
provides direct contact between natural resource landscapes, others yet remain as open green
professionals and children, and promotes space. All, however, provide a tangible focal point
continued involvement by and interest from of environmental education and stewardship for the
Urban Tree House partners. community.
• Repeated Exposure Management of the Urban Tree House sites
The Urban Tree House is a community-based
around the country is accomplished through a
program, focused on the dynamics and activities variety of partnerships and lead agencies. Some
of its local community partner. Children return
sites are managed by FS, BLM, NPS, or other
to the Urban Tree House on a regular basis, private or nonprofit organization (such as a
encouraging interest and promoting a more university). Planning, constructing, implementing,
comprehensive appreciation and understanding and managing an Urban Tree House is best
of natural resources.
done by the partnership. All partners contribute
• Community Green Spaces
Local common areas, including urban and local
parks, urban forests, schools, and other local,
green spaces are cooperatively identified as “Some people may think the Urban Tree
Urban Tree House locations. These spaces House is a small stepping stone, but to us it’s a
are available and accessible at any time, and big stepping stone. For the first time we have
provide a sense of focus and pride for the local something that can teach our children about
community. forests and the environment.”
- Rev. James McLain,
With a model of community-based development at Atlanta, GA
its core, each of the five Urban Tree Houses around
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANto funding and managing the program. This way, interests coalesce on a variety of levels. Some have
no one organization bears all of the costs, and a primary interest in maintaining the site purely as
visitors receive a varied environmental education open space; others seek to enrich the neighborhood
program that is more reflective of the diversity of or provide a place for environmental education; still
interests representing the environment and natural others are looking for an opportunity to improve
resources. awareness of federal land management policies
and careers for urban youth. All, however, play an
A Place for Connections
OVERVIEW OF THE MILWAUKEE URBAN important role in the development, operation and
TREE HOUSE PROGRAM maintenance of the site and program.
In 1997, a federal partnership called America’s In 2000, a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding
Outdoors (FS, BLM, and NPS) decided that was signed by representatives of more than a
developing an UTH site in Milwaukee would help dozen governmental and non-profit agencies with
them reach agency environmental education goals,
complementary interests in the operation of Lynden
and would help to improve environmental education Hill and the Urban Tree House program.
programming in Milwaukee. The city was chosen
to be a host of a national Forest Service program Current partners include:
called the Urban Tree House. America’s Outdoors • America’s Outdoors (US Department of the
staff solicited site proposals from the community. Of Interior – Bureau of Land Management, National
the six nominations that were submitted, Lynden Hill Park Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service;
was chosen by a board of community leaders for US Department of Agriculture – Forest Service,
the strong partnership, the neighborhood’s potential
Natural Resource Conservation Service)
for environmental education and community • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
involvement in open space preservation. The open
– Division of Forestry
block in Milwaukee’s near-west side was dedicated • Midtown Neighborhood Association
as the city’s official Urban Tree House site in 1999.
• Neighborhood House’s Outdoor and
Environmental Education Program
MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE PARTNERS • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
For the Milwaukee site, a unique combination of • Milwaukee High School of the Arts
partners have come together to help make the • Friends of Lynden Hill Group
local Urban Tree House program a success. Their
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANThat MOU is set to expire in September 2005. The
process of evaluating and reconfirming existing
and exploring new partners’/stakeholders’ interests
and commitments is currently underway, with
the understanding that fewer, yet more involved,
partners will make management more efficient for
all parties concerned. This interpretive plan will be
A Place for Connections
useful in assessing how MUTH and potential partner
goals overlap, and in developing a new MOU. The
new MOU will be formed by stakeholders that are
party to the lease, actively participate and manage
the site, as well as provide the majority of the
programming.
