Cheering for the Cold; Inside, Out & About Features Inspiring Leaders; Be Part of Change; Perils of Road Salt for River Life; Bridgehouse Museum Makes Memorable Events
Cheering for the Cold
At this time of year at Friends we are always grateful for a deep freeze. Despite grumblings of some, we know the cold dip in temperatures creates good conditions for ecological restoration work that requires large equipment because the frozen ground protects the soil and plants from harm.
Cold weather and frozen ground is why the removal of woody invasive species and low-quality trees is primarily targeted to happen during the winter months. However, as noted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA, “Soil is a living and life-giving natural resource.” So, we take great care to mitigate disturbances to the soil during winter restoration. Compacted soil with fewer natural voids not only prevents stormwater infiltration but also restricts the root growth of plants, affects nutrient uptake, and reduces places for animals to burrow.
Every winter, as we work to expand the footprint of healthy plant communities, and all of the benefits they bring with them, Friends coordinates closely with our contractors to monitor site conditions so we can quickly mobilize when conditions allow for work at targeted sites. Removal of invasive species enables sunlight to reach the ground allowing native species to flourish again. Unlike invasive species, native plants have deep root systems which enable greater stormwater infiltration. By holding stormwater instead of having quick runoff, we see less erosion and higher quality water over time.
With good cold weather work days this season we anticipate the restoration of approximately of 77 acres in the Palos-Sag Valley region including 49 acres of turtle nesting habitat near the Cal-Sag Channel. By clearing woody invasive species, female turtles have more options of areas to nest and their nests experience less predation. Friends’ habitat improvement effort has resulted in a 60% increase in turtle nesting success at those sites. Friends and the Forest Preserves of Cook County identified turtles as water-dependent animals already present in the river system whose reproductive success could benefit from help. Since 2015, Friends has worked on 135 acres of river turtle habitat restoration.
At McClaughrey Springs Woods work commences to clear nuisance trees and invasive plant species. The project’s goals are to increase light levels to the ground which will result in an increase in native plant cover and better the overall habitat.
Last year Friends’ winter restoration covered over 170 acres including a 129-acre restoration project at Country Lane Woods as part of our continuing work in the open spaces around Crooked Creek. Near the Cal-Sag Channel 41 acres were cleared for turtle nesting habitat.
Keep an eye on Friends’ social media pages and our website for updates on all of our restoration work. Thanks to the Forest Preserves of Cook County for their partnership in all of these projects as well as the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and a Chicago-based family foundation for supporting this important work.
Photo: A mower us used to remove buckthorn and other invasive species at Sweet Woods in Glenwood, Ill.
This Year Inside, Out & About Features Inspiring Leaders and Ideas
Our Inside, Out & About podcast series is expanding in its second year to feature people whose work inspires action and advocacy for the natural world; advancing ideas and strategies of how we can all work together to and improve and protect the river system for people, plants, and animals.
In our first podcast series launched in January last year, we explored locations along the Chicago and Calumet rivers including the Chicago Portage National Historic Site, Bubbly Creek, and beautiful river-edge forest preserves. Among the array of topics covered in the inaugural series were interviews with wildlife experts about river life including turtles, bats, and osprey. We also heard from notable guests such as Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Kolbert and environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb author of “Eager: The Surprising Secret Lives of Beavers and Why They Matter.”
The featured guests on the first episode of this year’s series are the recipients of our 2021 River Commitment Awards. These individuals are exceptional leaders on behalf of the river system who inspire others to get involved to improve and protect it.
We hear from Matt Renfree, senior program specialist at the Chicago Park District, who discusses how his passion for the river led him to create the innovative River Lab to help kids and families learn about the ecology of the river system. Renfree was named Friends’ 2021 River Champion.
Jeff Skrentny, a stewardship leader at LaBagh Woods located on the Upper North Branch of the Chicago River, discusses how his volunteer team reinforced the importance and value of LaBagh Woods as a critical location for migrating birds. He enthusiastically describes how the team has worked for the last eight years to remove harmful invasive plant species and replace them with nearly 50 species of approved and locally grown native shrubs. Skrentny is the 2021 Spirit of the River recipient.
