Newsletter Tuesday, January 9, 2024
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Hello NCH2 Community--As we turn to this new year, NCH2 is so very excited to announce that we will hold an all-day Summit on March 15th at the Columbus Park Refectory. The Summit will focus on how to create inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible, and safe spaces in nature. Be prepared to meet and learn from many people across the Chicago region, and engage in nature-based programming and activities. Mark it on your calendar--more details and registration to come very soon. Also make sure to share this newsletter with anyone searching for new or different employment as there are many new listings in that section.
The above image, taken in North Lawndale during a community tour, beautifully captures the types of nature-based experiences we hope you and your circle of support have this year--full of beauty, joy, and peace. Part of HeatWatch Chicago (now called "CoolChi") community-engagement initiatives, the tour also included Pilsen and Little Village and brought together community residents and HeatWatch volunteers to better understand and assess the assets of communities, especially assets that could serve as supports during a dangerous heat wave. Tour participants were awed by the nature assets--community gardens, art installations, pocket parks with native trees, other plants, and new businesses--that community residents and organizations have created over several decades. For more on Cool Chi and the findings just released in December connect here.
It is hard to remember how intense the heat can get in Chicago, when it is snowy and slushy outside. Our inclination is to hunker down Inside, but we encourage you to go Outside as much as possible--see the list we have included below in our In the News Section. Take a look, and let us know on our Instagram page what favorite place is. Some of ours include laying on the ground and looking at clouds and counting snowflakes on our mittens.
Make sure to share this with anyone searching for new or different employment opportunities as there are many new listings.
Hello NCH2 Community--As we turn to this new year, NCH2 is so very excited to announce that we will hold an all-day Summit on March 15th at the Columbus Park Refectory. The Summit will focus on how to create inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible, and safe spaces in nature. Be prepared to meet and learn from many people across the Chicago region, and engage in nature-based programming and activities. Mark it on your calendar--more details and registration to come very soon. Also make sure to share this newsletter with anyone searching for new or different employment as there are many new listings in that section.
The above image, taken in North Lawndale during a community tour, beautifully captures the types of nature-based experiences we hope you and your circle of support have this year--full of beauty, joy, and peace. Part of HeatWatch Chicago (now called "CoolChi") community-engagement initiatives, the tour also included Pilsen and Little Village and brought together community residents and HeatWatch volunteers to better understand and assess the assets of communities, especially assets that could serve as supports during a dangerous heat wave. Tour participants were awed by the nature assets--community gardens, art installations, pocket parks with native trees, other plants, and new businesses--that community residents and organizations have created over several decades. For more on Cool Chi and the findings just released in December connect here.
It is hard to remember how intense the heat can get in Chicago, when it is snowy and slushy outside. Our inclination is to hunker down Inside, but we encourage you to go Outside as much as possible--see the list we have included below in our In the News Section. Take a look, and let us know on our Instagram page what favorite place is. Some of ours include laying on the ground and looking at clouds and counting snowflakes on our mittens.
Make sure to share this with anyone searching for new or different employment opportunities as there are many new listings.
Index
American Climate Corps - Offering Viewpoint for these New Positions
Events and Save the Dates
Funding Opportunities and Resources
Job Opportunities
In the News
Connect with Us
American Climate Corps - Offering Viewpoint for these New Positions
Events and Save the Dates
Funding Opportunities and Resources
Job Opportunities
In the News
Connect with Us
American Climate Corps Listening Sessions
In the fall of 2023 the Biden-Harris Administration announced the launch of the American Climate Corps (ACC), a groundbreaking workforce training and service initiative that will prepare tens of thousands of young people for good-paying jobs in the green economy--one that relies on renewable energy as well as nature-based solutions that will help ensure health, and well-being for all living things-including humans!
The Administration will convene a series of virtual listening sessions to hear directly from American Climate Corps (ACC) applicants and implementing partners and organizations. Join one or all of these listening session to relay to the American Climate Corps team your thoughts about how to make the ACC a success.