BENEFITS – INACTIVE PARTNERS
Partners that do not have the time or resources to
be active in the management of the site may still
benefit the program and site through increased
exposure of the program, networking, and funding
opportunities. Inactive, “paper” partners may benefit
from association with the site and/or program as a
means of furthering their own mission and/or goals.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANMILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Interpretive Plan
Our VisitorsABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD occupants and the average unit occupancy is 3.22
persons per unit. Since the 1990 Census, Midtown
The UTH site lies within the boundaries of experienced an 8 percent decline in number of
Milwaukee’s Midtown Neighborhood. The Midtown households, but a significant number of households
area was once almost completely of German have lived here for decades. The neighborhood is
descent. After 30 years there is significant ethnic dominated by younger residents. The median age
diversity. There is a mix of long-term homeowners is 22, but 45 percent of the population is under the
and a high number of renters. The population is also age of 19—considerably higher than the City of
diverse in terms of education and income level, as Milwaukee as a whole. Family households make
well as ethnicity. According to the 2000 Census, up 65 percent of the population and 42 percent are
the area profile of the 14 Midtown Census tracts headed by females.
indicates:
Our Visitors
Educational attainment is problematic. Of residents
The population is 19,604 – 8 percent lower than older than 25, nearly half have not received a
the 1990 Census. The neighborhood has a mixed high school diploma—a likely contributor to the
ethnicity with 80 percent of the residents black; 10 low median income. However, 29 percent have
percent white and 6 percent Hispanic and 4 percent completed high school and 23 percent have
Asian. Income is low. Most households earn less attended college, graduated or received post-
than $20,000. Midtown’s median family income is graduate education—a 15 percent increase since
$19,152 substantially lower than the county median 1990.
of $32,000. Attracted by recently constructed
housing, the number of residents earning in excess Neighborhood House, a community service agency
of $25,000 is 39 percent - a 62 percent increase. that currently conducts the majority of environmental
The number of persons earning more than $50,000 education programming at the MUTH, serves a
has increased by 41 percent. While this represents large target area (I-94 to the South, I-43 to the east
an increase over the 1990 Census, Midtown to I-41 to the west), encompassing and surrounding
remains one of the most economically challenged both the Urban Tree House site and the Midtown
areas in Milwaukee. Neighborhood, including 15,647 families. Of the
2,600 program participants, African-Americans
There are 7,721 housing units. More than 80 comprised 65 percent; White, 16 percent; Asian,
percent are multi-family units. Owner-occupancy is 12 percent; Hispanic, 6 percent, and 1 percent
low. Less than 20 percent of residents are owner- other. Sixty-seven percent of NH’s program
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANparticipants come from households with an annual activities. The classes are brought together at
income less that $25,000, with 43 percent coming the beginning of the visit and again for lunch
from households with total annual income less that or other large group activity. During the school
$12,000. year, the average length of stay is 2.5 hours. In
the summer, shorter visits are more common,
EXISTING VISITORS—PRIMARY USERS averaging 1-2 hours in duration, with two to three
visits to the site for each student.
• Environmental Education
The current primary visitors to Lynden Hill
Throughout the year, approximately 2,000
are students engaged in formal or organized
student visits occurred at Lynden Hill in
environmental education activities. Most
organized groups (per Bradley Blaeser,
arrive via van or bus, and come from the area
Neighborhood House; and Jean Claassen,
represented in the 2nd radius (see diagram
Our Visitors
America’s Outdoors). The majority of these
below).
student visits2 occur through scheduled trips to
the Hill with Neighborhood House educators.
Teacher turnover is high (~30 percent) in the
schools Neighborhood House serves (according
to Mike Ring, Neighborhood House), resulting in
unfamiliarity with the community on the teachers’
part and varying teaching modalities. Without
a consistent community organization, the high
turnover rate contributes to a lack in students’
exposure to the environment and community
green spaces, like Lynden Hill, from one year to
the next—something that Neighborhood House
is trying to address.
Environmental education students are repeat
visitors. Although the average class size is 30-
40, educators tend to divide the classes into
smaller groups that rotate through the site,
using different areas for different lessons and 2
More than two-thirds, but may become 100 percent
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN• Organized Youth Groups In some instances, a particular audience may be an
Children in organized, non-school groups (e.g. existing visitor and MUTH’s primary target audience
Neighborhood House) are another primary (e.g. environmental education students). They
user of the site. They are also repeat visitors. include:
Although some environmental education
activities occur during their use, the main focus CORE
is often recreational in nature. Most arrive by
• EE Students (1st and 2nd radii)
van or bus, and come from the area represented
Classes want to have a nearby place to go for
in the 2nd radius (see diagram above). Their
outdoor/environmental education lessons. The
average length of stay is one to two hours.
current network of schools in these radii could
be expanded to include Milwaukee Science
EXISTING VISITORS—SECONDARY USERS Academy, Urban Day, and Carter Charter
Our Visitors
• Neighborhood Residents School.
