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Thursday, April 19 marked the third year volunteers from Godfrey & Kahn succeeded in completing a major project for the Urban Ecology Center (UEC).

The UEC, a neighborhood-based, environmental education, non-profit community center had a goal to secure a donation and have volunteers help in planting trees and shrubs along the Oak Leaf Trail between North Ave. and Locust St. The Milwaukee County Parks Department has been working on removing "problem" leaning trees and thinning some of the more weedy-type species. This section is now part of the Arboretum project, with the goal of adding more biodiversity within this corridor to serve as more valuable habitat for native animals, insects and birds. The UEC began the Arboretum project in 2010 with the planting of trees on the west end of the building. In 2011, the group revitalized Riverside Park adjacent to the UEC.

The mixture of 180 trees and shrubs included species native to southeast Wisconsin, but not currently existing within the 40 acres of the Arboretum. These include species such as Tamarack, Sycamore, Swamp Fly Honeysuckle, and Partridgeberry among many others.
Despite the downpour of rain, more than 30 volunteers sporting new Godfrey & Kahn logo jackets made short work of digging, planting, composting and watering.