Category: Community

Greetings from Friends

Summer is underway at Lakeshore State Park and flowers are in bloom! As you walk through the park, you’ll see an explosion of color. The bright orange of Butterfly Weed, the stark white of Wild Indigo, and the vibrant blue of Spiderwort are present in the park, especially in the northern demonstration gardens. These and many more plants are vital to the survival of native pollinators. Consider planting any of these pollinator “helpers” in your own garden to help increase insect populations, such as the monarch butterfly. 

July Park Events

  • Monday, July 3rd: Fireworks Drop In, 5:00PM-8:00PM
  • Saturday, July 8th: Animal Tracks Hike, 2:00PM-3:00PM
  • Sunday, July 9th: Brunch By the Beach, 10:00AM-2:00PM
  • Tuesday, July 11th: Fossil Hike, 6:30PM-7:30PM
  • Saturday, July 15th: Prairie Hike, 10:00AM-11:00AM
  • Sunday, July 16th: Fishing Clinic, 1:00PM-3:00PM
  • Wednesday, July 19th: Beach Bonfire, 4:00PM-8:30PM
  • Thursday, July 20th: Migration Drop in, 1:00PM-4:00PM
  • Friday, July 21st: Edible Plants Hike, 10:00AM-11:00AM and 2:00PM-3:00PM
  • Friday, July 21st: Bird Hike, 6:00PM-7:00PM
  • Saturday, July 22nd: Bumble Bee Hike, 10:00AM-11:00am
  • Tuesday, July 25th:  Tales for Tot’s, 3:00PM-4:00PM
  • Friday, July 28th: Urban Critter Drop In: Squirrels, 12:00PM-3:00PM

The park educators offer a wide variety of programs for kids and adults, such as fishing clinics (no license required for children 15 and under) and events that focus on nature education and exploration, all designed to be hands-on and family-friendly.

For details on events, please visit the FLSP Events Page
Want to help with events and programs? Please complete a volunteer interest form

Nature’s Classroom

How children can learn at Lakeshore State Park

Nature is an amazing classroom for children of all ages, and Lakeshore State Park is especially amazing because of its unique combination of prairie and shoreline environments, not to mention its close proximity to three museums and a bike trail.

There’s plenty of evidence that interacting with nature helps promote academic learning, personal development, and environmental stewardship. Studies have shown that time in nature also helps with attention levels, relieves stress, teaches self-discipline and promotes creativity among children, to name just some of the benefits. 

At Lakeshore we aim to spark interest in all things outdoors, and we try to make activities as fun as possible. If a child, or adult, leaves with a better understanding of and appreciation for the outdoors, then we have done our job.

Park Manager Elaine Zautke

Here are some ways to use Lakeshore State Park’s natural resources to help kids learn while they’re having fun.

Take a trail walk. In addition to promoting motor skills and exercise, trails walks are a great, unstructured way to explore. Lakeshore State Park has both paved and unpaved trails, both of which offer chances to observe prairie and shoreline wildlife. Try using a guide book or an app to identify plants, birds and animals — or just let your little one follow their curiosity, whether watching from a stroller or wandering with you.

Try a nature-based art project. This can be done in a variety of ways: taking photos, finding leaves and flowers for a collage, sketching shapes and pictures, even writing a poem or story about what you see.

Try a scavenger hunt. Create a list of items to spot while exploring Lakeshore State Park. Depending on the child’s age, it can be very simple (a bird, a stick, a bug, a fish, a flower, a rock) or more advanced (specific species of birds, for instance). Some of the items can be collected, but if not you can record them together with photos or in a journal. It’s a great way to encourage observational skills while learning about  different types of plants and animals. You can incorporate things like counting, spelling, color and word skills into the activity, too. 

Attend an event at Lakeshore State Park. The park’s educators offer a wide variety of programs for kids, such as fishing clinics (no license required for children 15 and under) and events that focus on different urban critters. They’re all designed to be hands-on and family-friendly. For a current list of activities, check out the FLSP Events Page.

Your support is essential to the continued success of the Park.

Please consider making a membership donation below today!

Park Pal Membership Level

Individual: $25
Family: $50

Prairie Patron Membership Levels

Rock Prairie: $100
Fox Prairie: $250
Kid’s Prairie: $500
Big Prairie: $1,000

Donate Now

Greetings From Friends

Summer is approaching, the birds of Lakeshore are becoming active, and many Canada Geese and their goslings can be seen in the park. Beware! These babies are cute, but parenting birds can be aggressive, chasing and hissing at anyone who gets too close.

