Urban Ecology: A Natural Way to Transform Kids, Parks, Cities and the World

by Ken Leinbach

With climate change in the news, an urban core that has reached boiling point, and many children growing up without role models and with limited dreams – where is hope?

There is a quiet experiment in Milwaukee that is turning heads. It starts from the simplicity of getting a city kid exploring their neighborhood park. How is it that so much life, community, and opportunity can grow from this unlikely soil? It's been called a miracle. It's contagious. It's spreading. It's exciting. And it works!

This is a story of a group of ordinary people in a neighborhood who created something extraordinary.

You will discover…

The power of getting a city kid outside in nature.
That kindness works.
How to say no while following the yes.
The value of clarity and focus.
How to find abundance within your own diverse community by simply and humbly asking for help.
Ten tried and tested rules for raising money (a lot of it!) while having a ton of fun doing it.
A positive, believable, and very real vision for the future of our environment. We've got this!


And...

How to join our movement.

Genres: Parenting, Nature, Environment, Urbanism, Urban, Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2018

Reviews

[Kaitlyn Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really inspiring read about very cool work happening in Milwaukee.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great project! Just ok book.

[Lia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is on my did not finish list. I got at least halfway but found myself to frustrated to keep reading. My two stars are mostly for the history sections of the book, and that stuff is quite interesting. The reason for not reviewing higher is that the writing comes off as self important. There's a lack of acknowledgment toward other urban outdoor education programs, as though the writer was the one who invented the concept compeletly. As someone who works in environmental education, I'm surprised to see so much of that field and it's impact omitted from the book. It's a good book if you want a personal story, but not a great resource for enviromental education.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for anyone interested in understanding how communities can restore urban parks and create neighborhood hubs like the Urban Ecology Center has built in Milwaukee. This book tells the story of how the Urban Ecology Center, now a Milwaukee landmark, came to be and how other organizations can duplicate the magic. Ken Leinbach’s passion for his work really shines in the inclusion of stories about the major players in the creation of the Center and how he describes the community that has embraced this vision.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that followed the development of the Milwaukee Riverside Urban Ecology Center and those centers that followed. If you want to know about the beginnings and the people who made it what it is today, this a great read. It also is a good book to read if you are thinking about doing something like this in another setting. It is definitely not a page turner, but it is not meant to be.

[Cody Knepprath · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is funny that i had been looking into volunteering at the urban ecology center in milwaukee when i hopefully move there and then i open up a random book from half price books and it is the story of the urban ecology center! anyways pretty interesting book although it did feel a little long by the time i hit page 200

[Katie Bruell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great inspiration for me as a nature center person, but I think for anyone thinking about leadership and possibility it would be a great read. I hope to use a lot of the ideas in the book and to keep learning with the extra resources provided. Gave me a lot to think about.

[Kendall Prehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intended audience is very niche- people interested in building a community based around environmental education. Very simple and orderly read, akin to a how-to manual, but the stories of lives being changed are all the more touching for it.

[Paige Simenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be biased as a product of growing up with the UEC, and then interning there, and now working in environmental education, but this book was more engaging than I (admittedly) anticipated, given that it's meant to be somewhat of a manual for creating a similar organization. It gave a thorough history on how a grassroots organization in a trailer relatively quickly became one of the most influential organizations in Milwaukee and continues to make real impacts—myself as proof!

[FlowerFam4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a fantastic read - this confirms Ken's an amazing author and public speaker! Following the Urban Ecology Center’s journey from notion to motion was truly inspiring. The well-organized overview of the model made me realize the simplicity of its foundation - seeing it explained like that helped me internalize the mission better. I love the way essential information is seasoned with fun, personal accounts of how bringing nature and community together can transform. From the viewpoint of an environmental educator, spending time in nature together is one of life's precious shared experiences and the Urban Ecology Center helps communities connect. Excellent book, amazing organization!

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, WI, is a unique place that is difficult to summarize. A center that focuses on getting urban kids outside but also a group of people maintaining a vital city park but also a place where community members can come together and so many more. In this book, Leinbach describes the genesis of the idea and offers accessible advice to people looking to accomplish similar goals. This book is especially relevant to environmental educators working in an urban setting, but any person, nature lovers, educators, community members alike, will find something inspiring, thought-provoking, and hopeful about this story.

[Michael Espinoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Urban Ecology weaves together the story of the Urban Ecology Center, a scrappy start-up in a crime filled park with immense entrepreneurial spirit into its evolution as a place full of hope for the future and positive change. I enjoyed the human centric stories that entertain and bring chapters to life. Adventures of kids in nature right in the city included! This book is a practical informational resource (that also inspires), perfect for educators, school principals, non-profit professionals, urbanists or anyone interested in bringing people together for a common cause!

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a celebration and first-person story of the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee by Ken Leinbach, who shares his personal journey in this book.

This book is part history of the three Urban Ecology Centers here while also apparently written for those in other cities who want to start an ecology center.

Goodreads rates books. And this one needs an editor to organize the content and strengthen the writing.

But the organization itself serves its neighborhoods, becoming a role model for others around the world.

A fine article: Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center thrives as Milwaukee's science classroom.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/e...