A Place of Recreation & Reconnection
The letter H was selected for the harbor. We are healthy, happy, and whole when we play by the water’s edge.
“H” is for harbor, harbor view, harbor access... Frolicking in fountains, swimming in refreshing rivers, fishing for the next big catch—water is a source of joy, curiosity, and human connection. Access to the water’s edge brings people together. Natalia Hernandez of the nonprofit Harbor District, Inc. shares the present and future community-inspired amenities offering refreshed public access to the Inner Harbor. Liz Ulrich, a student working with Harbor District and the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, introduces the Habitat Hotels being installed and investigated along the metal harbor walls. Artist Alice Wilson takes to a kayak to clean our rivers of plastic trash. Beyond its annual Cream City Classic open water swim event, Milwaukee Water Commons highlights the many personal ways “Water Connects Us.” From the Boat Parade to the Urban Water Trail, Milwaukee Riverkeeper sponsors events to clean, enjoy, and restore our waters.
Guardians & Guides at the Harbor’s Edge
Meet Natalia. Natalia is outreach specialist for Harbor District, Inc., a nonprofit headquartered in the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences building and which functions in concert with the local Business Improvement District, BID 51. Harbor District, Inc.’s vision is “a vibrant waterfront community where diverse businesses, people and ecologies thrive together.”
Meet Liz. Liz Ulrich is a summer student at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. Liz gets to kayak to fish “habitat hotels” that the nonprofit Harbor District, Inc. has installed along the steel sheet pile in Milwaukee’s Inner Harbor. She then uses an underwater camera to survey these innovative contraptions—built of old fish fry baskets and designed to provide a safe space for young fish to hang out.
Meet Alice. A performance artist whose work was curtailed during the 2020 pandemic, Alice Wilson started kayaking on Milwaukee’s rivers for enjoyment But she could not help but notice all the trash—much of it from single-use plastic, like water bottles, plastic bags, or other packaging. So Alice started picking it up. Then she started a crowdfunding campaign to support other out-of-work artists cleaning the rivers.