Secondary users include neighborhood
residents out to walk their dog, and children in • Neighbors (1st radius)
small play groups (without adult supervision). Neighborhood families are interested in having
They come to enjoy the natural features and a nearby place to relax, visit, and play with their
the open, park-like feeling. They arrive on foot, children.
and come from the area represented in the 1st
radius (see diagram above). SECONDARY
The stakeholders have identified additional potential
Adults and family groups from an even larger radius future audiences that could be cultivated by Lynden
(see 3rd radius in diagram) have visited the site,
Hill partners. They include:
primarily for organized social events sponsored
an organization they are affiliated with, such as a • EE Students (3rd radius)
church or social club. Classes from more distant locations want to have
a nearby place to go for outdoor/environmental
TARGET AUDIENCES education lessons. The current network of
The stakeholders3 have identified the audiences that
they targeted for expansion by Lynden Hill partners. 3
“Stakeholders” is an inclusive term referring to both Lynden
Hill partners and people who use the site, including neighbors.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANschools participating could be expanded out to o Working with all levels of government to
the 3rd radius. design and implement neighborhood plans
and projects;
• Neighbors (3rd radius) o Establishing and developing relationships
Neighborhood families from a larger area might with partners in and outside the Midtown
be interested in having a nearby place to relax, neighborhood.
visit, and play with their children.
• Neighborhood House
• Social Groups (all) Outdoor and EE Goals
Churches, clubs, and other social groups are o To foster lifelong relationships between
interested in a gathering place for events and urban residents and the natural world;
meetings. o Personal growth leading to environmentally
responsible decisions;
Our Visitors
• Youth Groups (all) o Implement EE approaches that are driven
Youth-serving groups such as scouts and Boys by group work methodology and supported
& Girls Club are interested in having a nearby by curriculum;
place for outdoor recreation. o Community collaborations as a foundation
for success;
o Integrate classroom and field learning
CORE PARTNERS’ GOALS
experiences;
The following are goals of the current core partners o Promote positive risk-taking among
that are met and/or achieved by the Urban Tree program participants.
House program:
• America’s Outdoors
• Midtown Neighborhood Association o Conservation Education: Demonstrate the
Create positive change by: value of natural resources, the role citizens
o Actively seeking the involvement of have in the stewardship of those
community stakeholders in community resources, and the opportunities for
planning; careers in the field of natural resources,
o The implementation of programs and and offer repeated hands-on outdoor
projects from housing, goods and services, experiences;
to employment; o Help urban youth make connection
between local green spaces and federal
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANland units by first appreciating nature in
their own backyard;
o Conservation Assistance: Assist local
groups in their effort to protect, preserve
and/or enhance open space, trails,
wetlands and rivers;
o Recreation Information: Provide
information on federal land recreation
opportunities and basic outdoor ethics;
o Offer opportunities to educate public
on health and wellness benefits of outdoor
recreation;
Our Visitors
o Reclaim vacant lots, plant trees, enhance
streetscapes, and improve public
spaces.
In addition to the partners represented in that MOU,
community neighbors and their organization, called
Friends of Lynden Hill, are also active supporters
and partners in the maintenance and stewardship
for the site. Their goals are to:
o Ensure the long term preservation of
Lynden Hill as an open green space;
o Generate a larger support base for
maintaining Lynden Hill as a green space;
o Create a safe environment (through
presence and design);
o Build a sense of community in and around
the Lynden Hill UTH site.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANMILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Interpretive Plan
Goals and ThemesGOALS environmental education experiences to
neighborhood children in their community;
Given the direction of the National Urban Tree 2. Serve the same children repeatedly, so
House program and the interests of the sponsoring that the children’s environmental literacy
local organizations, the goals for the Milwaukee and appreciation for natural resources can
Urban Tree House are as follows: progress and interest in natural resource
related careers increases;
Green Space 3. Improve Milwaukee Public Schools students’
1. Ensure the long term preservation of Lynden test scores in the natural sciences;
Hill as an open green space; and
Goals and Themes
4. Meet Wisconsin State Education Standards;
2. Maintain as much undeveloped (open/green) 5. Facilitate a land stewardship ethic; and
space as possible within Lynden Hill. 6. Help urban youth make intellectual and
emotional connections between the value
Community
of nature in their own backyards and that of
1. Provide a community gathering space;
federal lands.
