Newsletter from Thursday, August 18th, 2022
Dear NCH2 Community,
As the minutes of daylight fade and so many prepare for back to school days, we take a pause to celebrate. On Tuesday President Biden signed into law the first comprehensive climate action legislation, The Inflation Reduction Act. For the millions of people who have written letters, taken to the streets, and called for action, this law offers a roadmap on a more sustainable and resilient world. As the Sierra Club noted it is a "down payment on a just and sustainable future” (Sierra Club)—certainly will support our youth who are anxious about a rapidly changing climate and asking us to help lead them into a promising future.
As NCH2’s theme for August focuses on ensuring all youth in K-12 have the opportunity to thrive, we’ve been aware of how important outdoor experiences, recreation and education is for children, especially during the school day. Outdoor play encourages natural socialization, as well as improving attention and focus after playtime. Some schools support nature-based learning, or "Outdoor Classroom Day" where class is held outside, citing excellent educational results. As we enter the new school year, it’s important that we find ways to continue these positive aspects for children, and value outdoor education, experiences and recreation while learning and growing in the classroom!
NCH2 team
As NCH2’s theme for August focuses on ensuring all youth in K-12 have the opportunity to thrive, we’ve been aware of how important outdoor experiences, recreation and education is for children, especially during the school day. Outdoor play encourages natural socialization, as well as improving attention and focus after playtime. Some schools support nature-based learning, or "Outdoor Classroom Day" where class is held outside, citing excellent educational results. As we enter the new school year, it’s important that we find ways to continue these positive aspects for children, and value outdoor education, experiences and recreation while learning and growing in the classroom!
NCH2 team
Index
Community Spotlight
Upcoming Events
Future Events: Save the Date
Job Opportunities
In the News
Connect with Us
Community Spotlight
Upcoming Events
Future Events: Save the Date
Job Opportunities
In the News
Connect with Us
Community Spotlight: Double Dutch Fest
Photos by Laura Derks
Environmental justice nonprofit and advocacy organization Faith in Place held its second Double Dutch Fest on August 6—this year at Big Marsh Park. With a Double Dutch workshop, break dancing, Eco-Ambassador graduation ceremony, food and biking, friends and family had many options to enjoy the sunny summer day. Local Double Dutch team Jumping Juniors and the Woodlawn Double Dutch group were also featured. With her love of Double Dutch, FiP Sustainable Food & Land Use Senior Coordinator, Princess Harris, organized the day.
The festive day featured current participants in the Summer Eco-Ambassador Youth Program, who spoke about their experience and their top environmental justice (EJ) concerns. The EJ issues ranged from food disparities including: access to fresh produce, to pollution around schools and asthma, and to water pollution and microplastics. They spoke with passion, personal experience, and knowledge—all core attributes of very effective advocates.
Applications are now open for the next cohort of Eco-Ambassadors, a long-standing FiP program that, “offers environmental education to youth leaders (ages 14-18) from across Illinois, empowering them to become environmental justice leaders.” Participants in the Academic Year program meet weekly online and attend in-person site visits from September through May. Applications are due September 5. For more information and to apply, please click here.
The festive day featured current participants in the Summer Eco-Ambassador Youth Program, who spoke about their experience and their top environmental justice (EJ) concerns. The EJ issues ranged from food disparities including: access to fresh produce, to pollution around schools and asthma, and to water pollution and microplastics. They spoke with passion, personal experience, and knowledge—all core attributes of very effective advocates.
Applications are now open for the next cohort of Eco-Ambassadors, a long-standing FiP program that, “offers environmental education to youth leaders (ages 14-18) from across Illinois, empowering them to become environmental justice leaders.” Participants in the Academic Year program meet weekly online and attend in-person site visits from September through May. Applications are due September 5. For more information and to apply, please click here.
