Between March 31 and April 9, 2025, Lakeshore State Park conducted a prescribed burn during a window of favorable weather. Though only 9.5 of the park’s 22 acres were burned—specifically the prairie areas—the entire park was closed for safety.
Prescribed, or controlled, burns are a key land management tool, relying on experienced crews and the cooperation of weather. This burn was no different. Crew members carefully managed flames, used sprayers to protect park features like birdhouses and lighting, and coordinated across multiple areas at once. At one point, a towering plume of smoke was visible across Milwaukee’s lakefront—one observer reported seeing it from St. John’s on the Lake.
Photos and information about the burn provided by Eddee Daniel.
The goal of the burn is to mimic the natural role fire once played in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Fires clear dead vegetation, encourage native plant growth, reduce invasive species, and stimulate root systems that help store carbon and minimize runoff. “These burns enhance prairie habitat for birds and insects while improving native prairie success,” said Park Manager Elaine Zautke. Additional native plantings will follow this summer.
Wildlife typically escapes the slow-moving fire, though DNR staff reported spotting a variety of waterfowl in the lagoon that day—including a loon, buffleheads, mergansers, and scaup. Not everything went exactly as planned: a brief wind shift sent smoke over I-794 and Lincoln Memorial Drive. Fortunately, conditions shifted again, and the burn continued safely. Come summer, the benefits of the burn should be visible in a blooming prairie full of wildflowers, birds, and pollinators.
Thank You Sponsors!
$25,000 – Grant awarded to the DNR from NRF and Fund For Lake Michigan
$2,500 – Grant awarded to FLSP by Maihaugen Foundation
$2,500 – FFLP matching contribution
These burns enhance prairie habitat for birds and insects while improving native prairie success.
Park Manager Elaine Zautke
February 2025 Newsletter
January brought us record breaking cold weather and the Lakeshore State Park lagoon finally froze over.
While folks looking to ice fish were excited to see this change, the park’s waterfowl may not have been as enthusiastic. Migrating birds need open water to stay warm and feed, and so can often be found congregating close to the park’s pedestrian bridge and marina. In the past few weeks, birders have enjoyed viewing the many waterfowl such as the Greater and Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Canvasback, and Red-breasted Merganser. The warmer recent weather has melted much of the ice which is now dangerously thin. When colder weather does return, be sure to dress appropriately while enjoying our park, a winter bird haven next to the city!
Upcoming Events
Sunday, February 9th: Second Sunday Bird Walk: 8:30AM-10:00AM
Join experienced birders from Milwaukee Birders and Friends of Lakeshore State Park for a bird walk through the park. Birds identified will be tracked using eBird. Scopes will be available for viewing distant birds. Bring your binoculars, all ages and abilities welcome! Please contact https://milwaukeebirders.org for more information on this and other bird walks available in the area.
Sunday Birders at Lakeshore State Park, winter of 2024 (photo by David Wenstrup)
Save the Date
Sunday, March 9th: Second Sunday Bird Walk: 8:30AM-10:00AM
Do you want to help plan or volunteer with events? Please complete a volunteer interest form!
A Message from Outgoing President, David Wenstrup
Dear Readers- a little over three years ago, I accepted the role of board president of our Friends organization. It has been an honor to serve, and I am grateful for the wonderful experiences I’ve had with our volunteers, board and committee members, the DNR, and community partners, all who help make our park a special place. While my term ended in December of last year, I look forward to continued volunteering in various ways with FLSP, including participating at our upcoming events!
Now I am thrilled to introduce you to our next president, Melissa Shaw! I met Melissa while volunteering at environmental education events, hosted by Milwaukee Riverkeeper among other organizations, where I was struck by her enthusiasm.
She joined our board in June of 2023, quickly demonstrating a passion for the park and willingness to use her talent to help advance the work of the Friends, contributing with several of our committees while also serving as Vice President for the past two years.
Melissa is a Project Manager for Xylem in their Wastewater Treatment Division, a role which naturally lends itself to working to protect, enhance and promote our urban, lakeside park. She willingly takes on leadership roles and advocates on behalf of the park everywhere she goes! She and her husband Andrew and their two young children can be seen at many FLSP events. She is passionate about serving our community, spreading the word of the importance of protecting our water resources and enhancing our beautiful lakefront park. Melissa’s commitment, energy, experience, management expertise and smile ensure that FLSP will thrive under her leadership – welcome Melissa!