2. Foster a “sense of place” and a “sense of
community” with local residents and partners;
3. Provide an area that functions as a focal
OBJECTIVES
point for the natural environment and Example Objective
environmental learning in the community; The number of youth groups using the UTH site as
4. Develop opportunities for natural resource a destination or for repeat visits will increase by 15
and public art-related careers for percent over the next year.
neighborhood youth who participate in Urban Objectives are more specific than goals and—to
Tree House programs; the extent possible—are measurable. They spell
5. Increase residents’ awareness of value and out what we want the visitors to feel, know, and do
benefits (to them and the community) of open as a result of their visit to the site. Success of our
green space and increased outdoor activity; efforts will be judged based on the accomplishment
and of these objectives. Objectives provide details about
6. Promote sustainable “green” practices. how goals will be accomplished.
Environmental Education
1. Provide settings and resources for ongoing
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANSpecific measurable objectives should be developed you can get to know your natural and cultural
in the future as individual media are developed. See communities, and where a strong and diverse
below for an example of a measurable objective. community is built on more than just its people.
Developed into Sub-theme 1
Example Objective • Change Over Time
The number of youth groups using the UTH site as From back then to right now, this is a place in
a destination or for repeat visits will increase by 15 constant transition. Nature and society continue
percent over the next year. to shift—from soil deposition and erosion, from
Goals and Themes
lake to wetlands to city, from native cultures to
the modern day mansion and hospital buildings,
and back to open space again. Home to building
up and tearing down, the Urban Tree House site
SIGNIFICANCE OF LYNDEN HILL AND is a place to watch change happen.
THE MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Developed into Sub-theme 2
Statements of significance clearly define the most
important things about the MUTH’s resources and • People are Part of Nature
values. They serve as the foundation for developing The Urban Tree House is a symbol for people’s
primary interpretive themes and desirable visitor commitment to save open green space in their
experiences. Participants in the federal, partner, and neighborhood, and represents a tangible focal
community meetings were asked to describe the point for the interconnectedness of people and
one thing about the site that makes it special. These nature. People held on to and saved the site,
contributions were then combined with similar ones, and the site has held, and continues to hold,
and crafted into the following statements: people through time.
Developed into Sub-theme 3
• Every Tree Matters
Lynden Hill is a microcosm, a place where • Green Spaces are Valuable – Both Small and
the complexities of the natural world can be Large, Local and Beyond
explored in the community’s backyard. With only Lynden Hill is a valuable green space—part of
86 on-site, every tree matters. The Urban Tree a bigger network of open, undeveloped natural
House is about everyday nature—a place where areas, ranging in size from a backyard to a
national park. People saved Lynden Hill, their
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANneighborhood green space, from development SUB-THEMES AND STORYLINES
because they value open space for its natural,
social, physical and spiritual renewal qualities. 1. Nature Can Be Seen Here Every Day
This green space is a valuable educational The Urban Tree House is a place where you
resource because it symbolizes that learning can discover, learn, and appreciate the joys
about nature is fun and playful, and can happen of everyday, ordinary nature, without ever
through leisure and structured activities. It is having to leave your own neighborhood.
a community treasure connected to the larger
national treasures of open, undeveloped public Storylines/Topics
1. Insects play an important role at
Goals and Themes
lands set aside by the national community.
Developed into Sub-theme 4 Lynden Hill. They pollinate plants and
provide food for songbirds and other
THEMATIC APPROACH wildlife. Some make their homes in the
soil.
The Statements of Significance were melded 2. There’s wildlife in the city, too.
with the Milwaukee Urban Tree House goals and Animals like the raccoon and skunk
developed into interpretive themes. are just some of the visitors that might
be seen in your backyard.
