Newsletter from Tuesday, March 21st, 2023
Dear NCH2 Community,
Happy Spring 2023 NCH2 Community! Our new logo that we published in the fall of 2022 has the tagline “resilience with nature” a reflection of our vision for the Chicago region where “all of its residents live, work, and play in a healthy and vibrant natural environment--with clean air, clean water, welcoming, safe and equitable access to nature spaces—an essential resource positively affecting public health and community resilience.” Our Steering Committee shaped this vision as well as our mission statement found on our homepage at nch2.org. We are grateful for the time and energy of these fabulous people who also helped shape the Catalyst Seed Grant RFP process. NCH2 received over 25 applications and we will soon announce the recipients of these planning grants.
Another shout out--asking for your ideas! We want to celebrate Mental Health Awareness month in May-what would you like to see NCH2 organize and bring together? Last year we hosted a workshop at Big Marsh Park to discuss meaningful ways we can ensure parks and nature spaces are safe, welcoming, and open to all. Working with surrounding communities was a key strategy to this goal. Send us your ideas or if you would like to host an event in May at [email protected].
Best,
NCH2
Another shout out--asking for your ideas! We want to celebrate Mental Health Awareness month in May-what would you like to see NCH2 organize and bring together? Last year we hosted a workshop at Big Marsh Park to discuss meaningful ways we can ensure parks and nature spaces are safe, welcoming, and open to all. Working with surrounding communities was a key strategy to this goal. Send us your ideas or if you would like to host an event in May at [email protected].
Best,
NCH2
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
Photo by Chait Goli
What does it really mean to be “resilient with nature” in a rapidly changing environment where we don’t know how heat may intensify, how flooding could affect families, how pollution affects quality of life, or how uncertainty could tip the balance of mental health. And how do we begin to plan projects or programs that help our region working with nature to become more resilient?
Working alongside a Chicago regional coalition of public and private organizations, the Friends of the Chicago River recently made public a multi-faceted tool that would help plan for nature-based projects (otherwise known as Nature-based Solutions (NBS)) that will help our region become more resilient in an unpredictable, and ever-changing climate. NBS can include increasing tree cover, planting native gardens, reducing concrete and pavement in floodplains, and adding nature spaces.
A nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve and protect the Chicago River system for people, plants, and animal, Friends of the Chicago River worked with the Trust for Public Land, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Openlands, and many more to design a user-friendly tool that allows users to imagine how a project would address concerns about health, equity, biodiversity, connection of green and blueways, and care for landscapes. This technological tool combines many databases which allows the user to visualize what a NBS project might affect down to the land “parcel” level. If any of this piques your curiosity – take the tool for a spin as they want people to “play” with it! Let them know what you think or if you would benefit from a training on the tool.
Working alongside a Chicago regional coalition of public and private organizations, the Friends of the Chicago River recently made public a multi-faceted tool that would help plan for nature-based projects (otherwise known as Nature-based Solutions (NBS)) that will help our region become more resilient in an unpredictable, and ever-changing climate. NBS can include increasing tree cover, planting native gardens, reducing concrete and pavement in floodplains, and adding nature spaces.
A nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve and protect the Chicago River system for people, plants, and animal, Friends of the Chicago River worked with the Trust for Public Land, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Openlands, and many more to design a user-friendly tool that allows users to imagine how a project would address concerns about health, equity, biodiversity, connection of green and blueways, and care for landscapes. This technological tool combines many databases which allows the user to visualize what a NBS project might affect down to the land “parcel” level. If any of this piques your curiosity – take the tool for a spin as they want people to “play” with it! Let them know what you think or if you would benefit from a training on the tool.
