Milwaukee to host urban wildlife workshop

A leading trend in the American population over the last two centuries has been the move from rural lifestyles to those based in and around cities.

About 85% of Americans — and 70% in Wisconsin — now live in “urbanized” environments, including suburbs, according to multiple demographic studies.

The positives and minuses of the change are debatable.

But here’s a point that’s indisputable: Most human-wildlife interactions now occur in "urbanized" environments such as yards and parks.

And another: Urban and suburban residents can help wildlife species by improving the habitat on their properties, and local officials can do the same on public spaces in their communities.

“There’s a lot people can do to benefit wildlife, even in a relatively small space,” said David Drake, UW-Extension wildlife specialist and UW-Madison professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology.

Drake will lead an “Urban Wildlife Workshop” on Sept. 15 at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee.

The class is a joint effort of UW-Madison, UW-Extension, Urban Ecology Center and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Dianne Robinson, DNR wildlife educator and wildlife biologist in Milwaukee County, will assist with the sessions.

The workshop is designed for people who want to create, enhance and maintain urban wildlife habitat and assist others in doing so.

Drake is an urban wildlife expert who has conducted research on coyotes and red fox in Madison and helped develop an online resource called the The Urban Wildlife Project.

“Many urban residents in Wisconsin are delighted to learn red fox or mink live near them, or they see rare bird species during migration, and they want to know what they can do to help such wildlife,” Drake said.

The four-hour class will include sessions on: urban wildlife trends; land use changes and wildlife response; urban wildlife identification; practices to create, enhance and maintain urban wildlife habitat; the positives and negatives of living with wildlife; and how to develop a wildlife management plan.

Certain species — such as gray squirrels and raccoons — would continue to thrive even if everybody “paved over their yards,” Drake said.

The workshop will present information on how to reduce problems caused by some wildlife species.

And it will show how changes in habitat can help attract desirable mammals, birds, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians and others.

Adding native plants to the landscaping on a property, for example, can help draw more pollinators and provide food for migrating birds.

Putting in a perch pole can attract raptors, and a bat house can increase the number of mosquito-eaters in the neighborhood.

Wildlife-friendly changes can have a positive effect on the human residents, too.

Planting a tree or two can increase shade and decrease energy bills in the summer.

And if a yard or neighborhood has been beautified, people are more likely to get outside, take a walk, and improve their mental and physical health, Drake said.

The workshop will run from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the UEC's Riverside Park facility, 1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee.

The fee is $30 per person, which includes four hours of in-class training, resource materials and refreshments.

Financial assistance is available upon request.

The registration deadline is Sept. 14. Online registration is available at https://uwccs.eventsair.com/wildlife/reg18 .

For more Information, contact Drake at ddrake2@wisc.edu or (608) 890-0445.