Themes are like the plot to the movie, or the 3. A great variety of plants and trees are
moral of the story. They serve as the answer to present at Lynden Hill.
the question, “So what? What’s the big deal?” The 4. The animals, plants, and insects of
theme is the main idea we want to get across about Lynden Hill affect each other in many
a topic or a place, but we wouldn’t expect a visitor to ways, and create a complex web of
be able to repeat it verbatim. Rather, it’s the gist of life.
all communication with visitors. 5. Daily and seasonal changes are
apparent at Lynden Hill. Notice
CENTRAL INTERPRETIVE THEME the differences in appearances,
The Urban Tree House is a window to another temperatures, precipitation, and
world—a place where you can open your eyes presence of species—between
and learn about the Nature that’s under your morning and afternoon, night and day,
feet and over your head, and the community that and summer and winter.
surrounds you.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN2. This Place Has a History 3. You’re Part of Something Bigger
From geological formations to the people who At Lynden Hill, it’s easy to see how you’re
have lived here, the history of this site is related to something bigger – whether
important to the neighborhood. through community, or the “natural,” or
physical, landscape.
Storylines/Topics
1. The effects of geological events, Storylines/Topics
including glaciers, can still be seen in 1. This open green space is one of many
and around Lynden Hill and greater preserved in and around Milwaukee.
Milwaukee.
Goals and Themes
Together, these open spaces form a
2. People have lived in this area for chain of green – referred to as the
hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Emerald Necklace – in the city.
Archaeological clues about how 2. The soil you stand upon at the Urban
people utilized this area in the past Tree House is part of the larger soil
may provide insights about how community of the Great Lakes region.
people can best use this land now and Roots form massive underground
in the future. networks.
3. This site was important to the people 3. Water at Lynden Hill can be seen in
of Milwaukee for a variety of reasons. many forms – snow, rain, mist, fog,
One of Milwaukee’s early mayors built and dew. Water runs off the hill to the
a mansion here, and another building streets, and eventually drains to Lake
later served as a hospital for unwed Michigan. Everything that happens in
mothers, African Americans, and this watershed affects the quality of
geriatric patients (underrepresented the water we depend on to survive.
populations), and went under 4. The habitats at Lynden Hill provide
a number of management and food, shelter, and other basic needs to
ownership shifts. The mansion and a wide variety of life, including people.
hospital were demolished by the city in 5. At Lynden Hill, everything is
1982. connected to everything else. You can
explore the ecosystem to see how you
fit in.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN4. Where Trees Are Planted,
Communities Grow
People are attracted to Lynden Hill for the
many benefits of a forested, open green
space.
Storylines/Topics
1. The people in this neighborhood came
together to preserve Lynden Hill as
Goals and Themes
open green space.
2. Forests – like the one seen at Lynden
Hill, and other public lands such as
national forests, which are many
times bigger – provide many benefits
to people, animals, and other life.
3. Open green spaces are beneficial
to people in many ways, and provide
a balance of spiritual recharge, social
opportunities, and supply for the
economy.
4. Community is made up of cultural and
natural elements.
5. Lynden Hill, and greater Milwaukee,
is filled with biological and cultural
diversity.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANMILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Interpretive Plan
Existing ConditionsMILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE SURROUNDING AREA
• Site Included here are Nature Centers or other facilities
Site developments include a native prairie sign in and around Milwaukee with an environmental
and prairie plantings, a bulletin board, and two education focus. All of the following appear to
staircases. have similar interests with differing audiences.
MUTH’s audience is very focused—solely in
• Programs the neighborhood. The following sites may be
Existing Conditions
EE—A variety of environmental education an extended experience for MUTH visitors, not
programs – utilizing the Conservation Education competition. It could be very beneficial to explore
Interns activities and the NH/AO curriculum the sharing of resources and training opportunities,
– are presented. An extensive resource library is as well as a referral service for teachers.