All Aboard All Hands Boatworks!
One way to get through the winter months around Milwaukee is to plan outdoor activities for the warmer months which can be enjoyed on our beautiful lakefront, rivers, and inland lakes.This mindset certainly is true at All Hands Boatworks, Inc. (AHB) a nonprofit youth development organization based in Milwaukee. Now in its 12th year, AHB offers a broad range of project-based, hands-on learning for youths from 10 to 21 years old, including introductory boatbuilding, a semester-long shop class, after-school teen mentoring and skills, trade skills explorations, summer camps, and of course, on-the-water boating activities.
AHB has made a positive impact for so many in our community! Over the years, they have mentored more than 6,500 Milwaukee-area youths, guiding them through the construction of over 155 wooden boats used for rowing, paddling, and sailing our local waters.
A variety of boats are built, ranging from prams and rowboats to kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and 24’ rowing gigs. For many youths in our area, these projects are their initial introduction to boating, sometimes their first connection to Milwaukee’s urban rivers and lakefront, a connection made more powerful with boats built using their own hands!
Through their “Boats For All Folks” initiative, AHB aims to expand small boating activities for families and the broader community, engaging more in meaningful and safe on-the-water recreation and encouraging an appreciation of our urban natural resources. Programs include free community rowing days, group rowing and teambuilding, youth day camps, and a youth rowing program.
In recent years, AHB has held several memorable on-water programs for school groups at Lake Shore State Park. Looking ahead, AHB is working to collaborate with FLSP and the Wisconsin DNR to find ways to enhance the experience of Park visitors through their programs, enabling more people to enjoy the beautiful natural resource we have right here on Milwaukee’s doorstep!
For more information, visit www.allhandsboatworks.org. for information about youth programs, community workshops, and volunteer opportunities. AHB’s boat shop and offices are located in the Walker’s Point neighborhood at 621 S. 12th Street, Milwaukee (414-404-8213).
Membership Matters
Membership with the Friends of Lakeshore State Park helps ensure the continued growth and protection of the Park in many ways including maintaining trails, enhancing habitat for our resident foxes and other wildlife, and promoting environmental education programs that inspire visitors of all ages.
As a member, you will contribute directly to vital conservation initiatives and ongoing improvement projects. Your support is essential to the continued success of the Park.
Prairie Patron Memberships Rock Prairie: $100 Fox Prairie: $250 Kid’s Prairie: $500 Big Prairie: $1,000
Autumn Arrives
While the beginning of this October has been mild, fall has officially arrived at Lakeshore State Park. Only a few forbs remain and wind sweeps the park, rustling the drying grasses. Early fall is prime viewing for some of the last flowering plants. Take a stroll through the park and view a variety of Asters (genus: Symphyotrichum) before they fade and go to seed.
Upcoming Events
Our park educators offer a wide variety of programs for both kids and adults and events that focus on nature education and exploration, all designed to be hands-on and family friendly. We hope you look forward to these upcoming events!
October 6: Public Seed Collecting Extravaganza, 3:00-4:30 PM (south entrance)
October 16: Scavenger Hike, 5:00-6:00 PM (south entrance)
October 16: Beach Bonfire and S’mores, 5:00-7:00 PM (pebble beach)
November 15: “Rock your Mocs” Hike, 5:30pm-6:30pm (south entrance)
November 29: #OptOutside Hike, 11:00am-12:00pm (south entrance)
December 6: Christmas in the Ward 5:30-8:30PM (Catalano Square)
Please note this change! All events will start at the park south entrance unless otherwise indicated. Public parking on the south side behind Summerfest Grounds can be found by entering “Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse” into a GPS map program. Approximate coordinates to the start location: 43.029163, -87.895880
Welcome Our New Board Members!
Stephanie Sansoucie is an executive coach with Thrive Dept. and Wisconsin Master Naturalist who enjoys spending time with the bumblebees of Lakeshore State Park. With a passion for both our natural world and our local community, she’s delighted to support efforts to protect and promote our beautiful urban gem. Stephanie brings her expertise in creative leadership and her love for the outdoors to her role on the board of Friends of Lakeshore State Park.
Andrez Aldape is an IT Data Analyst at Johnson Controls. He loves music, the outdoors and his German shepherd, Kumori. Andrez cares about the park because of its biodiversity and prime location, one that he’s visited since childhood. He has found the Friends to be a great group of people that truly care about our community and the park, and looks forward to making positive impact on the park and community.
