It's bright green, with big pink letters on the outside reading "Have a Drink on Us," a drink of water of course. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Madison Water Utility's Marcus Pearson to talk about the City's one-of-a-kind Water Wagon, a custom vehicle that has proved a major success for community outreach and a long waiting list! Listen to how the idea came about, who built the vehicle and why the Water Wagon is a perfect vehicle to connect the community with a necessity!

Extreme weather continues to challenge our environment, and that includes major flooding events. However, the City received major funding to help a project in the middle of one of the hardest hit spots of the 2018 flood. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded the City of Madison $6 million through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The BRIC grant will cover 70-percent of eligible project costs, which are estimated to be $8.6 million. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division's Principal Engineer Janet Schmidt to talk about the what we've learned since 2018, the funding and the outlook on stormwater design in the City for the future.

You've seen them plenty of times, and often you've likely noticed how pretty they are, but ponds serve an important purpose in the City of Madison. In this podcast episode, you may learn about ponds things you may not have known before, including what they're built for. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts stormwater engineers Phil Gaebler and Grant Pokos to talk about the City's 300 ponds on stormwater utility owned land and what the actual purpose of a pond is in our community.

The City of Madison’s approach to invasive species has changed over the years, but this one you probably didn’t see coming: Goats—yes, fuzzy white, black and tan goats all there to help with tackling invasive species on the City’s land. City of Madison Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Parks Division Conservation Resource Supervisor Paul Quinland joined Public Information Officer and Everyday Engineering Podcast Host Hannah Mohelnitzky to share more about why this unique approach is important to the health of the City’s green spaces and how the partnership came to be so helpful and fun!

If you’re a person who loves the outdoors, digging, planting and being outside, imagine being paid to enjoy nature and improve greenspaces, it could be the best first step toward making a career in nature! The Conservation Trainee Program is a part of the City of Madison Engineering Division, and it’s a great way to get into the dirt, help out your community and spend time with our amazing conservation crews while learning something new! City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts the supervisor of the program City of Madison Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Conservation Technician Emily Jorgensen to talk about how the program has changed and how it can create space into a career at the City of Madison Engineering Division! https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/888f0e262cc5424ca92bc554f3a65da81d

Dredging is a standard practice for stormwater projects, scooping out the mud, weeds and sediment from the bottom of the space to help with water flow. However, it’s not just mud or sediment at the bottom of ponds in our area, there are likely herptiles and other living water creatures who need delicate care in the process. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Landscape Architect Sarah Lerner to learn a new approach that the City of Madison Engineering Division is trying out to keep the frogs, snakes, salamanders and others safe during the Wexford Pond Project.

Getting your foot in the door at the City of Madison can look different for so many people, with different backgrounds, apprenticeships, hourly positions, seasonal positions, part time positions, internships and training programs. In the past few years, we have been building on some key positions that are developing our workforce, and our #TeamCity. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division Facilitites Coordinator Stephen King and Fleet Services Superintendent Mahanth Joishy to talk about two successful programs, and one new program anyone trying to work for the City of Madison should know about: GreenPower, Fleet Apprenticeship Program, MI-TE Program. Thinking about applying? Listen to this 20-minute episode to know what you can expect! https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/bef223c2536d420fa3f3fff1bb5b41f81d

Little did you know, in the City of Madison Engineering Division, we have pollinator specialists. Our team focuses on best practices, and also is part of a state-wide group Bumble Bee Brigade. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Conservation Technician Emily Jorgensen to talk about the City’s involvement in the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade, and give you some useful tips and tools while out in nature that can help you identify different species with a quick click of a question to a pool of experts. Learn what we’re talking about in this quick buzz-tastic episode of Everyday Engineering! The Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade is coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. As a citizen-based monitoring project, we partner with volunteers from the public to conduct long-term monitoring of the state's native bumble bees. https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/4e5d1753c182467c8397597b4619ae581d

You may see color and culture across the City of Madison, but the Public Art Program has so many layers that help bring beautiful art to life on public structures and in the community. The Percent for Art ordinance, passed in October of 2017, officially created a mechanism to increase the rate of our investment in public art. Through the Percent for Art Program one percent of the city funds committed to any capital project exceeding $5,000,000 will be designated for public art. In 2020, Madison’s Percent for Art ordinance initiated its first project with the Metro Transit Maintenance Facility project on East Washington Avenue. Learn more about this and other public art projects and how the program works in this 20-minute podcast episode. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Planning Division Principal Planner Bill Fruhling to explain about the ordinance and how it’s a part of our community. https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/508da8f810af43cb988dc3a031cbc3651d

If you’re a person who loves the outdoors, digging, planting and being outside, imagine being paid to enjoy nature and improve greenspaces, it could be the best first step toward making a career in nature! The Conservation Trainee Program is a part of the City of Madison Engineering Division, and it’s a great way to get into the dirt, help out your community and spend time with our amazing conservation crews while learning something new! City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts the supervisor of the program City of Madison Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Conservation Technician Emily Jorgensen to talk about how the program has changed and how it can create space into a career at the City of Madison Engineering Division! https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/888f0e262cc5424ca92bc554f3a65da81d