Shorewood Citizen Advocates

Building positive change through communication, education and advocacy
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Art & Advocacy Builds Freeman Park Community

Park Bench
If you’ve spent time in Freeman Park, chances are you’ve noticed — and perhaps paused to admire — the beautifully crafted bench that blends art and function.   The bench was designed, built, and donated by Barry Brown, a dedicated advocate for Freeman Park.

Shorewood Parks Master Plan Update 2025: Building on the Vision

Parks
Shorewood completed a Parks Master Plan in 2002 with an update in 2009.   In 2024 the Park Commission agreed to extend the Master Plan to include concepts for South Shore Park with further planning, development, and enhancement of parks, trails, natural areas, and recreational facilities.

Freeman Park’s First Year of Change

Freeman Park sign
Prof. Mike Schuster and his team of researchers from the University of Minnesota are studying alternative buckthorn management strategies in Freeman Park's western section.   This research focuses on methods aimed at exhausting the plant without relying on herbicides.

Just Answer the Question!

question, question mark, opinion poll
The draft minutes from the July 9 Shorewood Park Commission meeting have just been released. Two items, subtly related, stand out in the 22 pages of the document.

Freeman Park: The Beginning of Shorewood’s Premier Park

Freeman Park
Stefan (Stef) and Audrey Freeman lived on Eureka Road across the street from a large wooded lot in Shorewood. The house on that lot had burned down but there was an old faded red barn still standing on the property. Stefan wondered who owned the property and whether or not he could buy it.

Freeman Park Nature Areas Severely Neglected

Flooded trail
It’s Time to Focus on Our Natural Areas!   A walk through Freeman Park’s woodland is heartbreaking. Decades of buckthorn have ravaged the hardwoods and other native plants. Massive stands of ash and elm trees are in rapid decline.

Freeman Park Woods – FUTURE PLAN

Freeman Park
By Barry Brown – Freeman Park Advocate   On June 11th your voice counts! People often ask: What are the plans for Freeman Park wooded areas and trails now that most of the buckthorn has been cleared from 20 acres of woodland? To be blunt, the City of Shorewood had no plan when they cleared the buckthorn except to utilize a $50,000 grant from the DNR that was about to expire, and still, has no workable plan today.

Freeman Park 2024 Vision: It’s Not Just For Children

Freeman Park
By Barry Brown, Freeman Park Advocate --    Freeman Park has 30 acres of ball fields for baseball, soccer and a variety of events, but there’s also 30 wooded acres that until now, has been neglected for decades. Now that 20+ acres of buckthorn has been removed, what do we do with the wooded areas and walking trails? Many people have contributed to a vision for the wooded areas, but City officials would not allow me to share this vision with City Council. So, I am sharing it broadly with the SCA readers. Our modest vision for 2024 improvements is affordable and realistic.

Use Caution During Ongoing Tree Work in Freeman Park

yellow and black plastic pack

Help! Freeman Park: Stop Harmful Chemical Use

photo of gray danger do not enter signage

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