Mike Marek is a Landscape Ecologist and founder of Marek Landscaping, LLC, a 28 year business based in Milwaukee.Their mission is “Protecting and restoring ecosystems where people and nature connect”. He’s the father of a 13 year old girl and 15 year old boy and lives in Riverwest. He is an avid canoeist, kayaker, surfer, free diver, skier, snowboarder, biker, foodie, and loves combining all of it with camping. His passion for Great Lakes ecology, water health, and fostering a healthy, diverse, and connected community are what led him to accept a board position with the Friends.
Want to know more about joining our board or a committee? Please email inquiries to admin@friendslsp.org
Some Recent Activities in the Park
On September 16th, volunteers from Navico Group helped keep the park beautiful during their company’s Global Cleanup Day. Lakeshore State Park was one of 12 sites around the globe selected by the company for a cleanup. Many thanks to these volunteers including our board member Lee Kanwar of Navico who helped make this happen!
Did you notice how many more purple martins were at the park this season? Their chatter could often be heard by the park marina where they fully occupied their beautiful new home then taking off to fly in circles hunting insects in the air.The purple martins left several weeks ago, but they don’t do a clean-up on the way out, leaving more work for volunteers who lowered the house and cleaned each of the boxes to make ready for the return of purple martins next spring! Cornell Lab has more information about these fascinating birds here:
We’re dedicated to environmental education and local community engagement. By supporting The Friends of Lakeshore State Park, our partners help us continue these vital programs and keep the park beautiful and accessible. Interested in joining us on our mission? Let’s connect! email admin@friendslsp.org
Coming Later in October: Creatures in the Park Lagoon!
For our story this month we interviewed Professor John Berges of UWM about small critters lurking in the park lagoon. We aren’t ready to share this story will you just yet, please look for an email in a couple weeks.
Membership Matters
Membership with the Friends of Lakeshore State Park helps ensure the continued growth and protection of the Park in many ways including maintaining trails, enhancing habitat for our resident foxes and other wildlife, and promoting environmental education programs that inspire visitors of all ages.
As a member, you will contribute directly to vital conservation initiatives and ongoing improvement projects. Your support is essential to the continues success of the Park.
The Prairie at Lakeshore State Park is Abloom!
We’re proud to share this beautiful photo essay by Eddee Daniel, highlighting our blossoming prairie here at Lakeshore State Park. Join the author and our DNR naturalist guide, Anne Duffy, on a tour through acres of wildflowers and tall grasses. 🌿
Park Naturalist Anne Duffy leading a hike on a path in the Big Prairie – photo by Eddee Daniel
With this essay, we have an opportunity to:
– Explore the colorful and diverse prairie landscape – Learn about the significance of prairies in Wisconsin’s ecosystem – Experience the park’s popularity and importance
Summer brings warmer days with flowers, butterflies and bumble bees, and evenings made magical by fireflies. Lakeshore State Park provides these simple natural joys right on the shores of Lake Michigan. A new flower blooms or new insect buzzes here every day. Seemingly random, these occurrences are naturally orchestrated.
The habitat created at the park mimics a short grass prairie with native flowers and grasses with few trees. Native flowers bloom at various times of the season, attracting insects with nectar for sustenance, and the insects in turn pollinate the plants. These symbiotic relationships between the native plants and insects ensure successful reproduction for all involved.
One of the first to flower at the park is Prairie Smoke. Their pink flowers start out facing downwards at a height perfect for awakening bumble bee queens. After pollination, the flowers turn upright and unfurl their feathery blossoms in a smokey display. Next to bloom are Golden Alexanders, attracting tiny native bees which gather nectar and spread pollen plant to plant..
Ann Duffy leading a guided hike in the park. Photo by Eddee Daniel
Most bees are solitary, not living in hive colonies like non-native honey bees do. There are over 400 species of bees native to Wisconsin, many which can be found in the park including sweat, mason and leaf cutter bees. Ants, butterflies, and small birds and mammals can be pollinators too, and at night, moths and fireflies pollinate as well!
A concern of late is the decline of insects. Without them, we would have virtually no plants. And without plants, we would lose almost 50% of our food sources. Habitat loss and degradation and the overuse of pesticides are main factors causing dwindling insect populations. The average yard with a monoculture of non-native grass, decorated sparsely with non-native flowers and shrubs, provides little habitat for pollinators.
