As you walk around Lakeshore State Park you may notice the park is in a time of transition. While some plants are vibrantly in bloom, others are fading. Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Common Milkweed (Asclepias syrianca) are beginning to drop their flowers and go to seed. False White Indigo (Baptisia lacteal), seen primarily in the north Demonstration Gardens, are dropping their flowers, and creating pods. As tempting as it may be to pop these pods, please resist as they help create the seed bank necessary for next year’s growth!

While we have many beautiful, native plants to enjoy, this is also the time of growth for some invasive plants. The DNR staff is currently tackling Queen Anne’s Lace or Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), first introduced from Europe. With its tall, flat topped white flowers, this plant may be visually appealing, but has a large tap root that makes it hardy in many environments, crowding out native plants. To help maintain and create better biodiversity for native plant species, DNR staff pull the Queen Anne’s Lace from the tap root or dead head the flowers to keep them from going to seed. If you’d like to join our removal efforts, we are offering Stewardship Thursdays every Thursday in the month of August from 1:00pm-3:00pm! We will meet at the south entrance park sign and tools will be provided—we hope to see you there!

On July 9th, over 400 people visited the park during our second annual Brunch By the Beach. Many thanks to David HB Drake, Tots on the Street, Sweetly Baked, Plastic Free MKE, volunteers and everyone who helped make for a family-fun event. Below is a collage of some photos from that beautiful day – we’ll be hosting more events like this, please look for more info in our newsletter.

August Park Events

• Stewardship Thursdays from 1:00pm-3:00pm (South Entrance), Aug 3^rd, Aug 10^th Aug 17^th Aug 24^th Aug 31^st
• Friday, August 4^th: Sunrise Hike, 5:30AM-6:30AM (North Entrance)
• Sunday, August 6^th: Track Tales, 11:00AM-12:00PM (North Entrance)
• Wednesday, August 9^th: Pollinator Hike, 2:00PM-3:00PM (North Entrance)
• Thursday, August 10^th / Jueves, 10 de agosto: Medicinal & Edibles Hike/Caminata de Plantas Medicinales y Comestibles (Bilingual), 6:30PM-7:30PM (North Entrance/Entrada Norte)
• Friday, August 11^th: Prairie Hike, 6:00PM-7:00PM (North Entrance)
• Saturday, August 12^th: Edibles Drop In, 9:00AM-10:00AM (North Entrance)
• Sunday, August 13^th: Fishing Clinic, 9:00AM-12:00PM (Fishing Pier along western path)
• Wednesday, August 16^th: Dragonfly Hike, 6:00PM-7:00PM (North Entrance)
• Thursday, August 17^th / Jueves, 17 de agosto: Sunset Hike/Caminata al Puesto del Sol (Bilingual), 7:00PM-8:30PM (North Entrance/Entrada Norte)
• Friday, August 18^th: Mammal Hike, 2:00PM-3:00PM (North Entrance)
• Saturday, August 19^th: Story Time: Grouchy Lady Bug, 2:00PM-3:00PM (North Entrance)
• Sunday, August 20^{th /} Domingo, 20 de agosto: Pollinator Hike / Caminata de polinizadores (Bilingual), 6:30PM-7:30PM (North Entrance/Entrada Norte)
• Friday, August 25^th: Urban Critters: Rabbits, 1:00PM-3:00PM (North Entrance)
• Saturday, August 26^th / Sábado, 26 de agosto : International Bat Night Hike/Noche Internacional del Murcielago (Bilingual), 7:30PM-9:00PM (North Entrance/Entrada Norte)

Our park educators offer a wide variety of programs for both 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

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

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.

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 8^th-9^th and June 13^th-17^th. 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 16^th: Bird Hike  6:00PM-7:00PM
• Sunday, June 18^th: Father’s Day Fishing Clinic  1:00PM-3:00PM
• Tuesday, June 20^th: Tales for Tot’s  3:00PM-4:00PM
• Wednesday, June 21^st: Crafts&Games with an Educator  6:00PM-7:00PM
• Wednesday, June 21^st: Beach Bonfire  7:00PM-8:30PM
• Thursday, June 22^nd: Invasive Species Hike  2:00PM-3:00PM
• Friday, June 23^rd: Urban Critter: RACOON  1:00PM-3:00PM
• Saturday, June 24th: Summer Scavenger Hunt/Geocache  10AM-2:00PM
• Sunday, June 25^th: Pollinator Hike 1:00PM-2:00PM

Event details are available here: FLSP Events Page

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 13-17^th. 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

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.                                                                           

Volunteer Interest Form

We’d love to hear from you!

When you think about helping out Lakeshore State Park, what do you picture? Do you want to work inside at your desk or outside in nature? Parts of the year or year-round? Using your experience or learning new skills?

Whatever your answer, you’re in luck. When you volunteer with the Friends of Lakeshore State Park, all those options are all available.

Today, Matt is on the Friends’ grant-writing committee, helping collect the data and details that are essential for applications that, if successful, will fund environmental efforts at LSP, among other activities. He works side-by-side with people who have lots of experience to share, and he’s learning the ropes as he goes.

Lakeshore State Park is the premier location for ecology downtown. The amount of programs that we’re offering is growing, the amount of park areas that we’re rehabilitating is growing, and the number of people that we’re reaching is growing.

Matt Baudhuin

“I really enjoy writing grants, and it’s a great way to impact the environment in a different way than being out in the field,” says Matt.

Matt also pitches in with other volunteer efforts, such as clean-up days and food truck events. He encourages people to think about how they’d like to help or what they’d like to learn, then indicate those interests on the Friends’ volunteer interest form. Current needs include park greeters, caretakers to tend the restored prairies, citizen scientists, special events helpers and more. Help is needed with board membership and on committees as well.

You’ll be supporting a precious community asset as you work. “Lakeshore State Park is the premier location for ecology downtown,” says Matt. “The amount of programs that we’re offering is growing, the amount of park areas that we’re rehabilitating is growing, and the number of people that we’re reaching is growing.”

The people make it rewarding, too, says Matt. “I love working with the Friends of Lakeshore State Park. I’ve learned a lot and the people are amazing.” 

Learn more about volunteering at the only urban state park in Wisconsin by contacting the Friends of Lakeshore State Park at admin@friendslsp.org or sign up below.

Volunteer Interest Form