Newsletter from Thursday, May 12th, 2022
Dear NCH2 Community,
We hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy. Please submit materials for the next newsletter by May 25th, 2022 so we can make sure to include them. Submit items by emailing [email protected].
This week's newsletter includes information on NCH2's May Is Mental Health Month initiative, an invitation for our in-person "May Is Mental Health Awareness Month" event, upcoming local events, volunteer and job opportunities, and links to articles in the popular press.
This week's newsletter includes information on NCH2's May Is Mental Health Month initiative, an invitation for our in-person "May Is Mental Health Awareness Month" event, upcoming local events, volunteer and job opportunities, and links to articles in the popular press.
|
Follow Us!
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. All can be found using the handle @NCH2Network or by clicking the links below: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter 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! Keep us updated on local events, exciting opportunities in the area, and send us pictures of local nature to be featured on the website. Contact us at [email protected]. |
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is upon us, which means so is NCH2's May Is Mental Health Awareness Month Initiative! Visit our May page, Instagram, and Facebook page, throughout the month for more events, resources, and information about May as Mental Health Month and NCH2's Tools2ThriveOutside campaign.
We want to know how you use nature to help promote your mental health and wellness. Share your nature activities by posting a picture and a brief description and tagging @nch2network on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag us in your pictures using your #Tools2ThriveOutside using any of these hashtag: #Tools2ThriveOutside, #MHM2022_outside, #MHM2022_NCH2
Mental Health America's theme this year for May is Mental Health Awareness Month is Back to Basics. NCH2 is promoting getting outside and engaging with nature for mental health awareness and engaging with #Tools2ThriveOutside. If your organization would like to partner with NCH2 for this initiative send an email to [email protected]. We want to promote your events and activities.
May is upon us, which means so is NCH2's May Is Mental Health Awareness Month Initiative! Visit our May page, Instagram, and Facebook page, throughout the month for more events, resources, and information about May as Mental Health Month and NCH2's Tools2ThriveOutside campaign.
We want to know how you use nature to help promote your mental health and wellness. Share your nature activities by posting a picture and a brief description and tagging @nch2network on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag us in your pictures using your #Tools2ThriveOutside using any of these hashtag: #Tools2ThriveOutside, #MHM2022_outside, #MHM2022_NCH2
Mental Health America's theme this year for May is Mental Health Awareness Month is Back to Basics. NCH2 is promoting getting outside and engaging with nature for mental health awareness and engaging with #Tools2ThriveOutside. If your organization would like to partner with NCH2 for this initiative send an email to [email protected]. We want to promote your events and activities.
Come Join Us This Week! -
Discovering Mental Health in Nature: Big Marsh Park
Date: Tues, May 17th
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Big Marsh Natural Area
11555 S. Stony Island Ave.
Chicago, IL 60617 (Parking onsite)
Join the NCH2 Network on May 17th for our first in-person event in over two years, as we celebrate Mental Health Awareness month.
Agenda:
8 AM - Bird the Marsh
9:15-10:30 AM - Presentations and Discussion
10:45 AM - Nature Meditation
This event is free but registration is requested! Register in advance here. We hope to see you there!
Discovering Mental Health in Nature: Big Marsh Park
Date: Tues, May 17th
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Big Marsh Natural Area
11555 S. Stony Island Ave.
Chicago, IL 60617 (Parking onsite)
Join the NCH2 Network on May 17th for our first in-person event in over two years, as we celebrate Mental Health Awareness month.
Agenda:
8 AM - Bird the Marsh
- Daniela Herrera, @latina.birder on Instagram
9:15-10:30 AM - Presentations and Discussion
- Nature Spaces, Southeast Chicago
- Paul Fitzgerald (Friends of Big Marsh) and Fatimah Al-Nurridin (Chicago Southland)
- Planting the Seeds of Community Engagement
- Vince Gomez and Jaeda Branch, Lincoln Park Zoo Community Engagement
- Small group discussions followed by report out
10:45 AM - Nature Meditation
- Cassandra Powell, Executive Director and Founder, Light of Loving Kindness
- Benefits and Barriers to Accessing Nature
- Cassandra Powell, Light of Loving Kindness
- Small group discussions followed by report out
This event is free but registration is requested! Register in advance here. We hope to see you there!