What can be done to help? Planting native flowers and grasses in our yards would provide a variety of beautiful, native habitat where native pollinators can thrive. In turn, the pollinators would help the native plants, thus freeing one to spend less time and effort maintaining a yard and more time enjoying the great outdoors!”
Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cleanup a Success
At first glance, our park may look quite clean.
Upon closer inspection though, one might find many plastic bottles and smaller trash such as microplastics in some areas. This trash negatively impact park wildlife and water quality. Thanks to our partnership with Milwaukee Riverkeeper and the support of our volunteers, our park is kept cleaner for all.
Our most recent cleanup was completed on a brisk and sunny April 20th, when 23 volunteers and the DNR got together and collected 17 bags of trash! Afterwards, several of us celebrated the day with other partner organizations and volunteers at Rock The Green. Thank you Riverkeeper, the DNR and volunteers!
Water quality impacts people, plants, and animals. Many species of birds frequent the park, including high numbers of Canada Geese. The geese feed on grass in the park, leaving excrement which negatively impacts water quality and the experience of over 450,000 annual visitors.
Thanks to a generous grant from Fund For Lake Michigan, FLSP will contract Migratory Bird Management to spray Flight Control® Plus, a non-toxic spray which deters goose populations from taking up residence in the park. Visitor experience will be enhanced through fewer goose droppings, enabling park patrons to walk freely and enjoy clean, green spaces. Thank you Fund For Lake Michigan!
Bird City Milwaukee
It’s not only winter-worn Milwaukee residents who flock to the lakefront and parks as May rolls around. Birds do too. And lots of them!
One reason is that Milwaukee is situated in the Mississippi Flyway. And, as Bird City Milwaukee notes, we have over six miles of lakefront and more than 250 hotspots scattered around the area. That’s a big draw for birds throughout the year. And it’s why having safe and bird-friendly environments is so important.
Bird City Milwaukee (BCW), a member of Bird City Wisconsin since 2012, is dedicated to doing just that. It provides education and support to help communities establish and maintain good bird habitats. During its initial years in Milwaukee, BCW was spearheaded by the Urban Ecology Center (EUC), but gradually the management is being turned over to Visit Milwaukee. As Tim Vargo of the Urban Ecology Center explains, the hope is that under the helm of Visit Milwaukee, Bird City will become “a networking/communication/marketing hub and a go-to place for anybody who wants to know what is happening in Milwaukee any month.”
To get involved with Bird City Milwaukee, check out its website, social media and Facebook pages. And UEC’s Vargo suggests people can also support the Bird City cause by simply going on a bird walk. If you’re a newcomer to birding, not to worry. “So many groups love it when new birders come because it’s sharing their passion,” Vargo says. “My suggestion is to get out with someone who can be a mentor and just do it over and over again. The first couple of times it might feel overwhelming but the more you do it, the easier it will be.”
A networking/communication/marketing hub and a go-to place for anybody who wants to know what is happening in Milwaukee any month.
Tim Vargo
May is a great month to get started. Not only is it prime migration season—May 11th is World Migration Day—it’s when the annual Brew City Bird Fest is held! The Urban Ecology Center will be avian central for the fest, May 10-17, offering a variety of cheep fun and informative events, including morning bird walks; a Bird in Arts program; and a Keynote Lecture—Birdie Big Year: Elevating Women Birders by Tiffany Kiersten. A full listing of activities can be found on the Urban Ecology Center website.
The Friends of Lakeshore State Park will also be celebrating World Migration Day with a Bird Hike for all ages on Friday, May 10th at 9:30 a.m. Come join us as we search the skies and shore for some of our favorite species. Check our events page for details.
Birds love our city. By supporting Bird City Milwaukee, you can give them a little love them back.
On April 5th, the installation of a new purple martin bird house was completed. The house is in the same location on the north end of the park just south of the bridge as the previous house. The house was generously donated by Katie and Doug Fisher. The installation took part in stages and was completed by DNR personnel and volunteers.
Some interesting facts about the installation:
The recommended height for a purple martin houses is 10 – 20 feet
The house weighs about 72 lbs.
An existing steel tube in the ground with a 2” inside diameter was re-used
A Schedule 40 steel plumbing pipe was used that fit into the existing tube.
Volunteer engineers designed the system to withstand 100 mph gusts
Purple martins exhibit site fidelity and they are back! (as seen in photo at top of page)
