Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund

IECEF is building advocates for conservation among Chicago’s decision-makers by using resources and expertise as a coalition builder to create a louder voice for members of environmental and social justice communities and their causes.

Field Museum of Natural History

The Field Museum is building from early pandemic experiences to create replicable models that transform the environment from a concern separate from community wellbeing to clearly illustrate its central role in our health and welfare.

Audubon Great Lakes

Audubon Great Lakes is building upon existing work in Calumet to deepen engagement with communities and partners through a variety of engagement, research, and restoration activities across the region.

Friends of the Parks

Friends of the Parks’ Last Four Miles (L4M) is an advocacy initiative to complete Chicago's lakefront park system and to inspire, equip, and mobilize groups of community organizers and advocates for nature-based solutions along Chicago's lakefront.

The Wetlands Initiative

The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) is working at Indian Ridge Marsh - North, a degraded urban wetland site in the Calumet region on Chicago’s Southeast Side, to modify and improve the shoreline to benefit rare wetland-dependent birds and to improve this public site for access and enjoyment by the surrounding underserved communities.

Chicago Region Trees Initiative

This project connects sustainability-minded corporations with impactful projects and dedicated partners to enable companies to achieve their goals related to areas such as environment, equity, energy, climate, and health.

Urban Growers Collective

This project will advance plans for nature-based green stormwater infrastructure, community engagement and experiential education at UGC’s new Urban Farm Campus and Community Education Center.

University of Illinois — Professor Don Wuebbles

This project uses newly-developed, high-resolution, climate models to identify and assess nature-based solutions around climate extremes.

University of Illinois — Professor Mary Pat McGuire

Depave Chicago will partner with the Depave Portland (OR) program to launch a training and consultation initiative.

Openlands

Openlands, in partnership with the Field Museum and the Forest Preserves of Cook County, is restoring open spaces and strengthening community connections at Beaubien Woods, the Ton Farm historic site, and other areas along the Little Calumet River.

Northwestern University — Professor Teresa Horton

This project aims to expand the cohort of researchers, conservation, and healthcare practitioners that comprise the NCH2 network, whose goal is to facilitate relationship development and collaboration around nature-based solutions.

The Nature Conservancy in Illinois (TNC)

Through two projects, TNC aims to create a model for engaging neighbors and co-creating projects that help people and nature thrive.

Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)

MPC is working with Emerald South Development Corporation to incorporate green infrastructure installations into MPC’s StormStore program.

Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)

LVEJO is developing a shared commercial kitchen space for low-income food cart vendors in Little Village.

Elevated Chicago

In collaboration with community and non-profit partners, Elevated Chicago will launch demonstration projects that showcase how nature-based solutions can enhance equitable transit-oriented development.

Garfield Park Community Council (GPCC)

As part of the ongoing Garfield Park Resilient Corridor project, GPCC is establishing: a fruit orchard and stormwater management project, a nature-based play space, and affordable carbon-neutral housing.

Delta Institute

The Delta Institute is installing green infrastructure on vacant lots identified in partnership with the Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, and measuring the impact on biodiversity.

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

The Brushwood Center’s Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator is activating healthcare investment in nature-based solutions.

Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC)

In partnership with Northwestern University and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), AGC is using its new Catalyst Southwest community hub as a research site for nature-based solutions.

Healthy Schools Campaign

This undertaking uses green stormwater infrastructure and natural features to transform schoolyards and foster daily connection to nature, support nature-based play and learning, and build community and climate resilience. This project involves community engagement and design of new schoolyards in underserved communities, training teachers, and working with partner organizations to define a citywide strategy for maintaining GSI installations.

Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)

CNT is identifying leaders across several Calumet municipalities and equipping them with the tools and training necessary to identify local challenges and solutions, and improve their capacity to pursue nature-based solutions that advance water resiliency, climate justice, racial equity, and public health.

Blacks in Green

Blacks in Green is developing a comprehensive land use and green infrastructure plan for the West Woodlawn neighborhood in alignment with its Sustainable Square Mile principles.

Friends of the Chicago River

The recently formed Chicago-Calumet River Watershed Council will work with the Trust for Public Land to develop an adaptation of TPL’s Climate Smart Cities decision-support tool that will enable stakeholders to prioritize multi-benefit, nature-based projects more effectively in the region’s main watersheds. The Watershed Council will also begin a multi-benefit ecosystem restoration project at Indian Ridge Marsh South that will enable real-time testing and ground-truthing of the tool.

Grow Greater Englewood

Grow Greater Englewood is pursuing planning and community engagement around the proposed new rails-to-trails public green space in the community.