w au kee , ▁Wisconsin . ▁ ▁Their ▁mission ▁is ▁to ▁educ ate ▁the ▁Mil w au kee ▁community ▁about ▁the ▁environment , ▁conservation , ▁sust ain ability , ▁and ▁other ▁issues ▁related ▁to ▁urban ▁e col ogy , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁preserve ▁and ▁protect ▁the ▁natural ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁R ivers ide ▁Park ▁neighborhood ▁founded ▁the ▁R ivers ide ▁Urban ▁Environment al ▁Center ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁growing ▁crime ▁and ▁poll ution ▁in ▁R ivers ide ▁Park . ▁The ▁neighborhood ▁surrounding ▁R ivers ide ▁Park , ▁was ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁an ▁aff lu ent ▁neighborhood , ▁which ▁eventually ▁became ▁poll uted ▁and ▁had ▁an ▁increase ▁of ▁criminal ▁activity , ▁while ▁similar ▁problems ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁neighborhood s ▁surrounding ▁Washington ▁Park ▁and ▁Men om one e ▁Valley . ▁▁▁▁▁ ▁The ▁organization ▁is ▁head qu arter ed ▁in ▁the ▁R ivers ide ▁Park ▁neighborhood . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁other ▁branches : ▁the ▁Washington ▁Park ▁branch ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁the ▁Men om one e ▁Valley ▁branch ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Branch es ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁organizations ▁main ▁focus es ▁is ▁to ▁rev ital ize ▁par ks ▁in ▁urban ▁neighborhood s ▁to ▁educ ate ▁urban ▁youth ▁about ▁environmental ism ▁and ▁nature . ▁All ▁three ▁branches ▁have ▁a ▁specific ▁focus ▁on ▁urban ▁nature ▁and ▁programs ▁concerning ▁conservation , ▁which ▁have ▁rev ital ized ▁their ▁respective ▁neighborhood s