The first listening session will be held on Thursday, January 11 at 10 am ET. Sign up here.
Additional listening sessions will be held on the following dates:
January 16 at 6 pm ET. Sign up here
January 25 at 6 pm ET. Sign up here
February 1 at 10 am ET. Sign up here
The Administration will convene a series of virtual listening sessions to hear directly from American Climate Corps (ACC) applicants and implementing partners and organizations. Join one or all of these listening session to relay to the American Climate Corps team your thoughts about how to make the ACC a success.
The first listening session will be held on Thursday, January 11 at 10 am ET. Sign up here.
Additional listening sessions will be held on the following dates:
January 16 at 6 pm ET. Sign up here
January 25 at 6 pm ET. Sign up here
February 1 at 10 am ET. Sign up here
Events and Save the Dates
Image, Park Cleanup, Laura Derks
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Teen Exploration Day: Day of Service
Bring a friend and join other teens in the Forest Preserves of Cook County Day of Service in honor the birth day of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a litter clean-up at Miller Meadows. Free and open to all. Learn more about this event here. When: January 13, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Where: Miller Meadows, Grove 2 |
Bone Appetit en español
Únase a nosotros durante la hora de comer para aprender sobre los animales embajadores de Trailside.
Sin registracion necessario.
When: Domingo, 14 de Enero• 2 pm
Where: Trailside Museum 738 Thatcher Ave., River Forest 708-366-6530
Únase a nosotros durante la hora de comer para aprender sobre los animales embajadores de Trailside.
Sin registracion necessario.
When: Domingo, 14 de Enero• 2 pm
Where: Trailside Museum 738 Thatcher Ave., River Forest 708-366-6530
Image, Equiticity
Equiticity Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Community Bike Ride
Join Equticity and other community partners for this FREE annual North Lawndale Racial Justice Ride to celebrate and honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and gather to strive for justice and equity.
When: January 15, 10:00 a.m.
Where: North Lawndale Christian Fitness Center
Register Here.
Join Equticity and other community partners for this FREE annual North Lawndale Racial Justice Ride to celebrate and honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and gather to strive for justice and equity.
When: January 15, 10:00 a.m.
Where: North Lawndale Christian Fitness Center
Register Here.
Image, People for Community Recovery website
Celebrating the Pioneering Work of Hazel Johnson and Conversation
In celebration of the mother of the environmental justice movement, People for Community Recovery will host a conversation with its Director Cheryl Johnson and David N. Pellow, Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Pellow teaches courses on social change movements, environmental justice, human-animal conflicts, sustainability, and social inequality. This is a Zoom Event and Free!
When: January 25, 6:00 p.m. on Zoom
Register here.
In celebration of the mother of the environmental justice movement, People for Community Recovery will host a conversation with its Director Cheryl Johnson and David N. Pellow, Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Pellow teaches courses on social change movements, environmental justice, human-animal conflicts, sustainability, and social inequality. This is a Zoom Event and Free!
When: January 25, 6:00 p.m. on Zoom
Register here.
Save the Date: 100 years Back, 100 Years Forward Convening
Plan to join the Northwestern Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) convening of "Native scholars from multiple disciplines discussing Indigenous futures through the lens of reflecting on the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act." In partnership with the Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University and cosponsored by Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, Native American Law Student Association (NALSA), and others, this 1.5 day event will focus on past the 100 years as well as offer space for the " thought and imagination of Indigenous futures moving forward." For more information see the CNAIR Upcoming Events page.
WHEN: Thursday, January 25, 830am-5pm & Friday, January 26, 8:30 am-12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pritzker School of Law, Thorne Auditorium, 375 E Chicago Ave,
Plan to join the Northwestern Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) convening of "Native scholars from multiple disciplines discussing Indigenous futures through the lens of reflecting on the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act." In partnership with the Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University and cosponsored by Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, Native American Law Student Association (NALSA), and others, this 1.5 day event will focus on past the 100 years as well as offer space for the " thought and imagination of Indigenous futures moving forward." For more information see the CNAIR Upcoming Events page.