Local Events
Chicago Botanic Garden: Spring in the Woods Walk
Date: Sun, May 15th
Time: Drop-by Program from 11 am – 2 pm
Guided Woods Walk at 1 pm
Location: Chicago Botanic Gardens
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL 60022
Description: Enjoy spring’s beauty in McDonald Woods—from delicate wildflowers and budding trees to the sounds of birdsong. Get involved with our community science program, Budburst, and observe flowers blooming and new leaves growing. Find out how to be part of our new EcoQuest monthly challenges and how to submit observations with our mobile app. Then set out on self-guided walk in McDonald Woods. (A short trail loop is about 1/3 mile; the longer trail loop is about 2/3 mile.) We’ll have one guided woods walk, lasting approximately 45 minutes, at 1 p.m. Dress for the weather. If there is heavy, persistent rain, the program will be cancelled. Free; regular parking and admission fees apply. Meet at McDonald Woods Shelter.
For more information, click here.
Photo from Chicago Botanic Garden
Date: Sun, May 15th
Time: Drop-by Program from 11 am – 2 pm
Guided Woods Walk at 1 pm
Location: Chicago Botanic Gardens
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL 60022
Description: Enjoy spring’s beauty in McDonald Woods—from delicate wildflowers and budding trees to the sounds of birdsong. Get involved with our community science program, Budburst, and observe flowers blooming and new leaves growing. Find out how to be part of our new EcoQuest monthly challenges and how to submit observations with our mobile app. Then set out on self-guided walk in McDonald Woods. (A short trail loop is about 1/3 mile; the longer trail loop is about 2/3 mile.) We’ll have one guided woods walk, lasting approximately 45 minutes, at 1 p.m. Dress for the weather. If there is heavy, persistent rain, the program will be cancelled. Free; regular parking and admission fees apply. Meet at McDonald Woods Shelter.
For more information, click here.
Photo from Chicago Botanic Garden
|
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods: FUSEDChicago Beyond the Surface Exhibition Opening and Rivers Empyrean Strings Concert
Date: Sun, May 15th Time: Art Opening from 1 - 3 pm Concert Starting at 3 pm Location: Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods 21850 N. Riverwoods Rd. Riverwoods, IL 60015 Description: Join us at Brushwood Center for this exciting exhibition opening, followed by a free outdoor strings performance of "Rivers Empyrean" by Fifth House Ensemble. The exhibition features work by members of FUSEDChicago, an organization of artists based in the Midwest who share an interest in encaustic, a method of making art using pigmented beeswax and damar resin (crystalized tree sap). After enjoying the art, experience the concert! "Rivers Empyrean" traces the life cycle of water from its metaphorical descent from the heavens as rain to its long journey in streams and rivers informed by conservation experts and ecologists. Featuring works by two living recipients of the Pulitzer Prize - Caroline Shaw and John Luther Adams, this program asks what it would mean to return to a sacred conception in which humans are a part of nature rather than beings standing outside of its impact. The exhibition opening is free of charge. The concert is free but registration is required. Seating for the concert will be Ravinia-style; we encourage attendees to bring blankets, folding chairs, and a picnic if you would like! For more information and registration, click here. |
Forest Preserves of Cook County: Bird Walk
Date: Wed, May 18th
Time: 8:30 am
Location: Sagawau Environmental Learning Center
12545 West 111th St
Lemont, IL 60439
Description: Walk with a naturalist. Learn to identify birds by field marks, behavior, sound and habitat. Binoculars available for loan. Registration required: Call Sagawau at 630-257-2045.
For more information, click here.
Photo from Forest Preserves of Cook County
Date: Wed, May 18th
Time: 8:30 am
Location: Sagawau Environmental Learning Center
12545 West 111th St
Lemont, IL 60439
Description: Walk with a naturalist. Learn to identify birds by field marks, behavior, sound and habitat. Binoculars available for loan. Registration required: Call Sagawau at 630-257-2045.
For more information, click here.
Photo from Forest Preserves of Cook County
Forest Preserves of Cook County: Lunch & Learn - Climate Change: Local Governments Commitment to Future Generations
Date: Wed, May 18th
Time: 12 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: via Zoom
Description: Come join local voices discuss sustainability and Chicago's recently released 2022 Climate Action Plan in the last meeting of this series. This event will host various local government agency senior sustainability officers, who will discuss what they are doing to achieve the IPCC’s recommendations, so that future generation will live in a world and county that is resilient and sustainable. Learn more about Chicago's Climate Action Plan here.
