Thank you for your interest and involvement in Humboldt Park. We made it through one of the most challenging years I can remember, yet we were able to keep meeting as a group and get many tasks accomplished. We started the year in uncertainty while pushing ahead with our annual Easter Egg Hunt planning. Unfortunately, after much planning, we were forced to cancel the Easter Egg Hunt and the rest of our planned events for the year.

We shifted our priorities to focus our efforts on raising awareness of the park, increasing membership, and fundraising and logistics for 100 for Humboldt.  We also participated in Bay View Community day with a park themed hopscotch and created a Halloween Hunt with chalked shapes hidden in the park.

As we were forced to slow down and socially distance, 2020 made some of us reflect on the importance of our shared natural public spaces. Many residents are not aware that parks are a non-mandated service. That means that they are at the bottom of the list when receiving funding support from the county because mandated services take priority. Therefore, parks need champions in the community to care for, restore, and advocate for them. That is the mission of our group, one hundred percent powered by volunteers and community members.

Below are some highlights and updates from 2020.

Bayview Ice Skaters

 Ice Skating although short-lived, was one of the highlights of 2020. HPF continues to provide snow throwing equipment and continues to work with Ice Master, Greg Stilin, and the Bay View Ice Skating group volunteers to prepare and maintain the lagoon’s ice. The snow blowing equipment is ready, and we are monitoring the ice thickness. We will announce when the lagoon is officially open for skating. Once it is declared open by Milwaukee County Parks, the lights will be on for night skating. 

We will continue to  clear the expanded  skating area to include space for both Ice Hockey and recreational skating. HPF coordinates with the group and publishes ice conditions on our website and Facebook group.

Lagoon Restoration

The Lagoon Restoration Committee continues to meet and is working on selecting a contractor to develop a comprehensive restoration plan based on community input. One of the biggest challenges is to create a plan that will allow for improved vistas of the lagoon along with improved wildlife habitat for birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians that are found at the lagoon.

If you are interested in joining the Lagoon Restoration committee, contact us at info@humboldtparkmilwaukee.org

I am proud to say that the community has wholeheartedly backed this effort, and we are well on our way to mitigate the loss of so many trees. We have started planning with Parks to begin planting next Spring.

The tentative plan is to have both a Spring and Fall planting during consecutive years to allow for the new trees’ care and maintenance. Spring 2021 will see a planting of 12 new River Birch or possibly another tree species. In Fall 2021, we will plant 20-25 trees between Logan and the Lagoon. Additional plantings would happen through the Fall of 2024. 

We are creating a small gift for the first 100 full tree donors that depicts Humboldt Park and tree information. Donors have the opportunity to dedicate their donation to a loved one on our 100 for Humboldt page.

Humboldt Park Junior and Senior Ranger Program

We continue to distribute park ranger activity books free of charge to the community through our website. We also have been putting them in the little free library on the corner of Pine St and Dakota st.

The Humboldt Park Ranger Program is a self-guided program for children ages 5 and up and their families. It is designed to teach children about Humboldt Park’s history, wildlife, geography, and celebrations. When kids complete enough of the book they receive a custom embroidered patch at one of our general meetings. 

In the News

Humboldt Park Friends and Ignacio Catral, a partner at Catral Doyle creative, an artist, designer, and photographer were featured on Natalie’s Everyday Heroes CBS Channel 58 Natalies Everyday Heroes segment of the Sunday Morning show and Carole Meekins from Positively Milwaukee.

Spawned from a piece in the Bay View Compass featuring Humboldt Park photographers, the piece focused on Ignacio’s photography of the park, and all the fantastic work that Humboldt Park Friends is doing to preserve and replant the park. The photos can be enjoyed on the Humboldt Park Friends Instagram account.

Ignacio, who is the President of the Humboldt Park Friends organization, highlighted the Friends organization, the Lagoon Restoration initiative, and the 100 for Humboldt tree program. During these difficult times getting out and enjoying the beauty of nature is more important than ever.

Thanks go out to board member Patrick McSweeney, who’s Communications, Public Relations & Reputation Management skills organized the features.

Halloween Scavenger Hunt for Kids 

Humboldt Park Friends wanted to create a fun, family-friendly activity that allowed for social distancing since trick-or-treating was canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Haunted Halloween Hunt provided outdoor exercise for children and families in a safe and colorful setting.

Dani Graf and Laureen Stirmel, two volunteers from Humboldt Park Friends, spent the morning spraying chalk with Halloween-themed stencils at locations throughout the park to create a scavenger hunt for children. Bats, cats, spiders, ghosts, skulls, witches, Frankenstein and pumpkin shapes in bright colors are hidden throughout the 73-acre park in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.