WHEN: Thursday, January 25, 830am-5pm & Friday, January 26, 8:30 am-12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pritzker School of Law, Thorne Auditorium, 375 E Chicago Ave,
Funding Opportunities and other Resources
Previous grant recipient
Racial Equity and Community Partnership grants from Northwestern University
The Office of Community Relations is offering Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program grants of $25,000-75,000 in Evanston and Chicago. For more information join the online Zoom.
Find more information in our FAQ. Letter of Intent is due on January 26 and final applications due on Mar 15.
The Office of Community Relations is offering Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program grants of $25,000-75,000 in Evanston and Chicago. For more information join the online Zoom.
Find more information in our FAQ. Letter of Intent is due on January 26 and final applications due on Mar 15.
Douglas C. Anderson Bird Conservation Mini-Grants
The Chicago Ornithological Society is offering annual mini-grants to local educators and organizations working on youth driven community projects furthering bird conservation, education, and advocacy. This grant opportunity has several priorities, including those listed above. For more information go Here.
The deadline for the 2024 grant is February 11.
The Chicago Ornithological Society is offering annual mini-grants to local educators and organizations working on youth driven community projects furthering bird conservation, education, and advocacy. This grant opportunity has several priorities, including those listed above. For more information go Here.
The deadline for the 2024 grant is February 11.
Image, Laura Derks
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Chicago Regional Tree Initiative Grants Hub
Find grant resources that can "help you plant and care for trees, expand your municipal or nonprofit environmental programs, tackle invasive species in your community, plant pollinator gardens, enhance your community advocacy efforts" on this website. Millions of funds await your organization--public, private and community-based. |
Job Opportunities
New
Program Manager (4 positions available), City of Chicago Department of the Environment
Greencorps Chicago is recruiting for its job training program now!.
Illinois Nature Conservancy, Executive Director, job posting ##54517--posting will be open until filled and
Community Stewardship Program Assistant now open for application--a part-time (20 hours/week), permanent position at $21.68/hr. It will be another shared role between TNC and the Chicago Park District and reports to the CSP Manager. The application same website as above but job #54505--closes on January 19.
Program Manager, Light of Loving Kindness
Arborist Registered Apprenticeship at Openlands -- a three-year training program, working alongside industry professionals and gaining hands-on experience, training, and skills in arboriculture.
The Shedd Aquarium is hiring a conservation action facilitator to lead Shedd’s forest preserve stewardship workdays, beach cleanups, Chicago River kayak programs at $19 an hour.
Current
Active Transport Alliance is hiring a Managing Director of Operations
Center on Community Health at Northwestern University is hiring a Program Coordinator.
Chicago Park District, Junior Tree Surgeon
Chicago Regional Trees Initiative
Director
Learn more and apply
Community Coordinator (2 positions)
Learn more and apply
Grant Administrator
Learn more and apply
New Plant Development Research Assistant II
Learn more and apply
Tree Conservation Biology Manager
Learn more and apply
Chicago United for Equity-Director of Communications and Narrative Strategy
Dupage Forest Preserves has an opening for Natural Resources Restoration Supervisor here
Elevate is looking to fill many positions. Look through their career opportunities here.
Equiticity has several positions open including Director of Finance and other positions. Learn more here.
Faith in Place Eco-Ambassador applications for academic high school students from Southern Illinois and the North & West Suburbs. Teens (14-18 years old) with a particular interest in Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and STEM education are encouraged to apply! Learn more here.
Crew Supervisors and Program Supervisor, Greencorpschicago
llinois Environmental Council is hiring an Executive Assistant.
Mano y Mano is hiring Community Health Workers and other positions.
Nearby Nature Milwaukee is looking for its first Executive Director.
Northwestern Feinberg Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities-Assistant Director
Several positions open at the Public Health Institute of Metro Chicago.
Community Outreach Coordinator with R.E.A.C.H. (there are several other job openings here.)
The Friends of the Forest Preserves is looking to fill its Adult Conservation Corps position in the Palos area. Learn more here.
