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The vision for a year-round gateway to Wisconsin’s only urban state park is moving closer to reality. The Friends of Lakeshore State Park have announced two major $100,000 donations to the capital campaign for the upcoming Visitor and Education Center (VEC). These generous contributions come from two vital partners in the protection of our local environment: Veolia and The Fund for Lake Michigan.

Investing in the Future of Freshwater

For nearly two decades, Lakeshore State Park has served as a “living laboratory” for thousands of Milwaukee students and visitors. Currently, educational programming is often limited by the seasons and the lack of a permanent indoor facility. These new gifts represent a profound investment in the community and the next generation of environmental stewards by helping to create a permanent home for freshwater education that will be accessible to everyone.

The Friends of Lakeshore State Park invite the entire community to join these leaders in supporting the campaign. Every contribution brings the park one step closer to breaking ground on a facility that will serve as a hub for recreation and conservation for decades to come.  To view the architectural renderings or to learn how you can support the new center, please visit the official campaign page.

Partners in Conservation

The Fund for Lake Michigan 

The Fund for Lake Michigan, a private foundation based in Milwaukee, was established in 2011 as part of an agreement between We Energies, Madison Gas and Electric, WPPI Energy, Clean Wisconsin and Sierra Club to safeguard the lake and improve water quality in the region.  The Fund supports efforts, particularly in eastern Wisconsin, that enhance the health of Lake Michigan and its shoreline and tributary river systems for the benefit of the people and communities that depend upon the system for water, recreation and commerce.  The Fund has awarded more than $50 million in grants to restore habitat, improve beaches, clean up rivers and streams, and revitalize waterfronts in the Milwaukee area and in other communities within Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan basin.

“This investment reflects the Fund for Lake Michigan’s commitment to protecting and restoring the health of Lake Michigan,” said Vicki Elkin, the Fund’s Executive Director. “By incorporating a green roof, native plantings, and other green infrastructure into the new visitor’s center, the Friends of Lakeshore State Park is demonstrating how thoughtful design can reduce runoff, improve water quality, and create habitat in an urban setting. We’re proud to support a project that not only enhances the visitor experience but also serves as a visible, educational example of how communities can build resilience and safeguard our shared freshwater resources.”

Veolia

Veolia is contracted by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to operate and maintain its regional wastewater treatment system serving over 1 million people in 29 municipalities.  Their 216 employees manage the 2 water reclamation facilities, conveyance system including the deep tunnel, and manage the biosolids program on behalf of MMSD.

In 2024, Veolia opened a regional office in the Enerpac Center to house 150 employees in finance, IT, human resources, and legal, serving as a hub for their regional operations.

Veolia is proud to support Lakeshore State Park’s Visitor and Education Center that will provide a platform to educate the community about Milwaukee’s water infrastructure and environmental stewardship—topics that are at the heart of our mission. By investing in this facility, we’re helping to create a space where residents and visitors can learn about the critical role clean water plays in our city’s past, present, and future.

Ghassan Korban, Vice President of Large Projects for Veolia.

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We’re excited to announce that Friends of Lakeshore State Park has been chosen as Light the Hoan’s featured nonprofit for April 2026 through their inspiring Shine a Lite initiative!

What Is Shine a Lite?

Each month, Light the Hoan partners with a local nonprofit that’s making a positive impact in Milwaukee. Through their Shine a Lite program, they “shine the lights” on that organization, both literally and figuratively, by illuminating the Hoan Bridge in the organization’s colors and sharing its story across Light the Hoan’s social media, website, and newsletter. It’s a creative way to celebrate Milwaukee’s changemakers and help the community learn more about local causes that keep our city vibrant and connected.

Our Moment to Shine

During April:

• The Hoan Bridge will be lit in the Friends of Lakeshore State Park colors
• Light the Hoan will spotlight our work through their social media, newsletter, and website features
• We’ll have the opportunity to share our mission, programs, and community impact with a wider audience across Milwaukee

Powered by Our Molson Coors Grant

This recognition comes at an exciting time. Our $10,000 Molson Coors grant is helping us expand several important initiatives within the park:

• Restoring and maintaining native prairie and pollinator habitats
• Supporting volunteer engagement and community education programs
• Enhancing the visitor experience through sustainability and accessibility improvements

These efforts bring people closer to nature while protecting one of Milwaukee’s most unique urban parks.

Bonus Opportunity — Let’s Celebrate!

Light the Hoan recently opened a new office near the Milwaukee County Boat Launch. It will be the perfect spot for a spring celebration or donor appreciation event as we share this special moment with our community.

Keep the Lights Shining

Throughout April, be sure to follow our features on Light the Hoan’s channels — and help us spread the word by tagging @LightTheHoan and @MolsonCoors in your social posts.

