Newsletter from Thursday, October 27th, 2022
Dear NCH2 Community,
It is fall, the wind is blowing, it is a time of transition both for the weather and for NCH2. NCH2 was initiated in 2014 with the symposium “Nature, Culture, and Human Health” held at the Chicago Botanic Garden as part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Centennial Celebration. That symposium generated a desire to create a way for people to learn from each other and connect on the topic of the health benefits of nature. Hence NCH2 was born. Since its inception, NCH2 has been guided by an all-volunteer Steering Committee. Several of the Steering Committee members who have been with us from the beginning, or joined us shortly after, are now stepping down to make way for new people.
The following people have given their time and intellectual powers as members of the Steering Committee: Catherine Game, Cathy Geraghty, Laura Derks, John Eskandari, Angie Mason, Jan Roehll, and Jennifer Schwarz Ballard. Your service has been invaluable in guiding the formation of NCH2, structuring its mission, organizing symposia, and coordinating Coffee and Discussion Sessions. Thank you. In April 2022, Laura Derks transitioned from being a member of the Steering Committee to being the first Director of NCH2, a position made possible by funding from the Walder Foundation. Stay tuned for our next newsletter when we will reveal an updated website, along with introductions to our new Steering Committee members.
NCH2 Team
The following people have given their time and intellectual powers as members of the Steering Committee: Catherine Game, Cathy Geraghty, Laura Derks, John Eskandari, Angie Mason, Jan Roehll, and Jennifer Schwarz Ballard. Your service has been invaluable in guiding the formation of NCH2, structuring its mission, organizing symposia, and coordinating Coffee and Discussion Sessions. Thank you. In April 2022, Laura Derks transitioned from being a member of the Steering Committee to being the first Director of NCH2, a position made possible by funding from the Walder Foundation. Stay tuned for our next newsletter when we will reveal an updated website, along with introductions to our new Steering Committee members.
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
Environmental Justice Index
Have an event or organization to spotlight? Send it to us to be featured!
The CDC/ATSDR and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Environmental Justice released the new Environmental Justice Index (EJI), the first national online tool using environmental, social, and health measures to compute, on a census track level, a cumulative score of environmental burden.
The EJI aims to empower a diverse set of stakeholders, including community-based groups, local, state and federal public health officials, and researchers, to identify the communities most in need of prioritization for environmental remediations and public health interventions. Members of underinvested communities already know what affects their communities, says Dr. Sharunda Buchanan, the Interim Director of the HHS Office of Environmental Justice. But the EJI will help these communities get an idea of how their environmental, health, and social characteristics accumulate to affect local public health.
The EJI can be found here. See this link for dates and registration for the CDC/ATSDR’s series of upcoming webinars about the EJI. Also see the EJI FAQs.
The EJI aims to empower a diverse set of stakeholders, including community-based groups, local, state and federal public health officials, and researchers, to identify the communities most in need of prioritization for environmental remediations and public health interventions. Members of underinvested communities already know what affects their communities, says Dr. Sharunda Buchanan, the Interim Director of the HHS Office of Environmental Justice. But the EJI will help these communities get an idea of how their environmental, health, and social characteristics accumulate to affect local public health.
The EJI can be found here. See this link for dates and registration for the CDC/ATSDR’s series of upcoming webinars about the EJI. Also see the EJI FAQs.
Upcoming Events
Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards: Restoration
Date: October 29th, 2022 Time: 9:00 am-12:00 pm Location: Parking Lot on the West Side Rt 59, between Golf Road and Shoe Factory Road Our Workday Activities vary depending on the season. Although we work hard, our workdays are fun! They are a great time to enjoy the great outdoors, get some exercise, learn about native Illinois habitats, meet new people, and make new friends. We have a mid-morning snack break (we provide the snacks), and volunteers often go out for lunch at a nearby casual eatery after the workday ends. This fall, come help us restore 1000 acres of prairie, woodlands and wetlands! The most enjoyable time of the year, and the most enjoyable activity, is Fall seed collection. PCPS will be collecting seed to enhance and expand the restoration. Contact Jenny Flexman at [email protected] with any questions. RSVPs are helpful in case of changes. Learn more here. |
Mappy Hour: Winter Camping in the Midwest
Date: November 3, 2022 Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm Location: Arc'teryx Bucktown: 1630 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL Winter doesn't mean the camping season has to be over. As colder weather approaches, join us for a discussion with winter camping guide and owner of NOW Outdoors Expedition Co, Nick Gordon. Nick will share everything we need to know about winter camping. He'll also give a live demonstration on setting up a winter camp stove inside a "hot tent" and show off some of the handmade snowshoes he built for the upcoming winter season. For more info on winter camping, join the Midwest Winter Camping Facebook group, a community of winter camping lovers in and around the Chicagoland area and Midwest. Read more here. |
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring Roots and Restoring Connections
Celebrate Día de los Muertos Events in Chicagoland! Please join us on Saturday, October 29th, from 3-6 pm at the Ronda Parakata in the Burnham Wildlife corridor. Chicago Parent lists several places to see decorations and exhibits for Día de los Muertos, a holiday tradition dating back to the Aztec civilization. The day is one for families to gather and remember their loved ones who have died. Look for sugar skulls, painted skull faces and pan de muerto, a traditional bread. Many of the events are free. RSVP here |
Community Campfire
