Events
Join us for our upcoming events! Urban Rivers events are always free and open to everyone.
If you’d like to host an event with us, check out our event guidelines, then get in touch via our “contact” page! We’re happy to host community events year-round.
Featured
WMWS: Community Science with Sarah Zhou Rosengard
What is citizen science and community science? How can you use both art and science to get more involved in research on the Chicago River? Join SAIC Environmental Science professor Sarah Zhou Rosengard for a community science workshop on the Wild Mile! In this event, you will:
Learn about local community science initiatives
Make and test out your own river plastics collector
Bring home a number of other arts-based DIY community science tools and devices to help you bring river science into your everyday life
WMWS: Wild Mile Birding with Edward Warden
114 species of bird have been spotted at the Wild Mile. But how can we tell them apart? Chicago Ornithological Society president Edward Warden for a workshop on the river and learn how to find and identify birds Chicago’s many feathered friends. Edward will walk participants through the basics of bird identification, along with what a hopeful birder needs to get started looking for birds, and take participants in search of any currently nesting in or around the Chicago River. Some binoculars will be provided, but bring your own if you have them!
WMWS: Culinary Foraging with Dave Odd
Ready to learn more about the plants of Illinois’ waterways? Join forager and mentor of Dave Odd for an in-depth tour of the plant species that inhabit your favorite floating eco-park. Dave was a professional forager for high-end restaurants and celebrity chefs for over a decade, throughout Chicagoland and south Florida. He now dedicates his time to teaching the identification and use of edible and medicinal species through neighborhood foraging tours, guided hikes, and survival camps. Dave will lead an interactive walk-through of the Wild Mile and its plants, exploring their numerous applications!
WMWS: Community Science with Sarah Zhou Rosengard
Join SAIC Environmental Science professor Sarah Zhou Rosengard for a community science workshop on the Wild Mile! Learn about local community science initiatives, and artistic, DIY options for getting involved!
WMWS: Plastic Pollution Mosaics with Molly Biagi
Join Molly Biagi and Allison Kish to learn about plastic pollution! Only about 5% of plastic in the US is able to be recycled and when it's found in small bits on the ground or in the water there is a slim chance it will be reused in any way. Not all plastic is able to be recycled together, and when it's found in degraded states, it's hard to tell what is what. This might sound sad but we have the chance to give these plastic fragments a new life in the form of art! Join us in making colorful mosaic pieces while also learning a little bit about micro and macro plastics and how they affect our local ecosystems and environment.
Molly and Allison are both graduate students in Miami University’s Project Dragonfly program studying wildlife conservation, with knowledge ranging from endangered species monitoring, to microplastic surveying, to how we can create ecological change in our own communities.
Fishing the Chicago River: History, perspectives, spots, and techniques with Dale Bowman and Jeff Nolan
Sun-Times outdoors columnist Dale Bowman and veteran Chicago River fishing enthusiast Jeff Nolan will present on the history of fishing in Chicagoland, modern fishing hotspots, and basic fishing techniques!