We replaced the storm-damaged Purple Martin Pole this spring. Two pairs of Purple Martins were recently seen at the bird “condo” located in the northeast corner of the park, near the marina. Tree Swallows have been showing interest in that housing too. 

Stop by and see if you can spot the Purple Martins which are noticeably larger than their swallow cousins. Both have a dark back and wings, but the tree swallows will have a bright white underside

The prairies have been slow to bloom but will grow quickly in a few short weeks. In the Demo Prairies at the north end of the park, we’ll soon see Penstemon blooming large, white flowers, as well as Blue False Indigo. The bluish-purple flowers of this native only last a few short weeks so check them out while they last!

More prairie improvements are on the way! We’ll be hosting public planting days on June 8th-9th and June 13th-17th. If you want to help out, please let us know by completing a volunteer interest form.                   

June Events

  • Friday, June 2nd: Rainbow Hike 2:30PM-3:30PM
  • Sunday, June 4th: Free Fishing Clinic 1:00PM-3:00PM
  • Friday, June 9th: Bike Week Commuter Station 7:00AM-10:00AM
  • Saturday, June 10th: Prairie Plant Hike  10:00AM-11:00AM
  • Thursday, June 15th: Kayak Rentals & Kite Demo 4:00PM-8:00PM
  • Friday, June 16th: Bird Hike  6:00PM-7:00PM
  • Sunday, June 18th: Father’s Day Fishing Clinic  1:00PM-3:00PM
  • Tuesday, June 20th: Tales for Tot’s  3:00PM-4:00PM
  • Wednesday, June 21st: Crafts&Games with an Educator  6:00PM-7:00PM
  • Wednesday, June 21st: Beach Bonfire  7:00PM-8:30PM
  • Thursday, June 22nd: Invasive Species Hike  2:00PM-3:00PM
  • Friday, June 23rd: Urban Critter: RACOON  1:00PM-3:00PM
  • Saturday, June 24th: Summer Scavenger Hunt/Geocache  10AM-2:00PM
  • Sunday, June 25th: Pollinator Hike 1:00PM-2:00PM

Event details are available here: FLSP Events Page

May Flowers in the Park 

Spring at Lakeshore State Park provides plenty of life to be seen!

From early spring ephemerals to flowers which attract busy pollinators, here are three of many species to look for this May at the park:

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

Prairie Smoke

(Geum triflorum) or Old Man’s Whiskers, is a part of the rose family. Found in prairies all across Wisconsin, the flower is known for its “smoky” seeds that reflect the way an old man’s beard would look. These early-blooming flowers can be seen from April to May and are essential to bees rejuvenating after the winter. Bees use a method known as “buzz pollination” to shake the pollen into their abdomen.

Ohio Spiderwort

(Tradescantia ohiensis) is an interesting species because its blooms will perk up in the morning but wilt after noon. These flowers are also important to bees in the spring and will help a hive gather important nutrients before the summer begins. When spiderwort is exposed to poor air conditions, its color will turn from blue to purple.

Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

Purple Prairie Clover

(Dalea purpurea)  is perfect for attracting a wide variety of pollinators including butterflies and bees. These flowers have the ability to fix nitrogen into the soil by absorbing it from the air. Purple Prairie Clovers are also host plants to the Dog Face Butterfly, among other species of blue butterfly caterpillars. These flowers begin blooming in May and last until late summer.

A listing of plants at the park is available here: https://friendslsp.org/park-brochures/ 
(hard copies available at park kiosks) 

This time of year the Lakeshore State Park starts to come alive with activity. It’s also when we kick off the Friends’ Annual Membership Drive.

As many of you know, Lakeshore State Park has become a destination for over 480,000 annual visitors. And, as Wisconsin’s only urban state park with stunning views of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee skyline and over two miles of trails, a boat marina, and an ADA accessible fishing pier — Lakeshore State Park offers something for everyone!

Lakeshore State Park is more than just a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the wonderful prairies though; it’s also a vital part of our community. Hosting a variety of educational programs and events, it provides a safe and welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to come together.