Together, we’ll keep shining a light on what makes Lakeshore State Park such a bright part of Milwaukee.

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Congratulations to Jim Edlhuber

We’re thrilled to announce that Jim Edlhuber is the winner of our photo contest! His stunning image captured the graceful journey of an American White Pelican through Lakeshore State Park—from resting on the beach to soaring above the park sign before heading south. A perfect moment beautifully shared—congratulations, Jim!

A typical birding walk through Lakeshore State Park gave great looks at an American White Pelican resting at the beach, it makes its way out into the open water in the lagoon, rests for a moment on the west rocky shore, I walk to the west side of the lagoon, it takes flight to the sky and circles around the park gaining altitude and flies just above the Lakeshore State Park sign before leaving the park to the south.

Jim Edlhuber

Wildflowers on the Water

Wildflowers on the Water 2025 was a Success! The 3rd Annual Wildflowers on the Water at Lakeshore State Park on September 6, 2025 was a wonderful day of music, interactive art, and community—despite the cool weather!

Guests enjoyed live performances from Sarah Fierek,  Klassik, Malik Johnson, and more. Highlights included a community drumming circle, wildflower-inspired art projects, Sound Bowl experience, and visits with the MKE Urban Stables horses.

Special thanks to our hosting partners—Sincerely in Song, Friends of Lakeshore State Park, and the Wisconsin DNR as well as Rock the Green, our sustainability partner and all our many community members who attended and our corporate sponsors, donors and volunteers who brought the day into full bloom! A list of all who made this event possible can be found here: Sincerely in Song

We appreciate everyone who attended this gathering which was designed to uplift the mission of Friends of Lakeshore State Park and Sincerely in Song. We can’t wait for next year! Interested in learning more about sponsorship, volunteering or getting involved in Wildflowers on the Water in 2026?  Please email 

Clean Up in Lake Shore State Park

The Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee cohosted with the Friends a cleanup at Lakeshore State Park on Saturday morning, September 20^th.

Although the park appeared relatively clean on first inspection, several bags of various types of litter were collected, helping keep the park beautiful and protecting the natural habitat for all to enjoy – thank you DNR, Milwaukee Riverkeepers and the volunteers for helping make this happen!

Save the Date

November 9: Second Sunday Walk with Milwaukee Birders 8:30am-10:30amBinoculars up! Walk with expert birdwatchers to identify local species and record your sightings on eBird. Perfect for nature lovers of all levels. Meeting point: South Entrance. For more information: milwaukeebirders.org.

December 14: Second Sunday Walk with Milwaukee Birders 8:30am-10:30amBinoculars up! Walk with expert birdwatchers to identify local species and record your sightings on eBird. Perfect for nature lovers of all levels. Meeting point: South Entrance. For more information: milwaukeebirders.org.

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Earlier in the month, Lakeshore staff installed a new interpretive sign highlighting the importance of creating year-round habitat for birds and other native wildlife. The sign is located along the western paved trail, between the beach and fishing pier. The sign was installed using funds from the Friends of Wisconsin State Park’s Incentive Grant. Many thanks to FWSP and FLSP members for the donations that made this project possible!

This beautifully designed addition to the park will help visitors discover the importance of gardening with birds in mind—offering tips, inspiration, and a deeper appreciation for how native plants can create habitat, food, and shelter for our feathered friends. It’s another step toward making Lakeshore State Park a welcoming place not just for people, but for wildlife too. 

And the weather is warming up and the lakefront is getting busy with festivals and runs/walks. The warmer weather also brings back our migrating and resident Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) populations, who have been busy having goslings! Purple Martins (Progne subis) have once again taken residence in the park’s Martin house. The house is located near the marina and passersby should expect to see a full house of mated martins getting ready to hatch their young!

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The Friends of Lakeshore State Park are excited to have our beautiful park as host site for the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center’s Dragon Boat Festival.

We will be in the race with our team “Fishful Thinking” and helping provide volunteers for the event too.

The festival is solely run by volunteers, with the intent of promoting camaraderie and Chinese culture in the Greater Milwaukee area. If interested, please sign up below and fill in your information.

Request for Volunteers

Areas needing help include Friday set up, registration, parking, marshaling, trash management, the beer tent and Saturday take down. After completing the form, a festival volunteer coordinator will contact you.

If you volunteer, please check in at the MCCC registration tent 15 minutes prior to your volunteer time to receive further instructions.

Please let us know if you’ll be volunteering by sending a quick reply to this email. And stop by our team tent during race day to say hello and grab a cold drink and snack.

We hope to see you there!

The Friends of Lakeshore State Park Team

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