Newsletter from Thursday, September 29th, 2022
Dear NCH2 Community,
Last week marked the beginning of astronomical fall as well as the Vernal Equinox on September 22nd, otherwise known in Latin as “equal night” when day and night are 12 hours long around the globe. Migrating monarchs have appeared more regularly as they make their way southward along with migrating warblers and other birds heading to their winter spots. With its predictable patterns, Nature reminds us of its resilience.
At this point in the school year with COVID protocols well-established, students have established routines, in-class time, and classroom expectations set. Today though many more young people are aware of and experience an underlying anxiety about being in school, about the world around them. In April of 2022, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend screening for anxiety in children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18. If pediatric health care providers put into practice this recommendation, we, at NCH2 truly believe that “time in nature” should be on the short list of antidotes to a parent or guardian. Children who naturally connect in nature will also be resilient with appropriate guidance and nature-based toolkit.
Enjoy this gorgeous time of year,
NCH2 Team
At this point in the school year with COVID protocols well-established, students have established routines, in-class time, and classroom expectations set. Today though many more young people are aware of and experience an underlying anxiety about being in school, about the world around them. In April of 2022, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend screening for anxiety in children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18. If pediatric health care providers put into practice this recommendation, we, at NCH2 truly believe that “time in nature” should be on the short list of antidotes to a parent or guardian. Children who naturally connect in nature will also be resilient with appropriate guidance and nature-based toolkit.
Enjoy this gorgeous time of year,
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: Brushwood Center Family Festival
Photo by Michael Kardas
Hosting its first in-person family festival since 2019, the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, offered community residents the chance this past Saturday. Many families attended the event to have fun, relax, enjoy the natural beauty of the woods, as well as performances and breathtaking photography in its current exhibit. They also had the opportunity to purchase art supplies for future use at the Brushwood Supply Exchange. Director of Community programs and Partnerships, Dani Aboud remarked about the steady stream of families attending the event, “Our work is all about the healing power of nature and creative expression, and building community with others. This year’s family festival provided a perfect way for us to invite the larger community to explore and create with us and experience a fun and healing day of activities at Brushwood Center.”
A Tree-mendous resource for Lake County, Brushwood offers unique experiences for all—exploring its surrounding forest, expressing these experiences in onsite art activities, and viewing renown art exhibitions. For more information click here.
A Tree-mendous resource for Lake County, Brushwood offers unique experiences for all—exploring its surrounding forest, expressing these experiences in onsite art activities, and viewing renown art exhibitions. For more information click here.
Upcoming Events
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Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards: Restoration
Date: October 1, 9, 15, 23, and 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 Flexfolks@comcast.net with any questions. RSVPs are helpful in case of changes. Learn more here. |
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Annual Arts and Crafts Fair:
Date: Sunday, October 2nd Time: 9-3 pm Location: Little Red School House 9800 Willow Springs Rd Willow Springs, IL 60480 We’re celebrating our 57th Annual Arts and Craft Fair! Art, of all styles, will be sold by artists inspired by nature. For more information, contact 708-839-6897, littlered.schoolhouse@cookcountyil.gov, or click here. |
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Awe of Nature Festival:
Date: October 5th Time: 11-3 pm Location: Midlothian Meadows W. 155th St, Midlothian, IL 60445 Thank you for your interest in attending the free Awe of Nature Festival 2022! The event will feature tons of fun nature-filled activities, such as hiking, biking, environmental education, a petting zoo, games, music and food! This free event is designed for the entire family and includes up to one free food ticket per person. Please register for the event using the form below. Only one form is required for families/groups 10 people or less. Youth 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. All participants will be required to complete a photo and liability waiver on site at the event. Read more here. |
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Future Events: Save the Date
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Ladd Arboretum Fall Stewardship Series: Healing the Land
