River Champions: Celebrating the Chicago River’s Global Recognition
In November at the International River Foundation’s Satellite Event — Global River Champions: Inspiring the River Revolution Around the World — river advocates, scientists, and leaders from across the globe gathered online to celebrate innovation and leadership in river restoration, featuring the action and advocacy of Friends of the Chicago River. At the event, John Quail, Friends’ Conservation and Policy Director, shared how decades of Friends’ leadership, collaboration, persistence, and a clear mission and vision have transformed the Chicago-Calumet River system.
In his presentation, Quail emphasized that a multi-pronged approach combined with collaboration and persistence, and a clear mission, and vision, are the essential tools for transformative change. Quail noted that Friends is the only organization solely dedicated to transforming the 156-mile Chicago-Calumet River system.The special event spotlighted Friends as the 2025 Thiess International River Prize winner and the finalists —the Cumbria Rivers (UK), Klamath River (USA), and Vjosa River (Albania) — each recognized for their exceptional commitment to restoring and protecting river ecosystems.
“Real change takes time, commitment, connection, and a multifaceted approach to the work,” Quail said. “The Chicago-Calumet River system’s transformation shows that when communities, governments, and advocates unite behind a shared vision, we can bring a river system back to life. The river system’s success is not the end of the story, but a call to action for cities around the world.”
Through hands-on stewardship, education, community engagement, and bold policy and planning advocacy, Friends has driven lasting change for the river, its people, and wildlife — creating a healthier, biodiverse, and climate-resilient river ecosystem. These efforts help empower communities to better adapt to the growing impacts of climate change while reconnecting to river.
Highlighting Friends’ strategic work to create long-term, positive outcomes, Quail pointed to the River Shallows Project, which recently completed a Final Designs for Chicago-Calumet River Shallows Restoration report, a key step in the initiative to expand native aquatic plantings within the Chicago-Calumet River system. Funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund, the report contains a detailed analysis of conditions of the shallows across the river system, 75% of which still has natural banks. The assessment provides guidance on the best places to plant native emergent plants. These plants will increase quality habitat for wildlife, strengthen natural infrastructure, and minimize climate change impacts on river-edge habitats and communities.
Quail said the multi-pronged work of Friends, our partners, and government agencies, culminated this year in the inaugural Chicago River Swim, which garnered worldwide attention with over three billon media impressions showcasing the Chicago River’s renaissance.
Preceding his presentation this week, Crain’s Chicago Business named Quail as a 2025 Notable Leader in Sustainability, a prestigious group of 56 professionals “advancing sustainable practices across business, government, education, and the nonprofit sector.” With this honor, Quail joins Friends’ Planning Director Adam Flickinger and Executive Director Margaret Frisbie who were named Notable Leaders in Sustainability in 2024 and 2022, respectively.
Awarded since 1999, the Thiess International River Prize honors trailblazing organizations that advance lasting ecological, social, and economic benefits worldwide.
