Chicago Conservation Corps Blog » Partners

Chicago River Day 20/20 still has many events before River Day!

Sameera — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:27:12 +0000

Twenty years ago, Friends of the Chicago River started Chicago River Day with 25 volunteers who dragged shopping carts, mattresses, and plastic bags from its banks. Today, this inspiring event has grown to 4,000 volunteers at 65 locations along the Chicago River.

Celebrate this amazing milestone through Chicago River Day 20/20 – 20 days of events and activities that commemorate this milestone and get people involved. There is something for everyone so scroll through the calendar on the website and see what you can do. Events include lectures, tree planting, tours and, of course, Chicago River Day.

Climate Change Action Workshop for Community Organizations, 5/15, 10AM

Sameera — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:22:36 +0000

You are Invited to a May 15 Climate Change Action
Workshop for Community Organizations
at The Field Museum

What do daycare, cooking, public art, and gardens have to do with climate change? Come to the workshop and find out!

When: Tuesday, May 15, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (optional tour: 12-12:30)

Where: The Field Museum

RSVP: By May 4th to Kristie Edwards (kedwards@fieldmuseum.org or 312-665-7485) with your name, organization, and email. RSVP early – space is limited.

Parking: We have a few free parking spaces available in the Museum’s West Lot, to be given out to the first respondents who request them. Please request parking when you RSVP. You will receive a confirmation email indicating whether we are able to fulfill your request. Paid parking is available in the adjacent Soldier Field lot. We encourage participants to take public transit.

Co-Sponsor: Chicago Wilderness – this workshop is a Chicago Wilderness Climate Clinic

Details: The workshop will share climate change education and action materials from the Museum’s newly launched Chicago Community Climate Action Toolkit. Field Museum scientists will present tools that you can use to educate your community about climate change in the Chicago region and engage them in meaningful climate action work, and partners from Pilsen will share their experience transforming a vacant lot into a climate-friendly native play garden. Presentations will be followed by a brainstorm discussion among participants about how to use Toolkit materials in their ongoing work. The workshop will conclude with an optional guided tour of the Museum’s new Abbott Hall of Conservation Restoring Earth exhibition, focused on using it to educate communities about climate change in both global and local contexts.

Participants will receive free Museum admission for the day for themselves and a few friends or family, and a 2012 Family Pass for one day of free Museum admission to use by the end of this year.

Fifth Annual 10th Ward Green Summit 2012 Partner Kickoff Tomorrow!

Sameera — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:10:17 +0000

You Are Cordially Invited to the Fifth Annual 10th Ward Green Summit 2012 Partner Kickoff

April 27, 2012

Jovial Club

9615 S. Commercial Avenue

Chicago, IL 60617

9:00am Registration & Breakfast

9:30am-11:00am Program

RSVP to Graciela Robledo at 773.734.9181 Ext. 14 or gracer@claretianassociates.org

Claretian Associates – in cooperation with dozens of community organizations – will be hosting the fifth annual 10^th Ward Green Summit Kick Off on Friday, April 27. The kick off begins at 9 a.m. at the Jovial Club at 9615 S. Commercial Avenue, Chicago.

The mission of the 10^th Ward Green Summit is to offer area residents a cohesive presentation of currently available green, eco-friendly and healthy initiatives designed to enhance the community’s quality of life and promote economic development, by taking into consideration the communities cultural and economic diversity. This year’s summit will feature events from neighborhood clean up, recycling electronics, to environmental tours, and much more.

The 10^th Ward Green Summit has attracted an audience that has doubled each year. Since its conception in 2008, 400 people participated in this daylong event. Now we host a month-long series of activities, that served 2,500 local residents and visitors in 2011.

Homegrown Chicago Accepting Applications

Sameera — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:40:49 +0000

The HomeGrown Chicago community food garden network, sponsored by Openlands, is a training program that focuses on fostering neighborhood groups to assess, plan for, and build long-term stewardship for community-managed green spaces.

The objectives of the program are to promote increased growing and consumption of healthy and affordable local food, establish productive uses for vacant lots, build personal connections among neighbors, and reinforce a citywide network of local gardeners for the exchange of ideas and experiences.

HomeGrown Chicago provides participants a series of four workshops (see schedule below) annually that focus on:

Finding and securing land,
Establishing a sustainable organizational structure,
Designing a garden and growing food organically, and
Building garden structures.

The program also provides customized workshops for garden groups; offers a program manual; donates lumber, soil, seeds, and other materials; and encourages participants to share advice and seeds at the beginning of each growing season.

Workshop 1- March 24, 2012 – 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet successful allotment gardeners and learn the history of this movement. Learn how to find, test and secure land for your garden.
Workshop 2- March 31, 2012 – 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Learn how to establish a healthy organization as the first step to ensure that the garden is run effectively, cooperatively and sustainably.
Workshop 3- April 7, 2012 – 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Designing the garden, and growing vegetables organically.
Workshop 4- April 14, 2012 – 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Hands-on demonstrations of building & installing garden structures such as raised beds & trellises in a garden.