Date: October 28th, 2022 Time: 7:00-9:00 pm Location: Greenbelt Cultural Center Nature experiences at night are different than during the day. Your senses come alive. Join friends and family to roast marshmallows, stroll peacefully on a nature walk, share a story, or bring an instrument to play. Nature activities vary monthly. Come and enjoy the fire and nature at night. Meet behind the Cultural Center. Bring a blanket or chair for sitting. A Lake County Nature Network event. Learn more here. |
Planting, Preservation, and Voluntary Carbon Credits
Date: November 2nd, 2022 Time: 7:00-8:00 pm Location: Webinar In 2020, Kendall County Forest Preserve District completed a 100-acre natural area conversion and reforestation project at Fox River Bluffs Forest Preserve near Yorkville. This award-winning project included the planting of 31,000 trees and shrubs within a 40-acre footprint, and over the following year, the District also collaborated with City Forest Credits (CFC) of Seattle, WA, The Morton Arboretum, and Oswego Community Unit School District #308 to calculate the carbon sequestration within this restored area anticipated over the next 25-years. This webinar will provide insights into the two types of projects (planting vs. preservation,) the process and methodology for generating carbon credits, and insights into the voluntary carbon credit market. Presented by Dave Guritz and Stefanie Weinke of the Kendall County Forest Preserve District. Register here. |
Future Events: Save the Date
Vote Yes for Clean Air, Clean Water, and Wildlife
Date: November 4th, 2022 Time: 12:00-1:00 CT Location: Zoom On November 8, Cook County voters will have the opportunity to vote yes to protect clean water sources, air quality and wildlife for our residents to enjoy for generations to come. But what will this look like, exactly? Join us for a vibrant discussion about how local initiatives can support global change, starting with vital funding for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Register here. |
Bilingual Serendipity Walk
Date: November 5th, 2022 Time: 9:00-10:30 am Location: Greenbelt Cultural Center Join an environmental educator on a walk, while learning how nature adapts during the autumn months to prepare for winter.Registration required. Meet at the back of the Greenbelt Cultural Center. Learn more and register here. |
Nature Express Bus: Free Transportation to the Forest Preserves
Is your community group or nonprofit organization interested in visiting the Forest Preserves of Cook County? Have you been limited by the cost of transportation? Our Nature Express Bus program can help your group access Forest Preserves events and amenities, or visit our partner organizations, the Chicago Botanic Garden and
the Brookfield Zoo. Best of all, it's free. To qualify, your group must have a minimum of 25 participants and demonstrate a need for transportation funding. In order to provide equal access, groups are limited to one free bus per calendar year. Learn more here.
Is your community group or nonprofit organization interested in visiting the Forest Preserves of Cook County? Have you been limited by the cost of transportation? Our Nature Express Bus program can help your group access Forest Preserves events and amenities, or visit our partner organizations, the Chicago Botanic Garden and
the Brookfield Zoo. Best of all, it's free. To qualify, your group must have a minimum of 25 participants and demonstrate a need for transportation funding. In order to provide equal access, groups are limited to one free bus per calendar year. Learn more here.
Local Farmers Markets:
Englewood: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022
Skokie: Sundays through November 6th, 2022
Hyde Park: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022
Englewood: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022
Skokie: Sundays through November 6th, 2022
Hyde Park: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022
Job Opportunities
Openlands is looking to hire two Garden and Nature Based Education Coordinators. Learn more here.
Cool Learning Experience is looking for a Deputy Director. Learn more here.
Please send us your job openings to be featured!
Cool Learning Experience is looking for a Deputy Director. Learn more here.
Please send us your job openings to be featured!
In the News
Overview: New Mountain Bike Trails
Representatives from the Cook County Board, Forest Preserves of Cook County and Chicago Area Mountain Bikers officially opened a new single-track trail system amid woodlands, grasslands and wetlands on Oct. 19 in the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve near Hoffman Estates. The 13.3 miles of single-track trails consist of 8 miles of trails on the west side and 5.3 miles on the east side. At 1,800 acres, Paul Douglas Preserve is one of the largest contiguous parcels of land in the Forest Preserves. Since a large wetland was restored along Poplar Creek, pied-billed grebes, ruddy ducks and state-endangered yellow-headed blackbirds once again nest in the area. The heron rookery attracts great blue heron pairs. Marsh marigolds and a variety of sedges populate the wetlands. Read more here. |
Overview: New Study Links Certain Risk of Obesity to Air Pollution
A study published recently in Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, reported that the more air pollution middle-aged women were exposed to, the greater was their risk of developing obesity. As reported by Korin Miller in an article published on Oct. 19 in Yahoo! Life, the researchers analyzed data from 1,654 women from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. The article noted, “Air pollution exposure was specifically linked to higher body fat, a higher proportion of fat and a lower lean body mass in women who are in their middle years.” The increased risk comes from more than staying indoors because of poor air quality; exposure to air pollution is tied to “increases in inflammation of fat tissue ‘along with a slew of other factors that are "tightly linked to obesity.’” It is important to acknowledge however, the importance of mitigating environmental justice in high pollution communities in order for the findings of this study to truly be put into practice. Read more here. |
Overview: DuPage County Forest Preserves Press Release
This month, a new 1.7 section of limestone trail in Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve in DuPage County connected the DuPage County Forest Preserve trails with the Elgin Branch of the Illinois Prairie Path. Read more here. Video and photo by Laura Derks. |
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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] 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 [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] 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 [email protected].