In the City? Really?

A couple weeks ago, I was running errands with two of my friends around the city of Milwaukee. In the process of crossing off our “to-do” lists, we found ourselves driving to the Riverside area searching for the Urban Ecology Center. I had never been to this center but after hearing more information about it, I was eager to check it out. Upon pulling up to the building I was immediately draw to the large tee pee on the second level, the three story tall look out tower and the massive solar panels that lined the roof. I was intrigued. My friend, who had volunteered at the center the previous year, gave us an impromptu tour of the building and its features. I was amazed at what I saw. Here is some general information about the center, the building itself and what is inspiring about the whole organization.
The Urban Ecology Center is a neighborhood-based, environmental education, nonprofit community center. It is run by volunteers who have a passion for preserving the environment and who advocate for environmentally friendly practices. The building that I visited is called the “green” building and is home to the organization’s main offices, resource areas, classrooms and informational exhibits. Its unique features include restrooms that use rainwater to flush the toilets, a wood burning stove that effectively heats the building, a “Lake Michigan” slide that connects the first and second floor and a green roof that manages excess water run off. The center teaches classes, hosts seminars and rents outdoors equipment to members. There is more information available about other features, programs, classes and ways to get involved on their website. (www.urbanecologycenter.org)
What interested me most about this organization, enough to share this experience, was the fact that this center is located in an urban setting. It is only five minutes from downtown Milwaukee. It just goes to show how functional environmentally savvy practices can be. I am definitely more aware of small changes that I can make in my everyday life to ultimately make a difference in the overall community. I would encourage anyone who cares about the feature of our planet, protecting wildlife or who maybe just wants to cut down on energy costs to check out what the Urban Ecology Center has to offer. You just might get inspired.

JUST a Heads Up Yall!

With the rise and popularity of organic foods and the constant push for environmentally friendly practices, it is no surprise that fair trade products are becoming more sought after. By definition, fair trade is, “an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing producers and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods.” These goods consist of mainly, handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruits, and flowers.
One of the main goals of fair trade is to work with marginalized producers with the intention of helping them shift from a position of vulnerability to one of economic self-sufficiency. Fair trade does this by encouraging the producers to become stakeholders in their own organizations and play a more active role in the international trading arena.
Some major principles of fair trade include market access for marginalized producers, sustainable and equitable trading relationships, capacity building and empowerment, as well as consumer awareness rising and advocacy.
There are a number of fair trade certified shops, coffee houses and co-ops throughout the city of Milwaukee, even more nationwide. I think it is important to support these local businesses not only because they believe in a movement I believe is important, but also because I know I am getting a high quality product with each purchase. Like most things, fair trade depends on consumer support, however I can justify buying a product that I know is ultimately helping others.