Upcoming Events
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New Moon Walk & Telescope Viewing
Enjoy an evening walk and get a close-up view of the night sky at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center. Register by calling the Little Red Schoolhouse at 708-839-6897. Learn more here. Date: Tuesday, March 21st Time: 7:30 PM Location: Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center |
Photo by Brenoanp via Pexels
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Photo by Laura Derks
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Butterfly and Dragonfly Monitor Training
Are you looking to spend some quiet time in nature? Would you like to help collect important date? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you might be interested in Community Science. The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network and Illinois Odonate Survey monitor trainings will be once again offered jointly on Zoom, with dates in March, April, and May. The first workshop will be held on Saturday, March 25th. Click here to learn more and register. Date: Saturday, March 25th Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM CT Location: Virtual |
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Growing Granja Gardens
Join David Toledo of Contemporary Farmer, Inc. in this bilingual workshop to learn the basics of edible gardening. Learn what grows well in Chicago for the spring and learn about the best practices for stewarding a low-maintenance garden. The workshop will be presented in both English and Spanish. Date: Saturday, March 25 Time: 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM Location: Plant Chicago - 4459 S. Marshfield Ave. Chicago, IL 60609 |
Photo by Children Nature Network
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Photo by Laura Derks
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Illinois Ornithological Society Now Accepting Grant Applications
The Illinois Ornithological Society is pleased to announce that they are now accepting applications for the 2023 Illinois Ornithological Society Grant Program. Awards of up to $1,000 are available to applicants conducting projects related to birds and/or birding in Illinois. Grants are available to students, professionals, and organizations. Learn more and apply here or email Matt Igleski at [email protected] |
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Chicago's Community Growers Program Now Accepting Applications
Chicago's Community Growers Program is a collaborative urban architecture project that supports development and implementation of 23-30 urban agriculture new and existing sites by providing access to land, infrastructure, and technical assistance to urban growers. Apply for the program here. The deadline for the first round of applications is April 1st, 2023. |
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Englewood Trail, 2022
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Earth Hour - Hike the Night
To honor Earth Hour, Orland Grassland Volunteers are hosting a night hike along Birdsong Trail. We'll hike into the grassland wildness along this natural terrain trail to stargaze and hear the frogs call. We may hear owls and American woodcocks. Red tower lights twinkle from the silhouette of the Chicago skyline on top of Kwadekik hill. We'll be unplugged, surrounded by nature, a multi-sensory delight. Meet up in parking lot on 167th Street just west of LaGrange Road. Dress for hiking in natural terrain and the weather. Flashlights recommended. Learn more here. RSVP to [email protected] Date: Saturday, March 25 Time: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Location: Birdsong Trail |
Future Events: Save the Date
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Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator Exhibition Art Submissions
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is asking for art submissions for an exhibition to accompany the upcoming release of their Health Equity and Nature Report by artists who are residents of Lake County, Illinois. Art submitted for the exhibition can be in any media (visual or non-visual), but only visual art will be considered for inclusion in the report itself. The exhibition will run from June 11th until July 23rd. Learn more here. The art application deadline is April 30th. |
Painting by Tye Johnson
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Photo by Kampus Production via Pexels
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Earth Day in Golden Gate Park
Mulch trees, pick up trash, and work on community urns and flower beds this Earth Day in Golden Gate Park! You can get community service hours or service learning hours. Free lunch will be provided for volunteers. There will also be free raffles and flower seeds! For more information, call (773)-344-4524 Date: Saturday, April 22 Time: 8:30 AM Location: 13134 S. Vernon St. Chicago, IL (Golden Gate Park) |
Photo by Mikes-photography via Pixabay
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Lunch & Learn: Is An Electric Vehicle Right For You?
The electric car has come of age and is no longer for the early adopter. Electric vehicles are a key component in the fight against climate change. Now, federal and state programs are making them a more accessible option for consumers. Join us for a free Lunch & Learn webinar as we discuss the basics of electric vehicles, what tools and options consumers have to make the shift, as well as understanding the new tax rebates, incentives and other benefits. Register here. Date: Wednesday, March 29 Time: 12:00 PM Location: Virtual |
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Friends of the Parks Walk 2023
The Chicago Friends of the Parks recently filed a lawsuit to close the Confined Disposal Facility and turned the area into a long-promised park. Join the Chicago Friends of the Parks in a walk to envision what a future without the Confined Disposal Facility (CFD) will look like. Learn more here. Date: Saturday, April 8 Location: Calumet Park |
Photo by Leah Kelley
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Job Opportunities
Elevate is looking to fill several positions. Look through their career opportunities here.