Panelists:
For more information, click here.
Photo from Forest Preserves of Cook County
Date: Wed, May 18th
Time: 12 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: via Zoom
Description: Come join local voices discuss sustainability and Chicago's recently released 2022 Climate Action Plan in the last meeting of this series. This event will host various local government agency senior sustainability officers, who will discuss what they are doing to achieve the IPCC’s recommendations, so that future generation will live in a world and county that is resilient and sustainable. Learn more about Chicago's Climate Action Plan here.
Panelists:
- Edith Makra (Moderator), Director of Environmental Initiatives, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
- Deborah Stone, Chief Sustainability Officer, Cook County
- Angela Tovar, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Chicago
- Sandrine Schultz, Director of Energy & Sustainability, Chicago Public Schools
- Anthony Tindall, Policy & Sustainability Manager, Forest Preserves of Cook County
For more information, click here.
Photo from Forest Preserves of Cook County
|
Forest Preserves of Cook County: Walk & Talk
Date: Sat, May 21st Time: 10 am Location: Eggers Grove E 112th St & S Ave E Chicago, IL 60617 Description: Walk & Talk hikes are for the curious minds that want to know more about the Forest Preserves and natural areas. These hikes will be led at a slower pace with frequent stopping and interpretation. 2 miles. For more information, click here. Photo by Oziel Gómez |
|
Forest Preserves of Cook County: Spring Blooms Walk
Date: Sun, May 22nd
Time: 1 pm
Location: Crabtree Nature Center
3 Stover Rd
Barrington Hills, IL 60010
Description: Delight in the beauty of spring wildflowers on a guided hike through the forest and prairie.
For more information, click here.
Photo from Forest Preserves of Cook County
Date: Sun, May 22nd
Time: 1 pm
Location: Crabtree Nature Center
3 Stover Rd
Barrington Hills, IL 60010
Description: Delight in the beauty of spring wildflowers on a guided hike through the forest and prairie.
For more information, click here.
Photo from Forest Preserves of Cook County
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer in the parks with the Chicago Parks District
Explore the links below for detailed information on our various volunteer opportunities:
Photo from Chicago Parks District
Explore the links below for detailed information on our various volunteer opportunities:
- One Day Volunteers
- Group One Day Service Projects
- Natural Areas Community Stewardship
- Community Gardening
- Conservatory Docent Programs
- Park Advisory Councils
- Pitch in for the Parks - Park Clean-Up Effort
- Contact the park supervisor or program manager for more information on the following areas. Go here to find a park.
- Special event support, coaching and sports instruction, tutoring/mentoring after school programs and camps
Photo from Chicago Parks District
Nordson Green Earth Foundation (NGEF) Planting a Miyawaki Microforest
In partnership with Cook County, the City of Markham and the Markham City Council, NGEF will plant the first public Miyawaki microforest in the Chicagoland area on May 20, 2022. The forest will be a pilot site and will lie adjacent to the Circuit Court of Cook County's Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in Markham, Illinois.
Miyawaki Forests use principles and methodology developed by the late Akira Miyawaki, PhD, award-winning Japanese professor of botany. Dr. Miyawaki’s method incorporates extensive soil preparation and dense planting in order to encourage growth and survival of the fittest plants. Miyawaki forests are ideally suited for planting in small areas. They encourage biodiversity and increase tree canopy in urban areas more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and heat islands.
The Markham Miyawaki forest will contain 315 native plants made up of 25 distinct native species. Native plants support soil health, mitigate flooding and attract pollinators. Through community engagement efforts, NGEF plans to create additional Miyawaki micro forests throughout the Chicagoland area in efforts to support the mission of tree equity. Research clearly shows the ability of trees to improve mental, physical and social health. For these health and environmental reasons, NGEF believes all communities deserve trees.
Adult volunteers are needed to assist with forest planting at the Markham Courthouse on May 20th between 9AM and 3PM. Interested parties may sign up for Nordson Green Earth Foundation’s mailing list for more information: Connect | Nordson Green Earth
In partnership with Cook County, the City of Markham and the Markham City Council, NGEF will plant the first public Miyawaki microforest in the Chicagoland area on May 20, 2022. The forest will be a pilot site and will lie adjacent to the Circuit Court of Cook County's Sixth Municipal District Courthouse in Markham, Illinois.