Upcoming Events
The DuSable Park Coalition presents the Annual Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Memorial Commemoration
Date: August 20th, 2022 Time: 11:00 CT Location: 104 N Michigan Ave Meet at Bust of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, donated by Dr. Lesly Benodin Description: In 1987, Mayor Harold Washington dedicated DuSable Park in honor of the first non-native black settler of Chicago. Three decades later, the park honoring our city's founder remains undeveloped. Friends of the Parks and the DuSable Park Coalition continue to advocate to bring DuSable Park to fruition. April 15, 2022, would have marked the Mayor's 100th birthday. We are thrilled to invite you to participate in our yearly FREE programming to commemorate the legacy of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the first free black settler of Chicago. Join us for this fun and inspiring afternoon of activities while learning more about Chicago's birth at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Register here. |
Eddie's Environmental Justice Journey Book Signing & Presentation
Date: Saturday, August 20th Time: 6:30-8:30 PM Location: Three Brothers Theater, 115 N. Genessee St., Waukegan Join Brushwood Center and Clean Power Lake County at Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan after the August ArtWauk for a special celebration and book signing! Our recently released environmental justice coloring book, "Eddie's Environmental Justice Journey", was created in partnership with artist Diana Nava to tell the story of local youth environmental activist Eddie Flores, and amplify the voices and vision of communities impacted industrial air pollution in Lake County. Learn more about the process of creating this coloring book, hear from the activist behind the story, and find out how you can engage in the work going on to combat environmental injustice in Waukegan and across the region! Complimentary coloring books will also be distributed, and guests will have the opportunity to have their books signed. Learn more and register here. |
Help support the Forest Preserves of Cook County: Volunteer for Vote Yes Commercials
Date: Tuesday, August 23rd Time: 3 hour shifts between 7 AM and 8 PM Location: Busse Lake, and Dan Ryan Woods The election nears, and Vote Yes for Clean Air, Clean Water, & Wildlife (the campaign to support the Forest Preserves) needs your help! Help us create powerful messages that resonate and win the referendum. You can give anywhere from an hour to the entire day! The film shoot takes place at Busse Woods and Dan Ryan Woods Forest Preserves on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. Filming times vary - see the sign-up sheet for more details and to confirm your availability. People of all ages and backgrounds welcome! Direct questions to Emily at ereusswig@openlands.org and Sergio at svargas@ilenviro.org For more information, click here. |
Bilingual Tree and Nature Walk
Date: Friday, September 10 Time: 10am - 12:30pm Location: McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd. Chicago, IL 60609 Join us for a nature walk in Spanish and English at McKinley Park with Openlands and Maritza Rocha from FPCC. Emphasis will be on tree identification, climate change, and the benefits of trees. Únase a nosotros para una caminata por la naturaleza en español e inglés en McKinley Park con Openlands y Maritza Rocha de FPCC. Se hara enfoque en la identificación de árboles, el cambio climático y los beneficios de los árboles. Register here. |
Future Events: Save the Date
Faith in Place's Green Team Summit: Rooted Together
Date: September 11, 2022 Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Location: Zoom webinar Join us for our Green Team Summit keynote session with renowned climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe! Dr. Hayhoe will deliver a live address with Q&A, exploring her latest book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. A remarkable and award-winning communicator, Dr. Hayhoe, leverages both her expertise in atmospheric science and her evangelical Christian faith to navigate difficult conversations about our changing climate. Register for the Green Team Summit today to hear from Dr. Hayhoe LIVE! |
Englewood Nature Trail: Golden Hour Tours
Date: September 19th, 2022 Time: 6:00 PM 7:30 PM Location: Englewood Village Plaza (map) Experience the natural beauty of the Englewood Nature Trail on an early summer evening! Grow Greater Englewood is hosting group tours so Chicagoans can learn more about the plans for the trail and envision its potential as a community oasis and connector. All are welcome! #wecantgrowwithoutyou Click here to reserve your spot for your chosen date! |
