Greetings all!!! In light of all the trials of the past 2.5 years due to pandemic precautions, etc, it was great to see such a gathering of curious minds for our comeback lecture in July!! At this talk, Mike Marek spoke about how he plans to convert an underutilized part of the South Harbor in Bay View into an ecological restoration machine and a destination for people to celebrate the importance and ecological diversity of Lake Michigan. It combined commerce, ecological restoration and placemaking. And it definitely got our science minds turning with great questions and discourse about how to better our great city!! Thanks to all who came out!! And if you missed the lecture, you can find out more about the Perch Point project at the Marek Landscaping website
In 1996, Mike founded Marek with a commitment to provide ecological design and installation services in Milwaukee and the Great Lakes region. Mike grew up in Elm Grove, Wisconsin where he was a hard working kid, and until recently, completely oblivious to the white privilege of his youth. He attended University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point where he studied Urban Forestry and leaving early to start his business with the realization that he did not want to count board feet or manage forests for paper pulp production - a realization he had while living under a huge tree in Alaska. He is a force for positive change in how we design and manage natural areas, parks, shorelines, and green infrastructure, with a long list of innovative first. Mike has presented at local, regional, and national conferences, including Wild Ones, State of Lake Michigan Conference, Southeasters Wisconsin Watershed Trust, Society for Ecological Restoration, American Society of Landscape Architects, and Partners for River Restoration and Science in the Upper Midwest (PRRSUM). His passion lies in connecting our community through placemaking and showing how ecological diversity can exemplify the benefits of cultural and social diversity.
