Catalyzing Restoration and Flood Alleviation in Calumet for Birds and People
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.
Demonstrating Urban Wetland Shoreline Improvement at Indian Ridge Marsh North
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.
Green Era Renewable Energy and Urban Farm Campus
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.
Depave Chicago: Creating a Depave Network Program to Renature Surface Parking Lots in the Chicago Region
University of Illinois — Professor Mary Pat McGuire
Depave Chicago will partner with the Depave Portland (OR) program to launch a training and consultation initiative.
Biodiversity and Community in the Calumet: Creating Access and Restoring Open Spaces Along the Little Calumet River
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.
Nature, Culture, and Human Health Network (NCH2)
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.
South and West Side Health and Nature
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.
Terra Firma Project—Research and Demonstration Pilots
Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)
MPC is working with Emerald South Development Corporation to incorporate green infrastructure installations into MPC’s StormStore program.
Proyecto Mi Villita
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)
LVEJO is developing a shared commercial kitchen space for low-income food cart vendors in Little Village.
Nature-Based Solutions for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (NBS 4 eTOD)
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 Resilient Corridor
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.
Space to Grow: Greening Chicago Schoolyards
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.
An Integrated Water, Ecology and Utility Hub Plan for West Woodlawn
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.
Chicago-Calumet River Watershed Council
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.
Englewood Nature Trail for Environmental Sustainability
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.