Englewood Village Market: Date: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022 Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: GGE Englewood Village Plaza 5822 S. Halsted Street, Chicago IL Description: Grow Greater Englewood is proud to host the Englewood Village Market at its Englewood Village Plaza. Returning for the third year, the Market features goods, food, and refreshments from local Black-owned businesses; fresh produce from local farmers; partners Urban Growers Collective and Growing Home, community resources; and music, including a lineup of performances by the best DJs and bands curated by Erik L. Jones of Sound Voyage. The Plaza also serves as the entry point to the proposed Englewood Nature Trail – a 2-mile linear park that will serve as a connector between Englewood's growing network of urban farms and gardens to strengthen local food access, health and wellness, and employment within the neighborhood. Our July 9th, August 5th, and August 20th Markets will feature a "Drums for Peace" drum circle led by award-winning international (and Englewood local) jazz artist Ernest Dawkins. For more information, click here. Photo from Grow Greater |
North Chicago Farmer's Market:
Date: Sundays through October 16th, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Location: Vision Park 1730 Lewis Ave, North Chicago, IL 60064 Description: Come join us at the coolest farmers market in Lake County! Sample from our many vendors' fresh fruits and vegetables, handmade jewelry, and natural made cosmetic items. Connect with your neighbors over the abundance of nature in beautiful North Chicago, weekly on Sundays through October. For more information, click here. Photo from North Chicago Farmers Market |
Tree Planting in Big Marsh Park
This fall, we're returning to Big Marsh Park on Chicago's Southeast Side. Thanks to support from One Tree Planted and Evolve, we will be planting 30 new trees to shade Big Marsh's world-renowned bike park and create additional habitat for wildlife. Helping to restore the canopy will help to mitigate heat and air quality issues, filter storm water, sequester carbon, and provide area residents with access to nature. No experience is necessary! Volunteers will help us dig holes, plant trees, mulch, and water. We will plant rain or shine, but in the event of severe weather, we will postpone until Friday, September 9th. Please bring a mask, long pants, closed toe shoes, a (full) water bottle and sunscreen. Please fill out the event waiver form online here. Register and learn more here. Photo by Seven Storm |
Job Opportunities
Friends of the Forest Preserves seeks a BGI Crew Member to participate in the Friends Conservation Corps. Conservation Corps members work year-round to remove invasive species and restore native plants throughout the Forest Preserves of Cook and Lake Counties. The FFP community advocates for the responsible management of the nearly 70,000 acres of forest preserves in Cook County through advocacy, engagement, and stewardship of the land. FFP seeks crew members from diverse communities for a program that provides valuable skills and certifications that could lead to a long-term career in natural land management or other environmental jobs. Experience working outdoors and familiarity with Midwest outdoor conservation work preferred. More information here.
Delta Institute is looking for an individual to serve as a Specialist of Programs on their team. As a Specialist, an employee will know what happens on the ground in the dynamic landscapes of the Midwest and Great Lakes and will bring that robust experience to Delta while working within the team to implement a variety of projects that focus on changing how we think about the practices that we implement on the landscape, how we value the environmental impacts, and how to change the structural drivers to create large-scale impacts. A Specialist will bring a solid background in sustainability work to the team spanning planning to implementation; and, will continue to build expertise in the team’s focus areas. As a subject matter expert, the Specialist should relish managing multiple projects and seeking funding to address some the greatest barriers scaling environmental sustainability. Learn more here.
Openlands is looking to hire a Garden and Nature Based Education Coordinator. The primary role of the Garden and Nature Based Education Coordinator (Coordinator) is to work directly with schools, students, community members, and volunteers. The Coordinator ensures quality delivery of education programs specifically related to our Garden and Nature Education programming around nature-based environments which include school edible gardens, pollinator gardens, and nature play environments. While the primary focus for this role will be the School Gardens and Nature Based Education program, the role will also require flexibility to support the rest of the Education department’s work when needed. Since the nature of this position has to do with volunteer coordination, the ideal candidate for this position has strong communication skills, both written and spoken as well as an ability to communicate clearly and concisely. Additionally, strong time management, project management, communication, and training facilitation skills. This is a full-time, salaried, non-exempt position and requires flexibility with weekend work during spring and autumn field trip seasons and other occasional weekends and evenings during the year. This position reports to the Director of Education. Learn more here.
