On Saturday, May 10, volunteers at Belmont River Club, Division Street, Clark Park, Fullerton Avenue, Lathrop Homes, North Avenue, and Wolf Point will join more than 2,700 other volunteers for Friends of the Chicago River's 11th Chicago River Rescue Day, Friends' river-edge clean up. Working at over 60 sites in Lake and Cook counties, hundreds of school children, community groups, corporate teams, families, and others will work together to clear the Chicago River of trash, sort for recycling, spruce up trails, and, in some areas, cut brush and plant indigenous species. Registration information can be obtained at (312) 939-0490, ext. 10, or at www.chicagoriver.org.
Founded in 1992 with 25 volunteers at one location, over the years Chicago River Rescue has attracted thousands of volunteers who have logged over 22,000 hours improving the Chicago River. At Chicago River Rescue last year, 2,500 volunteers cleared away 35 tons of trash including a ladder, barbed wire, animal bones, a parking curb, a television and refrigerator, railroad ties, a mattress with box springs and two cars! Yet at the same time participants reported, among other fauna, white tail deer, a Baltimore oriole, green heron, red eared turtles, kingfishers, opossum and a mink—proof that the efforts are making a difference.
Chicago River Rescue activities begin at 9 a.m. with a three-hour clean up at over 60 sites managed by trained volunteer site captains. The clean up is followed by a free volunteer appreciation picnic from noon until 3 p.m. at River Park at Foster and Francisco avenues. The picnic will feature a river celebration with great food, canoe rides, games, and an environmental fair. People interested in signing up should call Friends or go to www.chicagoriver.org.
For more information about the health of the Chicago River call (312) 939-0490, ext. 22.
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