Milwaukee County Parks

11/21/2025

Take care of your rain barrel this winter to prevent it from cracking. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your rain barrel lasts for many years to come:

1. Move the rain barrel inside when temperatures fall below 40° F.
2. Empty any water or debris from the rain barrel and disconnect it from the downspout.
2. Store the rain barrel upside down in a warm and dry place, such as your garage or basement.

If you don’t have a place to store the rain barrel inside, you can turn it upside down and leave it outside.

11/21/2025

November is a time when you may find the fruiting bodies of mushrooms 🍄
We found this small puff ball mushroom in the forest, and we decided to take some photos to demonstrate how they release their spores.
The term “Puff Ball” refers to various spherical mushrooms that lack gills, pores, or distinct reproductive structures. When young, they are typically solid white throughout, but as they mature, most of their inner tissue turns into a powdery “spore mass.” When pressure is applied—whether from rain, trampling, or being squeezed—many species release their spores in a visible “puff.”
Spores are like the seeds of fungi-they help the fungi to reproduce and spread.
📸: Wehr Nature Center

11/20/2025

An important reminder this Fall! 🍂

Did you know that fallen leaves can cause water pollution and localized flooding? Leaves left in the street release nutrients when it rains that can flow into local waterways and harm aquatic ecosystems. These leaves may also clog storm drains, which can lead to localized street flooding. Consider keeping your leaves out of the street by mulching or composting them. Your efforts make a difference! Learn more at respectourwaters.org/leaf-management

11/20/2025

Meet Emilie, Sarah, and Rebecca, our Natural Areas team at Parks! 🌳
The team discusses the different areas of conservation their work focuses on and shares what the public can do to support their work
Get to know your Milwaukee County Parks - all year long we're highlighting some of the incredible employees in the Parks Department.
Interested in joining our team? Visit MKEParksJobs.com to see what positions are available!

11/19/2025

Brown Deer Park is always a must-see stop in the Fall! 🍂
What park have you visited most recently?

11/18/2025

Lap swim at Noyes and Pulaski Pool this Fall! 🏊‍♀️
Lap swim is available 7 days a week at both locations; hours vary
Visit MKESwim.com for hours and more information

Noyes Pool is located at 8235 W. Good Hope Road, Milwaukee
Pulaski Pool is located at 2701 S. 16th Street, Milwaukee

11/18/2025

11/17/2025

Couldn't make it to our Trails Network Plan meetings last week? Don't worry, we're hosting two more public input meetings this week! 🥾

Our planning process provides an opportunity for community input to ensure new trails meet the needs of trail users.

Help us map the future of Milwaukee County Trails | https://www.mkecountyparks.org/trails-network-plan

11/16/2025

Brown Deer Park path closure alert! 🚧
The park path from Bradley to Range Line in Brown Deer Park will be closed now through the end of the Holiday Light Display on January 4th, 2026

11/15/2025

Explore woodlands, prairie, and grassland areas across Milwaukee County on one of our nature trails! 🥾
Nature trails are perfect for birding, wildlife watching, getting fresh air, and finding some quiet space
https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Trails/Nature-Trails

📸 (in order): Riverside Park, Rawson Park, Copernicus Park, Greene Park

11/14/2025

Exciting news! Our team has started conducting beaver sign surveys for the first time this year in Milwaukee County Parks 🦫🌳
This essential baseline information will help us gain a deeper understanding of the beaver population that calls our parks home.
What Signs Are We Looking For?
Beavers leave some pretty unique clues that reveal their presence. The most common signs we encounter are trees with gnaw marks, as beavers cut them down for building materials and food, leaving behind stumps with distinctive teeth marks. By observing fresh versus old chew marks, we can determine how recently beavers have been in an area. Our surveyors also look for evidence of structures like lodges and dams—beavers build lodges for shelter and dams to create ponds. Occasionally, we might even spot tracks or evidence of slides.
Collecting data is a crucial part of these surveys. We use GPS devices to map the location of beaver signs, sometimes attaching photo documentation. We record specific details such as the diameter of gnawed trees, which species they prefer, and any other relevant observations.
📸: Milwaukee County Parks Natural Areas & Conservation

11/14/2025

It is that time of year to watch for hoarfrost 🍂❄️
According to the National Weather Service, hoarfrost is defined as a "deposit of interlocking crystals formed by direct sublimation on objects, usually those of small diameter freely exposed to air, such as tree branches, plants, wires, poles, etc."
Hoarfrost derives from the Old English word “hoary,” meaning getting on in age. With this thought in mind, many trees, especially evergreens, did present a "hair-like" appearance resembling white, feathery beards.
Unfortunately, the hoarfrost only lasted for a short time period in the morning before the sun and warmer temperatures melted the ice crystals. It was an incredible sight to see the crystals glinting in the morning sun.
📸: Wehr Nature Center