Date: October 16th, 2022 Time: 1:00-2:30 pm Location: Evanston Ecology Center This fall, the Ecology Center is partnering with stewardship and urban forest experts to lead classes in the Ladd Arboretum! Participants will learn about the North Shore Channel Habitat Project, how to calculate the benefits of trees in their neighborhood, how ecosystems can be restored, how to landscape with native plants at home, and how to identify and remove invasive species. This week, Healing the Land! When the North Shore Channel opened in 1910, almost no native habitat remained. Learn how community efforts have restored a functioning ecosystem and pick up some tips to nurture healthy habits at home. To register, call the Ecology Center at 847-448-8256. |
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Faith in Place: Advocacy Champions Workshop
Date: Wednesday, October 5th Time: 7:00 CT Location: Zoom webinar Led by the Faith in Place Outreach and Policy Teams sponsored by the New Covenant Community. Register here. |
Local Farmers Markets:
North Chicago: Sundays through October 16th, 2022
Englewood: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022
Downtown Evanston: Saturdays through November 5th, 2022
Skokie: Sundays through November 6th, 2022
Highland Park: Wednesdays through October 26th, 2022
North Chicago: Sundays through October 16th, 2022
Englewood: Saturdays through October 29th, 2022
Downtown Evanston: Saturdays through November 5th, 2022
Skokie: Sundays through November 6th, 2022
Highland Park: Wednesdays through October 26th, 2022
Job Opportunities
Friends of the Forest Preserves seeks a BGI Crew Member to participate in the Friends Conservation Corps. More information here.
Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities seeks an Associate Director, Community Collaboration and Engagement. Learn more here.
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.
Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities seeks an Associate Director, Community Collaboration and Engagement. Learn more here.
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.
In the News
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Overview: Evanston Beaches to be More Accessible Next Year Wheelchair users will have access to Lake Michigan at all of Evanston’s six beaches next year. And at least two beaches will provide free beach wheelchairs that can maneuver over the sand to the water. Wheelchair-friendly Mobi-Mats such as the one at Clark Street Beach, will be installed at all six Evanston beaches before the 2023 swim season. Read more here. |
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Overview: Increased Health Risks in Freight Corridors
Freight is moving more slowly, and backups in rail lines and on highways are causing more pollutions for those living, working and driving in these areas, a recent Chicago Tribune article showed. Carbon dioxide from trucks increases global warming, and the soot and smog affect the health of workers and residents, wrote John Lippert in an article earlier this month. Delays in unloading trains have been “clogging up all 18 intermodal terminals that dot Chicago’s suburbs and its inner city.” As an example, he described Braceville, Ill., where trains would roar through at 80 mph but now can be stalled three or four days per week because workers cannot unload the docks quickly enough. One train “lingered so long schoolkids crawled underneath to get home.” Read more here. |
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Overview: Friendly National Parks
South Dakota's Badlands National Park was ranked as the most accessible in the country, according to a new survey — 17% of its trails accommodate wheelchairs, Alison Fox wrote this summer in travelandleisure.com. The study, by Aging in Place, ranked several national parks according to how accessible they are for those using a wheelchair. Grand Canyon National Park was ranked second, followed by Yellowstone National Park. The least accessible park was Pinnacles National Park in California, which has zero wheelchair-friendly trails and only 30.5% of its restaurants accommodate wheelchairs. Read more, including the full results of the survey here. |
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Overview: Still Some Hope for the Bell Bowl Prairie
A federal judge earlier this month dismissed a lawsuit aimed at protecting the Bell Bowl Prairie, which is in the path of expansion of the Rockford airport, according to an article earlier this month by Kevin Haas in the Rock River Current. But there is still hope for the prairie, the habitat of the endangered rusty patched bumblebee: The case was premature – “not ripe for review” – rather than dismissed on the merits. Results of a of a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service review on the effect construction would have on the bumble bee. Should the Federal Aviation Administration permit construction to go forward then, the case would merit review. “Bell Bowl Prairie is a native patch of land on the airport’s property that environmentalists say is one of the last remaining ancient gravel prairies in Illinois,” the article said. Read more here. |
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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 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 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.