Miyawaki Forests use principles and methodology developed by the late Akira Miyawaki, PhD, award-winning Japanese professor of botany. Dr. Miyawaki’s method incorporates extensive soil preparation and dense planting in order to encourage growth and survival of the fittest plants. Miyawaki forests are ideally suited for planting in small areas. They encourage biodiversity and increase tree canopy in urban areas more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and heat islands.
The Markham Miyawaki forest will contain 315 native plants made up of 25 distinct native species. Native plants support soil health, mitigate flooding and attract pollinators. Through community engagement efforts, NGEF plans to create additional Miyawaki micro forests throughout the Chicagoland area in efforts to support the mission of tree equity. Research clearly shows the ability of trees to improve mental, physical and social health. For these health and environmental reasons, NGEF believes all communities deserve trees.
Adult volunteers are needed to assist with forest planting at the Markham Courthouse on May 20th between 9AM and 3PM. Interested parties may sign up for Nordson Green Earth Foundation’s mailing list for more information: Connect | Nordson Green Earth
|
Faith in Place - Eco-Ambassador Youth Program Faith in Place empowers environmental education to youth leaders (ages 14-18) from across Illinois to become environmental justice leaders. Eco Ambassadors learn about environmental justice and climate change in order to create environmental solutions through community action projects, educational site visits, urban farming, habitat restoration, and camping. The program brings leaders from diverse fields to connect and educate with youth. Youth also complete leadership project using their skills, from dance to architecture, to care for our shared lands. Eco-Ambassadors are paid $125 per week on a PNC Bank Pre-Paid Card. Earth Allies are paid $175 per week on a PNC Pre-Paid Card. Please apply by May 25, 2021. To learn more about the program and how to apply, click here. |
Job Opportunities
The Horton Research Group at Northwestern University is hiring a new Research Study Coordinator. The successful candidate will coordinate research and community engagement projects that examine the role of urban green space as an environmental determinant of mental and physical wellbeing. The Research Study Coordinator (RSC) manages collection, analysis, processing & reporting of data & assists Principal Investigator (PI) in judging the validity of test data obtained in regard to biomedical &/or social-behavioral research study(ies) involving co-investigators, multiple campuses &/or universities. This is a full-time position, with a generous benefits package.
The full position description can be found on the NU Human Resources website https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/careers/apply/, search for Job # 44256 Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The full position description can be found on the NU Human Resources website https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/careers/apply/, search for Job # 44256 Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods is seeking two student Fellows to support the development of a Health, Equity, and Nature Report for Lake County. It’s a very exciting project, and a great opportunity for on-the-ground learning. We are seeking an enthusiastic candidate with experience in data collection and evaluation as well as a passion for public health and the outdoors. The Fellow of Health, Equity, and Nature
Accelerator will work closely with the Director of Health Equity, and Nature Accelerator developing a Health and Nature Equity report for Lake County. Additionally, the Fellow will work on operationalizing a 3–6-month pilot program for nature-based healthcare solutions with Medicaid or Medicare partners. The ideal candidate for this role will be able to apply Brushwood Center’s commitment to equity,
diversity, and inclusion to all aspects of their role. Apply by May 22nd!
Click here to learn more about the position and how to apply.
Accelerator will work closely with the Director of Health Equity, and Nature Accelerator developing a Health and Nature Equity report for Lake County. Additionally, the Fellow will work on operationalizing a 3–6-month pilot program for nature-based healthcare solutions with Medicaid or Medicare partners. The ideal candidate for this role will be able to apply Brushwood Center’s commitment to equity,
diversity, and inclusion to all aspects of their role. Apply by May 22nd!
Click here to learn more about the position and how to apply.
The Keller Science Action Center is hiring a Program Assistant and a Senior Program Manager.
The Program Assistant would support the City of Chicago, Youth Conservation Action, and Calumet Initiatives during the peak seasons of activity involving planting native gardens, support for programs, and community engagement events, especially in the far south side of the Chicago portion the Calumet region. This is a limited 6-month term position.
The Senior Program Manager would manage the Chicago Region program by deploying supports that multiply our success: annual and strategic planning, meeting design and facilitation, program evaluation, and budgeting and reporting. The Senior Program Manager will lead one or more initiatives, fostering coordination across all and supporting team learning. The Senior Program Manager reports to the Chicago Region Program Director and partners with the Center’s senior leaders from the Center’s two other programs, Conservation Tools and Andes-Amazon, and other team leads across the Museum.