While not available for a full interview for this full episode, we hear Katherine Tellock, describe in an interview on WBEZ Radio how she was inspired by Chicago River Day to start Cleanup Club Chicago, a new organization of dedicated volunteers making Chicago cleaner and healthier by picking up litter in public places. Tellock is our 2021 Volunteer of the Year. You can link to Tellock’s full interview on WBEZ’s Reset program from our website.
Stay tuned for more Inside, Out & About events and educational programing this year.
Photo: Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River (center) with Jeff Skrentny (left) and Matt Renfree.
Be Part of Change by Learning History on the African American Heritage Water Trail
Connecting the past to the present is critical for our understanding how our rivers are central to our community. Friends is proud to be one of the early partners to collaborate with Openlands to create the African American Heritage Water Trail in the Calumet region which was featured recently in a New York Times story titled “52 Places for a Changed World”. Our work to facilitate paddles with local partners created opportunities for people to experience the trail safely from the water and still does.
The Times’ feature list, which will appear in the printed version of the newspaper January 16, highlights places worldwide where “endangered wildlands are being preserved, threatened species are being protected, historical wrongs are being acknowledged, fragile communities are being bolstered – and where travelers can be part of the change.”
The seven-mile African American Heritage Water Trail highlights nearly two centuries of stories about African Americans who fought for freedom and equality. The Little Calumet River ties these stories together, starting with the freedom seekers who used the Underground Railroad to find shelter at Ton Farm. One of few documented stops on the Underground Railroad, the Ton Farm is now home to Chicago’s Finest Marina, the oldest black-owned marina in the Chicago region which was built in the 1950s for African American families and boaters who experienced discrimination at other marinas.
“It’s wonderful to see the water trail spotlighted to reader across the country,” said Friends’ Volunteer and Events Coordinator Annette Anderson who organizes canoe paddles along the water trail. “There is such a rich history along the Calumet River, and so many stories of remarkable African American courage, perseverance, and dedication to justice. It’s was an honor to work with Openlands to launch the inaugural paddle on the water trail in 2020 and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with them and people from the Calumet community.”
The Little Calumet is designated as an intermediate level for paddlers. Beginner paddlers should travel with experienced guides for safety. People can visit the sites by car too. A brochure detailing the African American Heritage Water Trail is available to download here.
Photo: Paddlers approach the Indiana Avenue bridge. Insert: Abolitionists George Dolton and his sons built a ferry in 1836 to cross the river. Freedom seekers crossed the river at present day Indiana Avenue on their way to Canada.
The Perils of Road Salt for River Life
Snow means salt on our sidewalks and streets, and that isn’t necessarily a good thing for the health of the Chicago River system.
On WBEZ Radio last week, Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, and Karen Weigert, sustainability contributor to WBEZ’s Reset program, discussed the harmful effects of salt on the river system.
Known as the “first flush,” pollution from stormwater runoff is most concentrated during the initial surface runoff of a rain/snow event. In winter months, it almost always includes road salt which is of great concern for river life because it is toxic to fish, plants, and other aquatic life, and once it is in the water it persists. One teaspoon of road salt can permanently contaminate five gallons of water.
In addition to waterways and groundwater, road salt affects native species the most. The hardest-hit species tend to be native ones not evolved to deal with the salinity. That reduces biodiversity down to the fewer native species that can tolerate road salt and gives invasive species an edge. Salt can also accumulate in soil near heavily treated roads or sidewalks, and draw moisture out of a plant’s roots, drying out the entire plant. A recent report by the Center for Limnology at University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that Lake Michigan is getting saltier. WXPR public radio in Wisconsin reports, “Lake Michigan used to sit at a salinity level of one to two milligrams of chloride per liter of lake water. Now, that concentration has risen to nearly 15 milligrams per liter.”
Helpful tips for how to use and reduce the use of road salt:
- Shovel first: salting before shoveling wastes salt.