available through America’s Outdoors, including
education “trunks” (located at Neighborhood • Urban Ecology Center
House), CD’s and videos. This major facility exhibits sustainable building
Special Events—Gatherings for special events practices and serves as the home base for
include Public Lands Day, the Spring Fling, its environmental education program in the
Farmer’s Market, church socials, Garden Club neighborhood schools. Located adjacent to
meetings, etc. Riverside Park on Milwaukee’s east side, this
facility aims to serve the population within a
• Web Site 2 mile radius. The mission of the UEC is to:
There is no web site exclusively for the provide environmental education programs to
Milwaukee Urban Tree House program. The neighborhood schools; promote environmental
America’s Outdoors web site awareness in the community; preserve and
(http://www.americasoutdoors.gov/index.asp) enhance the natural resources of Riverside
mentions the Milwaukee Urban Tree House Park; and protect the Milwaukee River. The
program on its “Conservation” page, and refers UEC has expressed a desire to develop satellite
people to the National UTH web site, and the centers around Milwaukee. The UEC is located
Washington, D.C., UTH web site. approximately 4 miles from the MUTH.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN• Havenwoods Environmental Awareness awareness. Located approximately 13.5 miles
Center from the MUTH, it offers trails through a variety
Havenwoods State Forest is a 237-acre green of habitats and a 20-acre lake. Since 1974, the
space in the city of Milwaukee. It features open Nature Center, in cooperation with the University
grasslands, young woods, and a seasonal of Wisconsin Extension, has operated as the
wetland area. The mission of Havenwoods is Milwaukee County Park System’s source of
to promote awareness of interdependence, environmental education. It serves more than
provide recreation and learning opportunities, 90,000 people annually—from pre-school
and maintain and improve the quality of natural children to senior citizens. The Center’s outreach
Existing Conditions
habitat in an urban environment. Havenwoods is program offers interpretive field trips throughout
located approximately 6.5 miles from the MUTH. the county parks.
• Hawthorn Glen Outdoor Education Center • Schlitz Audobon Nature Center
This facility is located on 25 acres, and offers Located 15 minutes north of downtown
hiking trails through woods, prairie, and wetland. Milwaukee along the shore of Lake Michigan,
Naturalists lead school groups, and adult and this facility provides public recreational and
youth group programs. Hawthorn Glen serves environmental education programs for children
more than 12,000 students each year. and adults of all ages, offering seven miles
of trails and beach. This facility is located
• Riveredge Nature Center approximately 11 miles from the MUTH, and
Located on 350 acres forty minutes outside serves approximately 37,000 school children
of Milwaukee in Newburg, WI, this sanctuary annually.
and environmental education facility offers
opportunities for hiking, cross country skiing, • Forestry Awareness Center (DNR)
nature programs and special events. This facility This facility has not yet been built, but will focus
is located approximately 30 miles from the on forestry and the history of forestry in WI.
MUTH, and serves more than 10,000 elementary
and middle school students annually. • Hawthorne Glen Nature Center
This 23-acre nature center is run by the City of
• Wehr Nature Center Milwaukee’s Recreation Department, and serves
Located in Franklin, WI, this facility is a “living Milwaukee Public Schools and local families.
laboratory” designed to foster environmental
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLAN• Neighborhood House Nature Center space is managed by the University of
Located 50 minutes from Milwaukee, this 90- Utah, at the Bennion Center. This UTH
acre parcel of land has miles of trails, forest and took form as a roofed structure over a
prairie, and is used as the last trip in a series of kiva-style pit, with two additional thematic
EE trips with Milwaukee Public Schools to foster areas overlooking the river and a marshy
the urban/rural link. It is also used for seasonal area.
programs like “Maple Sugarin’,” as well as 4. Portland, OR—This location, run by
gardening and camping. an “Urban Institute,” does not have a
structure. Rather, this partnership decided
Existing Conditions
NATIONAL URBAN TREE HOUSE PROGRAM to focus its efforts on creating trails,
settings, and gardens.
• Locations
1. Atlanta, GA—This UTH is run by the
• Web Site - http://www.fs.fed.us/research/rvur/
Oakhurst Community Gardens, a urban/urbantreehouse/uthouse.htm
nonprofit organization that coordinates
This web site previously contained information
summer programs. The Georgia Forestry on the concept of the Urban Tree House
Commission provides fiscal oversight and program, with instructions, or guidelines, for
funding for the program. The UTH took
individuals who are interested in creating an
shape as a large wooden deck built in the UTH in their community. This web site currently
shape of the United States, and a raised does not exist.
gazebo built under the tree canopy.
2. Washington, D.C.—This UTH is on NPS ISSUES, CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
land and run by the BLM. Interns from the
• Open Space
Student Conservation Association staff the
In order to keep Lynden Hill as a green space
summer program. Other partners include
and insure the lease, consistent and on-going
the Navy, Fish and Wildlife Service, and
environmental education programming is
the District of Columbia. This UTH also
necessary.
took shape as a map of the United States.