Windy City Harvest is accepting applications for its Apprenticeship program.
Please send us your job openings to be featured!
Program Manager (4 positions available), City of Chicago Department of the Environment
Greencorps Chicago is recruiting for its job training program now!.
Illinois Nature Conservancy, Executive Director, job posting ##54517--posting will be open until filled and
Community Stewardship Program Assistant now open for application--a part-time (20 hours/week), permanent position at $21.68/hr. It will be another shared role between TNC and the Chicago Park District and reports to the CSP Manager. The application same website as above but job #54505--closes on January 19.
Program Manager, Light of Loving Kindness
Arborist Registered Apprenticeship at Openlands -- a three-year training program, working alongside industry professionals and gaining hands-on experience, training, and skills in arboriculture.
The Shedd Aquarium is hiring a conservation action facilitator to lead Shedd’s forest preserve stewardship workdays, beach cleanups, Chicago River kayak programs at $19 an hour.
Current
Active Transport Alliance is hiring a Managing Director of Operations
Center on Community Health at Northwestern University is hiring a Program Coordinator.
Chicago Park District, Junior Tree Surgeon
Chicago Regional Trees Initiative
Director
Learn more and apply
Community Coordinator (2 positions)
Learn more and apply
Grant Administrator
Learn more and apply
New Plant Development Research Assistant II
Learn more and apply
Tree Conservation Biology Manager
Learn more and apply
Chicago United for Equity-Director of Communications and Narrative Strategy
Dupage Forest Preserves has an opening for Natural Resources Restoration Supervisor here
Elevate is looking to fill many positions. Look through their career opportunities here.
Equiticity has several positions open including Director of Finance and other positions. Learn more here.
Faith in Place Eco-Ambassador applications for academic high school students from Southern Illinois and the North & West Suburbs. Teens (14-18 years old) with a particular interest in Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and STEM education are encouraged to apply! Learn more here.
Crew Supervisors and Program Supervisor, Greencorpschicago
llinois Environmental Council is hiring an Executive Assistant.
Mano y Mano is hiring Community Health Workers and other positions.
Nearby Nature Milwaukee is looking for its first Executive Director.
Northwestern Feinberg Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities-Assistant Director
Several positions open at the Public Health Institute of Metro Chicago.
Community Outreach Coordinator with R.E.A.C.H. (there are several other job openings here.)
The Friends of the Forest Preserves is looking to fill its Adult Conservation Corps position in the Palos area. Learn more here.
Windy City Harvest is accepting applications for its Apprenticeship program.
Please send us your job openings to be featured!
In the News
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Settlement reached in toxic smokestack demolition
Hilco, the company that commissioned the implosion of the Crawford coal power plant that went awry in 2020, will likely have to pay upwards of $12 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by those affected by the dust and debris that rained on a Little Village neighborhood on April 11, 2020. A CBS News report noted, “The implosion and its aftermath also sparked allegations of both government mismanagement and racism - over why it was allowed to happen in a largely working class, Mexican American community.” A 94-page report, CBS news reported, showed that “several city departments and senior officials were aware of” the commissioned implosion but “did little to nothing to stop it.” People reported difficulty with breathing after the implosion, which to some seemed like an earthquake. Although Hilco and its contractors will not admit wrongdoing under the agreement, they appear to have agreed to the settlement amount. Read more here: |
Image of Deloris Lucas, safe active transit/walking advocate
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Image, Laura Derks
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Final ethylene oxide regulations due soon
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must issue its final regulations about ethylene oxide by March 1. Communities across the country affected by emissions from ethylene oxide have been advocating for more than a year for clear regulations. Under a consent decree in a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of California Communities Against Toxics, Clean Power Lake County, Rio Grande International Study Center, Sierra Club, and Union of Concerned Scientists, the EPA will have to craft regulations to ensure that communities are protected and companies understand their responsibilities. Ethylene oxide is a colorless, typically odorless, flammable gas used to sterilize medical equipment and to help produce chemicals needed for antifreeze, plastics, detergents, and adhesives. It is one of the most toxic air pollutants EPA regulates and is a known carcinogen to humans, especially when inhaled, according to an article by Karen Long MacLeod. “In 2016, EPA admitted that the chemical is 60 times more toxic than previously estimated,” she wrote in this Aug. 27, 2023 story in Clean Power Lake County. Read more here. |
