My Time With the RRF

Once a month for a few hours I would visit the main building of the RFF and help with some of the work their "F.O.R.B" volunteer group usually does. Which stands for  “Fostering Our Riparian Biodiversity”. Riparian means land that is alongside a river or creek. Arguably, this is the most important work that the RFF does for our community. By fighting invasive species and helping native species thrive, they keep our ecosystem intact and functioning.  Young Beaver by Vince Bushell Why I feel this work is so important, is because of how much the dry land in the upland ecosystem is affected by that of the rivers. Not only do many of the animals within Milwaukee rely on the food and breeding area the greenway supplies, but without the greenways biodiversity, we risk erosion. The erosion is apart of a multi-factor issue. One of the factors of an invasive species is that it lacks its natural predators. This allows them to reproduce and flourish without being kept in check. When they...

My reasons for choosing the RRF as my service organization are rather simple and truthfully self-centered. As I was reading the different descriptions, they caught my eye for their ease of accessibility and how much their work sounded like it was directly in a 'natural' area. With everything going on lately I'm not able to get out of the house much, so it sounded like a good place to get my hours done and appreciate the outdoors. Also because I've always loved the water and aquatic life, so the river just seemed like exactly what I needed to de-stress. As mundane as a reason I'm very glad that I did.  Ahh, so peaceful... In September you could watch the pondskaters at the kayak launch.

The River Revitalization Foundation, or as I will frequently say the RRF, is located near the Riverside and Murray Hill neighborhoods in downtown Milwaukee. Or if you're unfamiliar with neighborhoods, it's a few blocks North of Brady St along the Milwaukee River. That area of Milwaukee is unique for being a thriving metropolis with a strong wildlife presence due to the abundance of natural parks nearby. What isn't so very well known though, is that nearly all of the parks along the river exist because of the RRF. And of that land, most of it is technically privately owned. This is because the RRF is what is called a 'Land Trust' organization. Meaning that they acquire land, protect and upkeep the land, but also allow the public to come as they please. For them, their land is like a state park that anyone can enjoy without paying at all.  But because there are no fees to the public, and they are not run by the state, all of the upkeep is done strictly through donatio...

Hello! I'm Nicole Meyer, I'm 22 years old, and this is my first year at UW-Milwaukee but my 5th year in college. I'm what you would call a double transfer student. I began college in September 2016 and I spent two and a half years in the IA+D (Interior Architecture & Design) program at MIAD. I loved my area of study but was very unhappy with some practices of the school itself, so I left. I then went to UW-Waukesha for a year and a half to fulfill my gen-eds. Finally, I transferred to UW-Milwaukee this fall of 2020 so that I can finish my bachelor's. My major is in environmental conservation because my future goal is to create furniture and architectural designs that are sustainable and inspired by organic material. 

Hello and welcome! I'm Nicole Meyer, a student at UW-Milwaukee. This semester I helped out the River Revitalization Foundation (RFF) here in downtown Milwaukee. This little blog is here to tell you about the great time I had and all of the things I learned. But before I get started on what I did, I want to tell you a little about myself and the RFF.