Urban ecology pioneer and author Ken Leinbach is the visionary behind the Urban Ecology Center model, proving that nature is the most powerful tool for community revitalization and education. Leinbach is the co-founder and long-time Executive Director of the Urban Ecology Center (UEC) in Milwaukee. Over his 25-year tenure, he catalyzed the growth of the UEC from a grassroots effort into a robust organization with three vibrant nature-based community centers that now serve more than 400,000 visitors annually. His "urban ecology model"—which uses environmental education as a tool for inspiring social change and land restoration—has captured global attention and is currently being used as a blueprint for cities across the United States and abroad. A nationally recognized speaker and science educator, Leinbach is the author of the best-selling book Urban Ecology: A Natural Way to Transform Kids, Parks, Cities, and the World. His work has been featured in The New York Times and on Milwaukee Public Television, and he was a prominent subject in Richard Louv’s influential book, Last Child in the Woods. Beyond his work with the UEC, Leinbach serves on the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council and is a founding member of the international Academy for Systems Change. He holds an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and has been honored with numerous awards, including the Thomas Jefferson Medal for Natural Science and the Nature Educator of the Year award from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.