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A vision for "Mountain" biking in Chicago
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Image, Laura Derks
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Image, Laura Derks, Shawnee Forest
Indigenous science must be honored, not ‘mined’
Indigenous science is finally finding a place in the community of mainstream science. In an article in the journal Science earlier this month, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Kyle A. Artelle wrote that Indigenous knowledge “is receiving long overdue recognition for its potential to provide solutions for the mutual thriving of lands and cultures.” They caution that institutions must appropriately support, not hinder, the role of Indigenous science in helping create a sustainable future. In September of last year, the U.S. National Science Foundation established the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science (CBIKS). A team of 54 predominantly Indigenous scholars leads the center, which is headquartered at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
But other scientists, while welcoming this new knowledge, must be care not to mine it – exploit or incorporate its findings for their own benefit, again marginalizing rather than implementing this wealth of knowledge. Read more: Time to support Indigenous science | Science
Indigenous science is finally finding a place in the community of mainstream science. In an article in the journal Science earlier this month, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Kyle A. Artelle wrote that Indigenous knowledge “is receiving long overdue recognition for its potential to provide solutions for the mutual thriving of lands and cultures.” They caution that institutions must appropriately support, not hinder, the role of Indigenous science in helping create a sustainable future. In September of last year, the U.S. National Science Foundation established the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science (CBIKS). A team of 54 predominantly Indigenous scholars leads the center, which is headquartered at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
But other scientists, while welcoming this new knowledge, must be care not to mine it – exploit or incorporate its findings for their own benefit, again marginalizing rather than implementing this wealth of knowledge. Read more: Time to support Indigenous science | Science
Image, Laura Derks
A connection between children’s bone density and their access to green space
A study of 300 children in Flanders, published recently in JAMA Network Open, found that those living near green spaces had stronger bones and thus were at less risk as adults to develop osteoporosis. The link between green spaces and stronger bones seems to be the children’s physical activity, which promotes bone growth.
An article about the study written by Damian Carrington was published recently in The Guardian. He noted that although the study showed a “strong association between nearby green space and bone strength in children,” it was not designed to show a causal link. He also wrote that two recent studies on bone density in adults and green spaces “produced conflicting results. An analysis of 66,000 people in south-west China found a significant positive link. But research on 4,000 people aged 65 and older in Hong Kong did not find a convincing association, possibly because Hong Kong is a very densely populated city with little green space.” Read more here:
A study of 300 children in Flanders, published recently in JAMA Network Open, found that those living near green spaces had stronger bones and thus were at less risk as adults to develop osteoporosis. The link between green spaces and stronger bones seems to be the children’s physical activity, which promotes bone growth.
An article about the study written by Damian Carrington was published recently in The Guardian. He noted that although the study showed a “strong association between nearby green space and bone strength in children,” it was not designed to show a causal link. He also wrote that two recent studies on bone density in adults and green spaces “produced conflicting results. An analysis of 66,000 people in south-west China found a significant positive link. But research on 4,000 people aged 65 and older in Hong Kong did not find a convincing association, possibly because Hong Kong is a very densely populated city with little green space.” Read more here:
Connect with Us!
We are taking requests for any upcoming events to be added to future newsletters and our events calendar--You can also submit materials for the next newsletter by emailing [email protected]. Make sure you have accepted our newsletter email so it doesn't wind up in your junk folder!
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 [email protected].
We are taking requests for any upcoming events to be added to future newsletters and our events calendar--You can also submit materials for the next newsletter by emailing [email protected]. Make sure you have accepted our newsletter email so it doesn't wind up in your junk folder!
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 [email protected].