Meet Me at the Corner

If you have any personal opinions about this proposed Center in Franklin, please share your comments below.  I've asked Don Dorsan to review this blog and post some of his own additional comments.

In the meantime, I'll "Meet You at the Corner."

There’s much interest in the environment these days.  Of course, people in the Hales Corners and Franklin area are so accustomed to living in a beautiful area that we may tend to take some things for granted.

In this blog, I want to encourage you to visit Boerner Botanical Gardens and the Wehr Nature Center, especially if you haven’t been there for awhile.  And I want to tell you about some September events of interest to you and your neighbors.

On Saturday, September 27, the Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens will host the "No Child Left Inside" Walk-a-Thon.  This event, co-sponsored by WE Energies, Deloitte and Milwaukee County Parks, begins with registration at 8 a.m. followed by the walk-a-thon.  So. . .what’s this catchy title “No Child Left Inside” about?  (Yes, I’m sure you picked up on the similarity to President Bush’s educational initiative, “No Child Left Behind.”)  

It’s actually a national movement aimed to encourage children and their parents to move away from the TV and computer games, where their minds and bodies grow sluggish, and spend more time in  the great outdoors.  Let me capitalize that: THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

As you probably know, there is a growing number of children who are spending most of their time indoors and not getting enough fresh air and exercise.  This is the leading cause of childhood obesity, a growing national problem.  (And you probably already knew that too!)  Of course, this is a problem for adults as well but, for today, let’s focus on the children.

Studies have show that children need to get outside and connect with nature. The “No Child Left Inside” slogan is  inspired by Richard Louv’s book,  “Last Child in the Woods”  (2005), that draws attention to what he terms “Nature Deficit Disorder,” a condition that results in depression, anxiety, and obesity in youth.  “Enjoying nature reduces kids’ stress, improves self-esteem, enhances brain development and enhances curiosity,” the NCLI literature explains.

Is this a Walk-a-Thon just for children?  No, but children are welcome to participate with their families.  As in other walk-a-thons, pledge money will be raised, and these funds will be used to support programs for children at the Gardens.

To learn more about the Walk-a-Thon and other events at Boerner Botanical Gardens, visit their website at http://www.boernerbotanicalgardens.org; and click on “Events”.  Or call 414-525-5650.  Better yet – stop by and pick up a brochure and, while you’re there, tour the beautiful gardens!

To learn more about the “No Child Left Inside Movement,” visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website, http://www.cbf.org.

Calling All Gardeners:  Another event to benefit our environment is sponsored by the Friends of BBG on the same weekend. 

“Save your pots!” the flyers proclaim.  “Clean up for fall and do a good thing for the environment by bringing your pots to Boerner Botanical Gardens for recycling.”

Here’s what you need to know:  September 25 – 27 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day you may bring  #2, #5 and #6 pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays and black plastic edging to the southeast corner of Boerner Botanical Gardens parking lot, 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners.

The pots will be ground, pelletized and made into plastic landscape materials by U.S. manufacturers.   You can help the recycling efforts by first knocking out all dirt and debris from materials.  Wire hangers, staples and other foreign materials should be removed. If possible, sort and stack by pot size and number.  If this pilot program is successful, it will be repeated next year.

For more information, call Shirley Dommer Walczak, Gardens Director, at 414-525-5603 or Patti Peltier, UW-Extension Horticulture Center at Boerner Botanical Gardens, 414-525-5638.