The Friends of Lakeshore State Park have supported the park’s programs and maintenance in many ways including:

Free educational programs for children and adults
Maintaining trails, prairies, and infrastructure such as the fishing pier
Hosting community events such as Brunch By the Beach, Monthly Paddles

Your support is essential to the continued success of Lakeshore State Park. Please consider making a membership donation below today!

Park Pal Membership Level

Individual: $25
Family: $50

Prairie Patron Membership Levels

Rock Prairie: $100
Fox Prairie: $250
Kid’s Prairie: $500
Big Prairie: $1,000

Donate Now

Greetings From Friends 

April showers bring May flowers as the saying goes, and on Earth Day, plenty of showers along with some solid precipitation came to the park. Volunteers didn’t let the weather dampen their spirit though as they gathered loads of trash, beautifying the park and preventing litter from entering Lake Michigan. Thanks to volunteers and Milwaukee Riverkeeper  for helping make Milwaukee beautiful!

In anticipation of warmer weather and May flowers, our park DNR staff have been cutting down old vegetation to help identify and remove invasive plants which may otherwise crowd out native ones. Restoration work will continue on the second largest of the park prairies, and we’ll be hosting public planting days June 13-17th. If interested, please let us know by completing our volunteer interest form                   

May Park Events

  • Sat. May 13: Origami Swallows 9:00am-12:00pm
  • Sun. May 14: Mother’s Day Prairie Flower Hike 2:00-3:00pm
  • Wed. May 17: Bubble Hike- 6:00-7:00pm
  • Wed. May 17: Beach Bonfire 7:00-8:30pm
  • Sat. May 20: Bird Hike- 9:30-10:30am
  • Sun. May 21: Lakeshore State Park History Hike 10:00-11:00am
  • Fri. May 26: Urban Critters: The Fox 1:00-3:00pm
  • Sat. May 27: Fishing Clinic 12:00-2:00pm

Dog Walking in the Park

Making the perfect loop with your pooch

Lakeshore State Park is a very accessible nature loop for you and your dog when you want to get some outdoor time close to the city. The park provides many opportunities for sniffing, which not only can calm your dog, but is also an important mental stimulus for them! Park rules require your dog to be leashed at all times, which can be difficult for leash-reactive dogs.  Here are a few tips from a former dog walker:

Choose a well-fitting collar or harness

Harnesses can be a comfortable option for your dog, but if your dog pulls a lot it can be hard to walk them with a traditional harness. A front-clip harness can help direct your dog better, or you can try a collar that constricts evenly around your dog’s neck. This could be a Martingale collar or a prong collar. These are safer than regular collars because they evenly distribute the pressure around the dog’s neck, rather than all the force concentrated on the windpipe. Choke collars like these can be especially helpful to give corrections to a dog that can get aggressive or pull too much on leash. They also make it less likely that your dog will slip their collar and get free!

Bring treats

You can bring treats in a baggie, fanny pack, or clip-on training pouch. Many trainers recommend associating any time you give a treat to your dog with a word like “yes!” to create a dopamine pathway between that word and food. So, even if you don’t have a treat on you, saying “yes!” when your dog does what you ask will give them a little dopamine kick. 

Practice walking in a low-stimulus area before coming to the park

Going on a walk is one of the most exciting parts of the day for your dog, so bringing them to a place bustling with other dogs; bikers, walkers, runners, and wildlife can be really distracting. Set your dog up for success by practicing walking with them in a low-stimulus area. When your dog looks back at you without your prompting, give them a treat. This associates that behavior on a walk with getting good things. 

Practice commands like “heel” or “leave it”

You can start to associate your dog walking near you with a command like “heel” so that you can have them walk calmly next to you. To do this, hold a treat by your side and when they reach for the treat, say “heel.” Repetitions of this will associate walking by your side = treat. If you have a reactive dog, the command “leave it” is a good one to have in your arsenal. You can teach this by saying “leave it” when you see something distracting, such as a biker, a runner, or another dog. When your dog looks back at you, give them a lot of treats for making the right decision. 

Pick up dog poop

Dog poop doesn’t add nutrients to the environment like the poop of our native wildlife does. It can also spread disease, and it detracts from the appearance of the park for other visitors. You can tie bags to your leash. Or, when you buy dog-poop bag rolls in bulk, they often give you a free dispenser that can attach to your leash. Be a friend to the park and pick up after your dog.                                                                           

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