Friends of Grant Park has received a competitive grant to help pay for removal of some of the Japanese Tree Lilac in the park. This year, professionals will be hired to girdle the trees. Girdling removes a ring of bark from the trees causing the tree to die. Watch for signs that will mark the area where we will be working. To learn more about invasive plants visit –
Mission Statement
The mission of Friends of Grant Park is to preserve natural areas of the park, enhance unique features of the park, encourage use of the park, and to provide a mechanism for private contributions to supplement public funding of Grant Park.
Donations can be made through The Park People, our fiscal agent. Donations can be made here: https://parkpeoplemke.org/friends-groups/donate-friends-groups/, and scroll down to choose Friends of Grant Park. The Park People is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Join us for our monthly meetings!
The Friends of Grant Park have monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM, meeting in person at the Grant Park Golf Course Clubhouse, 100 E. Hawthorne Ave., South Milwaukee. Park security issues are always first on the agenda.
Our 2022 Board of Directors:
- Jody Johnson, Chair
- Debby Pizur, Vice Chair
- Lynn Crawford/Debby Pizur, Co-Secretaries
- Lynn Crawford, Treasurer
- Betsy Abert, Lynn Meidam, and Jackie Benka, Members at Large
To contact the Friends of Grant Park:
friendsofgrantpark@gmail.com
and on Facebook at Friends of Grant Park
Friends Group Receives Award
Jim Goulee from The Park People (second from left) presented the award to members (l to r) Betsy Abert; Don Lawson (former Chair); Jan Marsh; and Jody Johnson.
The Park People, an umbrella organization encouraging citizen stewardship of Milwaukee County Parks has awarded their 2013 Volunteer Group of the Year award to the Friends of Grant Park. The volunteer group, formed in 2006, has worked to improve Grant Park through its Weed-Out! programs each spring and fall; replaced carpeting in the golf course clubhouse; installed security cameras to monitor vandalism at the beach and has installed several rain gardens. A slope restoration project necessitated by a washout due to the severe storms in 2011 in the Seven Bridges ravine was installed June 8th, 2012. The Friends of Grant Park received the award May 30, 2014 at the Greenfield Park Pavilion.
I would like to be involved in the FOGP. Please advise! Thanks
Hi Sherry,
You are welcome to attend any of our monthly meetings, held the 2nd Thursday of the month, 6:30 pm in the Grant Park golf course clubhouse, 100 E. Hawthorn Ave. in South Milwaukee. We’d love to meet you, and welcome your interest or comments. We hope you can join us.
Thanks,
Jody Johnson
Friends of Grant Park
Grew up on Lake Drive at the stoplight. Walked that ravine many times. Live too far away to attend, but remember well, my sisters working at the clubhouse. Oh, those french fries!
Best wishes in this venture
5/2/18 Can some one please tell me exactly where the bird feeding station is located in Grant Park.
THANKS!
The bird feeding station is in a parking lot near the bike trail, east of the road to the park’s maintenance garage.
Who is responsible for filling/maintaining the bird feeding station? Are donations of bird seed accepted?
Monetary donations can be made in check form and sent to Friends of Grant Park (mailing address shared with individuals by email), with “Bird feed” on the “For” line. In general Betsy and Rita have been responsible for filling and cleaning the feeder and tray. We accept with abundant appreciation any donations made to this aspect of our group’s endeavor to enhance the experiences of nature in the park.
Shame on your organization for eliminating a longstanding tradition of trapshooting at Warnimont Park.
Trapshooting into the Great Lakes, or any body of water for that matter, is a violation of the Clean Water Act of 1972. The WI-DNR informed the club that they would need to have a permit to continue operations in Warnimont Park, and Milwaukee County determined that the club was breaking the terms of their lease by not having the required permits, not keeping the property clean and constantly dumping litter (shotgun wadding & shot debris) into the lake. Up until the last year, the club was using lead shot, which is still in Lake Michigan to this day. The club was invited to move to other trapshooting ranges in the county and declined to do so.
Can someone tell me why this group can not do a Weed Out! At the lagoon? The group that is raising money to “restore the lagoon” has been taking donations for years and nothing has been done to restore that area. I just think something fishy is going on there.
Since the lagoon is located in the Oak Creek Parkway, and not within Grant Park’s borders, the Friends of Grant Park do not host a WeedOut at that location. I am not aware that the Friends of the Mill Pond are involved in the WeedOut program. Regarding “Restore the Lagoon” fundraising, I believe that is an independent ad hoc group and I can’t speak for their donation program.
Amanda, we took a volunteer group to the Mill Pond about 3 weeks ago to cut down the teasel there. There is a great deal of invasive material growing there, but we note that with some of the materials growing on the pond edge, the goose population (and its resulting waste) has become more manageable than the previous mowed edge.