Late Summer Shenanigans - Get Involved!
New install, remote volunteer opportunity, and many many cool events!
Wildlife Photos - Remote Volunteer Opportunity!
Since late 2023, a diligent volunteer group called the Camera Crew has been working to systematize how we place and manage our dozens of wildlife cameras. The resulting images (including some real gems) need to be examined and classified by volunteers like YOU, so we can turn them into data about how wildlife use the Chicago River! Here’s a sweet video featuring Executive Director Nick Wesley explaining this opportunity in more depth, and a full video tutorial to get you started!
The super-cool part? One of our BRILLIANT River Rangers has come up with some neat tech that helps filter out images with NO animals! That means you’ll be getting more fun pictures of turtles and herons, and fewer pictures of just grass! Sign up - you’ll love it!
Block Party Success
Our 4th Annual Wild Mile Block Party was a huge success! Huge thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us, as well as to our many partner organizations and sponsors who made the event possible.
We had over 1,000 attendees - our largest crowd to date - and also raised a record amount of money on the day of the event! All proceeds will go directly towards supporting our mission of transforming urban waterways into wildlife sanctuaries. Come back next year for round 5!
Bubbly Creek Installation
If you’ve been wanting to get involved with a garden installation, you’re in luck! We’ll be adding an additional garden to our Bubbly Creek installation this FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. You can create a volunteer account here to sign up to help out! If you can’t make it, just remember to swing by Canal Origins Park to check out the final product sometime this summer!
August Events
If you haven’t stopped by the Wild Mile to see the Swamp Rosemallow lately, GET ON IT!! It’s gorgeous, seriously. If you need an excuse, swing by one of our many awesome events this month! Event descriptions and RSVP links can always be found on the events page of our website.
Wild Mile Workshop - Soil Safari with Nance Klehm: August 7th, 6 - 8pm
Late Summer Wild Mile Native Plant Tour: August 9th, 11 - 12:30pm
River Ranger Social: August 13th, 6-7:30pm, (Off Color Brewing)
Wild Mile Workshop - Photo Walk with Jah Brown: August 14th, 6 - 8pm
Wild Mile Walking Tour: August 17th, 11am
Wild Mile Walking Tour: August 20th, 5:30pm
Wild Mile S’mores Night: August 20th, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Wild Mile Workshop - BAT NIGHT with Maggie Jones and Liza Lehrer: August 22nd, 6 - 8pm
Fishing on the Wild Mile: August 23rd, 10am-2pm
Wild Mile Workshop - Macroinvertebrates with Ellie Wailewski: August 28th, 6 - 7:30pm
Partner Events at the Wild Mile:
CatJam Chicago Acoustic Jam Session: Wednesday evenings (August 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th), 7 - 10pm.
Seasons of Care: Wild Mile Projections: August 2nd, 9th, and 16th, 9 - 9:30pm
Wild Mile Yoga with Grace Pisula: Sundays (August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st), 5 - 6pm
Read and Run Chicago Outdoor Gathering on the Wild Mile: August 18th, 6:30 - 8:30pm
Rough House Arts “Puppets in Progress”: August 24th, 1 - 4pm
Stop Motion Plant Salon: August 24th, 5:30pm
Chicago Textile Center Meet-and-Greet: August 29th 5:30-7:30
Office Insights
As you may have heard (assuming you made it this far in the newsletter) - we’re installing a new garden this weekend! We asked our office what they’re most looking forward to about the install.
Maya: “Not having had to drive anyone to the ER. Yet.”
Nick: “The Park District giving us our permit on time! Please god please god please god please….”
River Ranger Joe: “Everything! My first experience with Urban Rivers was the 2022 Bubbly install, so it’s very nostalgic for me”
Phil: “I like the plants”
Stephen: “I’m excited to work three fourteen-hour days in a row! Our install shifts are only scheduled for eight, but I’ll find a way to work a full fourteen”
Sage: “Not being there. This got rescheduled with a week’s notice and I am NOT cancelling my weekend travel plans for this. Good luck to everyone else - peace!”
Bubba: “Distracted humans means more chances to steal food and eat roadkill”