- Apply salt only where needed: around steps, the path to your car, and leading up to your household door.
- More salt is not always better. A 12 oz. cup holds enough salt to spread across 500 square feet or about 80 feet of sidewalk.
- When spreading salt, avoid clumps or piles; if salt is leftover after a snow event then you put too much down.
- Salt takes longer to work the colder it gets. Switch to a salt blend formulated to work in colder temperatures below 15 degrees.
- After a storm, sweep up the excess salt to use it again.
- Tell your elected officials to use less which saves tax payers money and helps the river too.
Unique Bridgehouse Museum Makes
Memorable Events
The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum offers one of the most unique and memorable locations for special events in the City. Start planning now to host a special event at the Bridgehouse Museum which opens to the public for the 2022 season on Chicago River Day May 14.
Located in the southwest bridgehouse of the historic DuSable Bridge on Michigan Avenue, the museum tells the story of how the Chicago River system changed as people's use of it changed. The five-story museum showcases a river teeming with wildlife due in large part to hard fought water-quality victories and significant restoration efforts. The Bridgehouse Museum also celebrates Chicago’s world-famous movable bridges and allows guests a rare, up-close look at the massive gears and inner-workings of the bridge.
The Bridgehouse Museum offers rentals for events such as private dinners, cocktail parties, wedding ceremonies and receptions, and bridge lift breakfasts. The interior of the Bridgehouse Museum is a unique and rustic space made up of five floors, complete with exposed brick walls and steel beams. With roughly 1,200 sq. ft. of space and a capacity of 79 people indoors, it is ideal for intimate receptions, both private and corporate. Each rental also includes the use of our riverwalk plaza, with spectacular views of the river and downtown Chicago visible only from our unique space.
To learn more about the Bridgehouse Museum watch a WGN News interview of Museum Director Josh Coles about the museum’s participation in Open House Chicago last year. For additional information or to schedule a venue tour, contact Coles at jcoles@chicagoriver.org or fill out an online request here.
Single-Use Plastics Ordinance Starts Tuesday in Chicago
Don’t get surly if your favorite restaurant doesn’t provide you plastic utensils next week. Effective this Tuesday, January 18 Chicago’s food establishments are required to provide single-use foodware only upon request or at self-service stations. The establishments will be complying with the City of Chicago’s Single-Use Foodware Ordinance which was passed by the City Council in September. However Friends is critical of this ordinance since it fails to go far enough to curb plastic pollution and eliminate polystyrene used in foam takeout containers and drinking cups. While the ordinance bans restaurants from giving out single-use utensils, stirrers, toothpicks, napkins, cup sleeves and disposable plates unless requested, it exempts drive-thru restaurants, airports, and charity food giveaways from the rule. The ban also doesn’t include straws, cup lids or food takeout containers, or apply to self-service stations.
Say NO to Invasive Carp
Friends supports efforts by the bipartisan Council of Great Lakes Governors who are calling on Congress to provide funding for the remaining large-scale engineering effort to keep invasive carp out the Chicago River system and the Great Lakes. Please voice your support too. Visit Friends’ website for more information and how to contact your member of Congress.
Help People and Nature on MLK Day
Our partners at the Forest Preserves of Cook County are hosting a Day of Service on Monday, January 17 to honor the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Participants will be provided garbage bags and gloves for self-led litter cleanups at 10 locations throughout the county. Or join our partners from Friends of the Forest Preserves at Kickapoo Woods from in Riverdale, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help remove invasive shrubs. Contact Gloria Orozco, Calumet Field Organizer for FOFTP at gloria@fotfp.org with questions. Clean healthy natural spaces make people and nature strong.
Submit Your Ideas for Cook County’s Bike Plan
Cook County is creating the region’s first-ever bike plan which supports Friends’ vision of the river as a blue-green corridor of connected open space. The county offers a website to view an interactive map, take a survey, and submit your ideas. The county plans to finish the bike plan this summer.
Friends of the Chicago River | 411 S. Wells Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60607
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