Kahler Slater’s Two-Year Partnership With Milwaukee Riverkeeper Yields Gratitude, Powerful Results

In 2017, Kahler Slater announced our community partnership with Milwaukee Riverkeeper. Our two-year commitment allows us to focus our time and energy on one cause in order to make a larger impact in the communities in which we live, work, and play.

We are grateful for this opportunity as it closely aligns with our firm’s mission of enriching life (for our community and our environment) and achieving powerful results as demonstrated by the following highlights from our partnership:

  • Kahler Slater was the FIRST company to enlist in the new "Adopt-A-River" program in Wisconsin that asks volunteers to pick up trash twice annually along a segment of the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers or tributary streams.
  • Kahler Slater served more than 515 hours with Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
  • We sorted over 20,000 trash bags, 10,000 gloves and 8,400 t-shirts for the Annual Spring Cleanup.
  • We held a supply drive to “Fill The Canoe” and donated more than 700 items valued at $1,000.
  • We have restored and protected our Adopt-A-River site in Estabrook Park. In the last 2 years, we have removed more than 120 bags of trash totaling 750+ pounds.
  • We removed hundreds of pounds of highly invasive buckthorn and garlic mustard during our 2017 Annual Retreat.

We know that protecting, restoring, and connecting to our rivers and lakes has helped build healthier and stronger communities, and that is why we were so grateful to partner with Milwaukee Riverkeeper for the past two years. Through our involvement, our staff learned about issues facing our waterways and participated in meaningful and significant efforts to clean and protect these valuable resources.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper advocates for water quality in the three local rivers, and it is a licensed member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. Milwaukee Riverkeeper regularly monitors the water and based on current water samples taken over the last two years, the amount of oxygen in the water and the clarity of the water has increased, meaning improved water quality for all of the fish and animals who depend on it. Further, Milwaukee Riverkeeper has received feedback from community members who said they are seeing a reduction in the amount of garbage along the river banks.

Earlier this year, after a more than 10-year effort of advocacy and outreach, Milwaukee Riverkeeper achieved the milestone of removal of the Estabrook Dam along the Milwaukee river. An interview with Cheryl Nenn outlines the history of the dam from CCC construction to demolition with great time lapse footage. Check out their upcoming events for more information about Milwaukee Riverkeeper, their current advocacy efforts, and how you can get involved! After all, research shows that volunteers live longer and are healthier.

“During the past two years, not only did I have the opportunity to help protect, improve, and advocate for healthy waterways in the Milwaukee River Basin, but I also enjoyed the many team building experiences with my colleagues. Win-Win!”

Sarah Wardius, Associate, Marketing Coordinator & Community Committee Co-Chair

Thank you to Milwaukee Riverkeeper for a great two-year partnership. We are grateful for all the work that you do!