August 2025
August 1, 2025
This month is absolutely chock-full of fun family-friendly events and informative community gatherings. Think about getting involved and support some of our local organizations like Riveredge, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Reflo, and Milwaukee Water Commons. These organizations are doing great work and host engaging programs, which are a wonderful way to get involved in our environmentally-minded community here in Milwaukee!
A Prairie in Saukville
Photo by Corrigan Eckert
Announcements
Water School CUWG Cohort
The CUWG Water School cohort
Photo provided by Melanie Ariens
A group of WaterMarks CUWG (Community-University Working Group) members have chosen to come together and participate in Water School. This is an amazing program that is run by Milwaukee Water Commons, a local organization that is dedicated to water education through art and community engagement. During Water School’s four session long program, students learn about how water moves through their neighborhoods and how we impact the health of our water.
If you are interested in participating in Water School with your school, organization, or neighborhood group, consider reaching out to their Community Education Manager, Rhonda Nordstrom
Email: rnordstrom@milwaukeewatercommons.org
Phone: (414) 763-6199
To learn more about Milwaukee Water Commons and the
Water School alumni check out their website here:
Beginning the Marker Installation at Grasslyn Manor
Beginning stages of installing the marker
Photos provided by François T. Russell
Great news! Things are moving forward with the installation of the WaterMarker at Grasslyn Manor! The foundation for the marker has been poured on the corner of North 56th Street & Capitol right next to Albright United Methodist Church. We are so excited to see another neighborhood receive their marker, and we are looking forward to seeing how they use this addition to their neighborhood to connect and engage with their neighbors.
We will keep you updated here and on our Instagram as more markers are being installed and we continue our work across Milwaukee.
Partner Events
WaterMarks isn't building an atlas of water alone. We work with countless organizations and individuals on this endeavor. WaterMarks Community-University Working Group is a collective of residents, artists, community-based institutions, and researchers who assemble to guide the future of water in Milwaukee.
Here are some upcoming events that our partners are hosting:
Kayak Tour: Paddle with a Naturalist
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is hosting a great naturalist guided kayak tour where participants will get the chance to explore some of our local waterways. This is a great event for all experience levels, all necessary gear is provided with your purchase of a ticket for $55/Ticket (single kayak) or $85/Ticket (tandem kayak).
Location: Ehlers Park County Hwy W, Saukville, WI (meet at the intersection of Minch Ranch Road and CTH ‘W’)
Date/time: Thursday, August 7 / 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Art and Infrastructure Art Exhibition Opening
Come see the work of five Milwaukee artists at Grove Gallery! All of these artists are contributing to the green infrastructure installation at W Washington and S 5th and 6th Streets in Walker’s Point. Melanie Ariens is one of the featured artists and was the first WaterMarks artist at Acosta Middle School, where she teamed up with students to design and paint a mural on the pillars of the adjacent highway underpass. She has recently coordinated an expansion of the mural along with current Acosta students through her work with Milwaukee Water Commons. We hope to see you there!
Location: Grove Gallery, 832 S. 5th St., Milwaukee
Date/time: OPENING: Friday, August 8th, 5-9 PM & Saturday, August 9th, 2025 12-4 PM
CLOSING: Saturday, August 30th, 12-4 PM, Grove Gallery is open to the public, noon-4pm on Saturdays.
Green & Healthy School 9th Annual Conference
Reflo and the Green Schools Consortium of Milwaukee are hosting the 9th Annual Green & Healthy Schools Conference. This event is a great opportunity to gather, network and share resources in order to support our schools. Tickets cost $60 Please register before Wednesday, August 3rd!
Location: Boerner Botanical Gardens, 9400 Boerner Dr, Hales Corners
Date/time: August 12 / 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Festival of Lefthandedness
This is a family friendly space created for honoring left handed folks + anyone who has ever felt a little "sideways" in the world. Come as a guest, helper, artist, or wandering soul looking for lighthearted magic. The event is outdoors in a community garden. Come prepared however you need to feel comfy. NO plastic bottles are allowed in the garden. No cost to attend! Drop in for part of the event or stay for the whole vibe!
Location: Alice's Garden Urban Farm
2136 N 21st St, Milwaukee, 53205
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 13(International Left Handers Day) / 3pm-7pm
Boat Tour: An Aquatic Adventure with Mermaid Echo
Join Mermaid Echo and Milwaukee Riverkeeper on a magical family friendly Cruise along the Milwaukee River. Great for children ages 8 and under. Scenic views, photo opportunities, and engaging stories. $5/Ticket
Location: Riverwalk Boat Tours, 950 N Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Dr, Milwaukee, WI
Date/time: August 14 / 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Wheels & Water
Does your child get excited when they see large machinery in action? Bring them to Discovery World to see the incredible machines our city needs to thrive and meet the teams that operate them. This is a FREE outdoor event located on the grounds of Discovery World. This is a FREE event!
Location: Discovery World, 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee
Date/Time: Sunday, August 24th / 10:00 am - 3:00pm
We are Water: Beachfront Celebration of Milwaukee's Waters
Join us at Water Commons Annual We are Water event at McKinley Beach. A chance for our community of environmental advocates to gather around water issues in Milwaukee. This is a family friendly event that includes interactive activities, live music, and art! We'll see you there!
Location: McKinley Beach, 1750 N Lincoln Memorial Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Date/time: Sunday, August 24th / 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Live at the Lakefront
Come out for a FREE concert series at the Discovery World Rotary Amphitheater. LIVE @ the Lakefront features a mix of genres from eight accomplished original musical groups from around the Midwest. Our naturally beautiful Lake Michigan provides an incredible background for their performances. Music starts at 6:00 pm.
Location: Discovery World, 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee
Date/Time: Every Wednesday (July 9th - August 27th) / 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Want to get out of town and outside? Check out Riveredge and their many family friendly activities and educational opportunities:
Stay active with
Soul Roll's group bicycle rides:
Images all sourced from our website or with permission from the owner. Featured WaterMarks content was completed by Corrigan Eckert.
If you would like to see something included in our next newsletter, please send a request to: watermarksmke@gmail.com
with the subject line "Future Newsletter Content"
Find more events on our Website, scroll to the bottom of our home page to see our calendar!