Lake County Forest Preserves is looking to fill several positions. Learn more here.
Equiticity is looking to fill several positions. Look through their career opportunities. here.
Faith in Place Eco-Ambassador applications for area high school students are open! Learn more here.
Seven Generations Ahead is looking to fill several positions. Learn more here.
Star Farm is looking to fill several positions. Learn more here.
The Trust for Public Land is looking for a Director of Health. Learn more here.
Please send us your job openings to be featured!
Lake County Forest Preserves is looking to fill several positions. Learn more here.
Equiticity is looking to fill several positions. Look through their career opportunities. here.
Faith in Place Eco-Ambassador applications for area high school students are open! Learn more here.
Seven Generations Ahead is looking to fill several positions. Learn more here.
Star Farm is looking to fill several positions. Learn more here.
The Trust for Public Land is looking for a Director of Health. Learn more here.
Please send us your job openings to be featured!
In the News
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Friends of the Parks Sues to Stop Expansion of Waste Dump
Friends of the Parks and the Alliance of the Southeast filed have filed a suit in federal court in Chicago to stop expansion of a waste dump. The “confined disposal facility” has been filling up since the early 1980s, and the expanded site would be built on a 45-acre underwater dump of the dredged muck next to Calumet Park on the Southeast Side, not far from public swimming. “We don’t need an expansion to add more toxic dredgings from the river next to Calumet Park, where families gather, do sports, have picnics and play in the water,” Alliance of the Southeast Executive Director Amalia NietoGomez said in a statement. The Chicago sun-Times, audacity.com, Grist, the Chicago Tribune and the Northwest Indiana Times have all covered the story. |
Photo by Brian Ernst for The Chicago Sun Times
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Photo by Erik Karits
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Ides of March Bodes Well for Illinois Amphibians
The Shawnee National Forest, at the southern tip of Illinois, on March 15 closed Snake Road for the annual migration of several species of snakes and amphibians. The U.S. Forest Service annually closes the 2.5-mile Forest Service Road No. 345 (Snake Road) in the spring and fall for the movement of these species. According to the Forest Service, about 57 percent of the amphibians and 56 percent of the reptiles known to occur in Illinois are found here. There are three kinds of venomous snakes in the LaRue-Pine Hills: the cottonmouth, the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). These snakes eat small animals like fish, frogs, and mice. They will only bite people if they are provoked or disturbed. Check out the new Snake Road video about the area and how to prepare for a visit. Read more here. |
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Pollution and Segregation in Chicago and Elsewhere
High on a list of the Guardian’s “10 worst places” in the U.S. to live because of air pollution are two nearby areas: the Northwest Indiana industrial zones and the south and west side of Chicago. In an article posted March 8, Erin McCormick reported on research that showed that “ across the contiguous US, the neighborhoods burdened by the worst pollution are overwhelmingly the same places where Black and Hispanic populations live. Race is more of a predictor of air pollution exposure than income level, researchers have found.” She quoted Julian Marshall, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Washington: “What we’re seeing here is segregation. … “You have segregation of people and segregation of pollution.” The Northwest Indiana zones are ranked #4 and the Chicago areas, #3. Read more here. |
Photo by Politico
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Photo by Thijs van der Weide
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In Rockford, Bumblebees vs. Planes
Supporters of saving the endangered rusty patched bumblebee and its habitat, the 8,000-year-old Bell Bowl Prairie, lost their appeal to block expansion of the Rockford airport. Construction began on March 9, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune by Adriana Perez and Shanzeh Ahmad. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on March 8 denied an emergency motion by the Natural Land Institute to stop the construction from beginning, and, as construction was beginning, supporters attended a rally and planned for an evening vigil at the prairie. That the FAA approved an “alternate route” for a road through the prairie and said the airport will retain more than six acres of the Bell Bowl Prairie sis not appear to assuage the concerns of the supporters. Yet the airport must wait until October to resume activities that could destroy the bumblebee’s habitat, the article said. Read more here. |
Connect with Us!
We are 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 [email protected].
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 which can be done here. You can also submit materials for the next newsletter by emailing [email protected].
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].