In the News
Overview: Chicagoland’s ‘Awesome’ Playgrounds Zip lines, a play ship with ladders and nets, a suspension bridge, hillside slides, the “Green Mountain,” a double-deck spider web, a school-themed playground village, and a two-story tree house – these and other enticements await children at many Chicago-area playgrounds. In February, Chicago Parent Magazine chose some outstanding playgrounds. Now, as the summer winds down, families have a short window before school starts to visit them. Read more here Photo by Elisa Kennemer |
Overview: Nature Scavenger Hunts For some, hiking with a purpose is more fun than an aimless stroll, and a nature scavenger hunt may be an appealing hybrid for a nature walk with children. Looking for natural things such as mushrooms and pinecones – or “unnatural,” ones like cigarette butts and plastic bottles – can give kids an enjoyable way to learn about nature. Stephanie Osmanski wrote a story about this in Green Matters in 2020, and Platt Hill nursery offers some suggestions as well. Several websites offer free downloads of things to look for. Read more here and here. Photo by Susanne Jutzeler |
Overview: A Lighter Touch: Sensory-Friendly Activities
Staff at Chicago Parent magazine offer a list of places and activities in the Chicago area for those who are sensitive to noise, light and other stimuli. From a to z, attractions include the Art Institute of Chicago and three local zoos, with several museums in between. The staff recommends the Sensory Garden Playground in Lisle and We Rock the Spectrum in Franklin Park. In addition to the staff list, which includes Noah’s Playground for Everyone in Evanston’s Lawson Park, there is an accessible playground directory. Read more here. Photo by Fabian Centeno |
Overview: How trees contribute to a community's wealth and well-being
Residents of Chicago's marginalized communities want to cash in on that towering natural greenery. "There's beauty, there's comfort, there's economy, there's ecology," says Naomi Davis, founder of Blacks in Green, a nonprofit based in West Woodlawn that promotes green, walkable and self-sustaining African American communities. But Chicago's trees are not equally distributed. A tree equity map in the city's 2022 Climate Action Plan shows that South, West and Southwest Side neighborhoods are most in need. Environmental advocates say underserved areas should be prioritized to ensure equity and education about the importance of trees is critical so people will actually want them. Read more here. Photo by Crain's |
The repercussions of environmental hazards on Chicago communities
Environmental hazards mark the landscape of Chicago's Southeast Side, where residents cope with industrial dust and noxious odors from diesel trucks and factories. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development launched a two-year investigation in 2020 after three environmental justice groups complained that Chicago officials repeatedly steered polluting industries from mostly white neighborhoods to largely Black and Latino communities. Environmental justice advocates are calling for greater accountability and transparency from political leaders, government agencies and manufacturers. Read more here. |
Connect with Us!
We are currently taking requests for our Coffee & Discussion Series - Please submit Coffee and Discussion suggestions here.
We are also taking requests for any upcoming events to be added to future newsletters and our events calendar which can be done here. You can also submit materials for the next newsletter by emailing NCH2.Chicago@gmail.com by July 20th, 2022.
FOLLOW US on our social media by clicking the icons below!
CREATE your own stories on Instagram and tag @NCH2Network so we can share how you engage with nature; we would love to see them!
EMAIL US and keep us updated on local events, exciting opportunities in the area, or send photos of local nature to be featured on the website.
CONTACT US at NCH2.Chicago@gmail.com.
We are currently taking requests for our Coffee & Discussion Series - Please submit Coffee and Discussion suggestions here.
We are also taking requests for any upcoming events to be added to future newsletters and our events calendar which can be done here. You can also submit materials for the next newsletter by emailing NCH2.Chicago@gmail.com by July 20th, 2022.
FOLLOW US on our social media by clicking the icons below!
CREATE your own stories on Instagram and tag @NCH2Network so we can share how you engage with nature; we would love to see them!
EMAIL US and keep us updated on local events, exciting opportunities in the area, or send photos of local nature to be featured on the website.
CONTACT US at NCH2.Chicago@gmail.com.