Click here to learn more about the Program Assistant role, and here to learn more about the Senior Program Manager role.
The Program Assistant would support the City of Chicago, Youth Conservation Action, and Calumet Initiatives during the peak seasons of activity involving planting native gardens, support for programs, and community engagement events, especially in the far south side of the Chicago portion the Calumet region. This is a limited 6-month term position.
The Senior Program Manager would manage the Chicago Region program by deploying supports that multiply our success: annual and strategic planning, meeting design and facilitation, program evaluation, and budgeting and reporting. The Senior Program Manager will lead one or more initiatives, fostering coordination across all and supporting team learning. The Senior Program Manager reports to the Chicago Region Program Director and partners with the Center’s senior leaders from the Center’s two other programs, Conservation Tools and Andes-Amazon, and other team leads across the Museum.
Click here to learn more about the Program Assistant role, and here to learn more about the Senior Program Manager role.
In the News
|
Overview: “WEIRD” Studies Give Incomplete Picture Studies linking positive mental health outcomes to time spent in nature appear to be solid but limited in coverage to western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (weird) populations. Writing for The Guardian earlier this month, Sofia Quaglia referred to research from the University of Vermont that recommended looking at how indigenous cultures look at interactions with nature, in order to form a more complete picture of the health benefits of nature. Distinguishing among various populations in the world and their interactions with nature can lead to solid policy changes. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/studies-on-natures-mental-health-benefits-show-massive-western-bias Photo by Karolina Grabowska |
|
Overview: Racialized Trauma Can Be a Barrier to Enjoying Nature
Physical barriers to natural areas are often metaphoric barriers to historically marginalized populations, wrote Emily Caldwell recently in Ohio State News. Researchers at Ohio State University recently analyzed information from participants in focus groups surrounding the closing of a gate in wildlife refuge in Colorado several years ago. They found “historical trauma” among Black and Indigenous people. “The history of systemic racism in the United States casts a pall over marginalized people’s attempts to enjoy nature-based leisure activities,” she wrote. This history has shaped the way many Black and Indigenous people view public lands, seeing decades and sometimes centuries of barriers to access to parks, refuges, and other natural public areas. The inequalities have also shaped proposed solutions, the research found. The research is published online in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. Read more: https://news.osu.edu/how-racialized-trauma-functions-as-a-barrier-to-enjoying-nature/#.YnbmiBKol4w.mailto Photo by Anna Shvets |
|
|
Overview: Coal Mines to Solar Farms
The Nature Conservancy is hoping that the utility-scale solar farms it has wrought from abandoned coal mines will serve as a model for other groups. Each of the six former-mine sites in Virginia has sufficient flat areas to make solar farming feasible, according to a March 3 article by Zoeann Murphy in the Washington Post. An additional attraction for partners Dominion Energy and Sun Tribe is the proximity to transmission lines. Ms. Murphy quotes Lou Wallace, Board of Supervisors chairperson for Russell County, Va.: “We’re very proud to be an energy-producing community. This is helping us to reimagine how we produce the energy. So we’re still able to say we’re keeping the lights on somewhere.” Read more: www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/03/03/coal-mines-solar-farms-climate-change-video/ Photo by Mikhail Nilov |
|
Overview: Academia’s Ableist Culture
In October of last year four group leaders, each with a disability, spoke with Kendall Powell of Nature about how they see laboratories and fieldwork can be made more accessible and inclusive. Between 15% and 25% of the world’s population lives with a disability, and, although some progress has been made for rights for the disabled, many scientists with a disability find research spaces and career pathways “out of reach, both literally and figuratively,” she wrote. The pandemic has eased some of the problems, as people work remotely and many meetings and conferences are held virtually. She interviewed evolutionary chemical ecologist Kelsey Byers in the U.K., nuclear physicist Viviane Morcelle in Brazil, conservation scientist Hanna Mumby in Hong Kong, and Vivan Cheung in Michigan and Maryland. The interviews, edited for length and clarity, describe how people’s assumptions, poorly designed space and old buildings can exacerbate the problems of the disability itself. They each also describe how they overcame obstacles in academia. Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02695-0 Photo: Challenge assumptions about your disability, says Kelsey Byers. Credit - Roman Kellenberger |
|