However, this map was done with colored
• Partnerships
surfacing, with large boulders interspersed In order for Lynden Hill and the Urban Tree
throughout. House program to be functional, utilized,
3. Salt Lake City, UT—This public green
and supported, partners must feel heard
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANand their needs must be addressed. As the staffing, site presence, vandalism repair,
project has evolved, some partners have or the provision of water and restrooms.
dropped out and others have assumed an Funding is provided to support the program
increased amount of responsibility. The new as it becomes available. This causes a sense
MOU should be formed by stakeholders that of uncertainty for the stakeholders.
collectively hold the lease, actively participate
and manage the site, and provide the • Visitors
majority of the programming. Neighborhood visitors are not sure how to
use the site, and the number of these visitors
Existing Conditions
• Governing Body is not currently very high. To overcome this, it
No formal decision-making body currently is important to generate interest and use by
exists. Decisions are often made by those making visitors feel welcome and comfortable.
present at the monthly meeting—a source of Neighborhood users should also be made
frustration for all. aware that the site is available for use for
organized events, with permission from MTNA,
• Safety and provided contact information to do so.
In order for Lynden Hill and the Urban Tree
House site to be used, maintained and • “Urban Tree House”
supported by neighborhood residents, safety It is difficult to learn what an Urban Tree
of the site is a high priority. Residents are House is, or is supposed to be. Partners
concerned by vagrant/homeless individuals’ currently have a difficult time putting an
use of the site. explanation into words.
• Liability • Native Species
As official leaseholder, Midtown The number and health of trees on the
Neighborhood Association must manage property is an asset to the site as a natural
liability. Decisions about construction and environment. Active management of the
events must consider their liability policies. tree population is needed to preserve and
promote the integrity of the tree community
• Operation & Maintenance as well-adapted, native species. A Forestry
There is no current operation & maintenance Management Plan for the site has been
plan or agreement in place that addresses developed.
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MILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE INTERPRETIVE PLANMILWAUKEE URBAN TREE HOUSE
Interpretive Plan
RecommendationsPARTNERSHIPS – EXPANDING AND DEFINING Give proportional voting rights to active and
non-active partners. Establish how decisions
A formal decision-making process and forum, such will be made and acted upon.
as a board of directors, for the Urban Tree House
and Lynden Hill does not currently exist. Members • Core Partners
of the Lynden Hill Partnership meet once a month to Identify and acknowledge the three main
discuss ideas and actions for further development partners that are integral to the operation and
of the Urban Tree House structure and Lynden Hill perpetuation of the site and program. These
as a whole, but it is not clear exactly how proposals include America’s Outdoors, Neighborhood
are submitted, how decisions are made, or who is House, Midtown Neighborhood Association,
Recommendations
ultimately responsible for management of the site. and Lynden Hill Friends Group. Further
redefine the roles and responsibilities of each
While the federal partnership America’s Outdoors partner, being sure to address all aspects of
(BLM, FS, USFWS, NRCS, and NPS) was the operation and maintenance of the site
instrumental in the start-up of the Milwaukee and program.
Urban Tree House program and continues to
• Educational Partners
provide oversight and some funding, it relies on
Explore involving new partners whose
some formal and some verbal agreements with
mission, goals, and activities directly support
Midtown Neighborhood Association to perpetuate
or complement the goals of the Milwaukee
its interests. Midtown Neighborhood Association,
Urban Tree House program, such as through
as a non-profit organization, is more readily
delivery of environmental education activities.
available to solicit funding and make capital
Educational entities emphasizing public art
improvements on non-federal land than America’s
should also be explored as partners.
Outdoors, comprised of federal entities. Midtown
Neighborhood Association legally controls the The three groups above could be one and the
structural outcome and operation of the site same, with the core partners and the “committed”
(including liability). educational partners making up the majority of
the board members. Where a complex web of
• Board of Directors
too many partners and/or stakeholders may tend
“Elect” a small (4 -7), dedicated board of
towards inefficiency and inaction, a broad network
directors. Establish a formal decision-making
process and forum for the filtering of ideas.
36 Interpretive Arts Unlimited!
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