As Wisconsin's outdoor spaces are getting used more than ever, we need to help keep them clean

For the past 25 years, thousands of volunteers have gathered along Milwaukee’s three major rivers close to Earth Day to participate in the Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s annual Spring Cleanup. 

But like nearly every other event this spring, the cleanup, which was scheduled for April 18, has been postponed due to coronavirus.  

Spring cleaning isn’t just an indoor affair. Outdoor cleanups are popular this time of year, too, in part because of Earth Day but also in preparation for the busy summer outdoor season. Trash that hid in snow piles needs to be picked up, downed trees on trails need clearing, invasive species need to be removed — all before the mosquitoes and hikers come out in full force. 

And as outdoor spaces are getting used now more than ever, there's going to be even more work to do when it’s safe to gather in groups again. 

“I think people really enjoy (the spring cleanup) because they get to give back to their community, and we’re all antsy to get outside and be with friends and family and spring clean, get out of our winter homes," said Jennifer Bolger Breceda, Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s executive director. "But it’s also needed all season long. The level of trash and litter and pollution is kind of never-ending." 

Riverkeeper already has an Adopt-a-River Program, where groups commit to cleaning a section of a river at least twice a year for two years. 

But this year, Riverkeeper is encouraging people to clean up trash safely by themselves in their own neighborhoods during Earth Month (April) and Earth Day, which was started by Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson and is celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 22.

“We just want to quietly encourage people to maybe start a new practice, a new habit and start thinking about cleaning our communities now,” Bolger Breceda said. “Litter and trash make their way to the river and waterways all the time. … If you see trash on your street, it will end up going down toward the waterway. … So if you’re picking it up in your neighborhood, you are helping the rivers, you’re helping the community.” 

Milwaukee Riverkeeper has guidelines on its website for safely cleaning up trash, including using gloves and a bag or bucket. Bolger Breceda emphasized people should only do it if they feel comfortable doing so, and that they should still follow social-distancing and hygiene guidelines, including "washing hands before, during and after." 

“This is such a hard time. I think people want to give back and there are limits to that for some people, and just in general we need to be safer at home and that means stay in our communities,” she said. “We are just asking people to try and make a difference in their own neighborhood.” 

To take the Milwaukee Riverkeeper's DIY Spring Cleanup Pledge, visit milwaukeeriverkeeper.org.

Ice Age Trail needs help, too 

The Ice Age Trail Alliance, which helps build and maintain the 1,100-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin, has also canceled spring events, including their spring conference, a couple trail-building events — which involve hundreds of people building or improving new segments of trail — and dozens of smaller local events. 

Mike Wollmer, the IATA’s executive director, said this time of year is usually a good time to get a lot of work done on the trail, from clearing downed trees to repairing boardwalks that might have sustained damage over the winter. Plus, it’s easier to see what needs to be done before the trees have leaves and the mosquitoes come out in full force.  

But most of that work is being put on hold at a time when more people are getting out to use the trail than ever before.

“Our parking lots are packed right now,” Wollmer said. “For now we’re grateful (the trail) is providing an outlet for people to recreate responsibly.” 

But all those people using the trail, especially this time of year when it is wet, means there will be even more work to do when people are able to get out and do it again. 

“The good news is trails are getting heavy use. The bad news is the trail is getting heavy use,” Wollmer said, noting that water is always the enemy, and lots of people walking on wet trails is going to lead to more erosion and “trail creep” — the widening of the trail when people walk around puddles or each other.  

“I have a feeling we’re going to have an unprecedented challenge getting the trail back up to shape,” he said. 

But he emphasized that the IATA still wants people to go out and use the trail, and that this is a great time of year to see the kettles, moraines, kames, eskers and other glacial features that define it. 

“You see the topography of the land so well when the leaves are off the trees,” he said. 

And when work can restart again, he hopes more people who used the trail will pitch in to help build and maintain it.  

While the nonprofit is in good financial shape now, Wollmer said, this pandemic and its effect on the trail is not something they budgeted for. He said they will need substantial help when this is over, both financially and from volunteers on the local level. The IATA has 19 volunteer chapters across the state that put in more than 82,000 hours building and maintaining the trail last year.  

“All that work and effort is paying off right now,” Wollmer said. And while many of their current volunteers are eager to get out and continue that work, for now they are happy that users are able to get out and use the trail as it’s intended to be used. 

Bolger Broceda has also noticed more people outside, and noted its more important than ever to maintain our natural landscapes. 

“Everything has been restricted and our natural spaces have not. For people who are in apartments and are stacked up on top of each other, greenspaces are critical,” she said. “Nature still needs us and we still need nature.” 

Contact Chelsey Lewis at clewis@journalsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew and @TravelMJS and Facebook at Journal Sentinel Travel.