Workshop participants will receive a manual, garden materials, technical assistance and membership in the HomeGrown Chicago Food Garden Network.

Registration: HomeGrown is for groups, not individuals. A minimum of 4 people from each garden is suggested. Tuition for the program is $150.00 for four members and four classes. Registration is limited and starts January 13, 2012 , ends March 10, 2012. For an application contact Julie Samuels (312.863.6256) or click here.

-Openlands

Chicago Cares Workday at Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, February 11th, 9AM

Sameera — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:38:53 +0000

Explore Garden Stewardship

Chicago Cares Workday at Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse

Saturday, February 11th

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse

3501 N. Kilbourn

For more information, contact 773-685-3359.

Kilbourn Park is home to the Park District’s only organic facility. There is a large greenhouse and a variety of gardens to work in. You will help plant, create new beds, and maintain the indoor and outdoor areas. Projects are held inside of the greenhouse during inclement weather. All necessary tools will be provided.

Shedd’s Sustainable Seafood Cooking Class for Kids, February 9th, 7:30PM

Sameera — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:35:47 +0000

Explore Sustainable Seafood

Shedd’s Sustainable Seafood Cooking Class for Kids

Thursday, February 9th

7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Dirk’s Fish and Gourmet Shop

2070 N Clybourn

For more information, contact bhavlik@sheddaquarium.org.

Did you know your seafood choices can have a big impact on the health of our waters? Everyone can make a differe

Featured Event! Friends of the Parks MLK Jr. Service Day at Whistler Woods, Jan 16th, 9AM

Sameera — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:29:34 +0000

Explore Outdoor Stewardship

Monday, January 16th

Whistler Woods, S Halsted St & W 134th St.

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

RSVP to Mary Eileen Sullivan at sullivanme@fotp.org.

Join Friends of the Parks and Calumet Is My Backyard (C.I.M.B.Y.) at Whistler Woods to celebrate Martin Luther King Day by providing stewardship work. Volunteers will be doing various outdoor stewardship activities to restore the woods. Dress in layers and be prepared to get your hands dirty.

C3 and CSI talk with WBEZ about Hegewisch Marsh

Britt — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:45:12 +0000

Joann Podkul of CSI

Check out this great coverage of C3 and Calumet Stewardship Initiative volunteers working in vernal pools at Hegewisch Marsh over the weekend. Michael Puente from WBEZ joined us to help uncover the great restoration and open space preservation work happening in the area.

Greencorps Calumet

This work would not be possible without the dedicated investment and leadership from community leaders (who are also C3 leaders) like Joann Podkul and Kevin Murphy of the Calumet Stewardship Initiative, Sharon Rolek of the Calumet Ecological Park Association and many more. Thank you to everyone that helped to make the day a great experience for all!

Vernal pool planting

To get involved in stewardship opportunities throughout Chicago in unique and beautiful nature areas right in your backyard, visit the C3 event calendar

Winners of the C3 River Day Challenge Announced

Britt — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:20:23 +0000

C3 volunteers across the city came out in droves in support of the 19th annual Chicago River Day! Nearly 125 C3 leaders, teachers, students and staff worked on 10 different riverside clean-up locations to demonstrate their dedication to a healthy and functioning river ecosystem.

C3 volunteers from the north and south sides of Chicago organized their regions in a spirited stewardship competition. The region with the greatest C3 representation on River Day will go home the winner. An added bonus, one C3er from each region was entered into a raffle to win a prize generously donated from two local Chicago businesses.

And now, to announce the winners

The winning region of the C3 River Day Challenge is….
THE SOUTH SIDE REGION and all the participants from the following sites:
Origins Park
Riverside Mall
18th Street
Orange Line Ashland stop

The south side winner of the the FREE BIKE TUNE-UP from Blue City Cycles in Bridgeport is C3 leader: WYLANDA HARRIS!

The north side winner of a 50$ gift certificate from Crust Organic Eatery is C3 trainee in the most recent leadership training course: ANNA HUTTEL!

Congratulations!

Thank you so much to all who participated in the event! A big thank you to Friends of the Chicago River for hosting a great event! An extra special thanks to Blue City Cycles and Crust Organic Pizzeria for the generous donations.

Chicago River Named the 4th Most Endangered

Britt — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:14:16 +0000

Repost from Friends of the Chicago River Executive Director Margaret Frisbie.

This morning American Rivers named the Chicago River 4th on its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers because of the continued release of undisinfected sewage effluent from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s (MWRD) sewage treatment plants. This archaic practice leaves recreators at risk from human sewage-based pathogens that can cause illness, especially in children.

American Rivers called on the Illinois Pollution Control Board to approve the proposed water quality standards for the Chicago River that have not been reviewed in more than two decades. These standards would require the MWRD to disinfect sewage effluent. Last week, US EPA said many portions of the river could and should be clean enough for swimming.

Find out what you can do to support the river and take action www.americanrivers.org/ChicagoRiver

Partners in Most Endangered River include Friends of the Chicago River, Environmental Law & Policy Center and Natural Resources Defense Council.