Collective Action is Vital for a More Climate Resilient Region

Today’s headline in the Chicago Sun-Times looks bleak, but the fact is the river is alive with people and wildlife, and a booming riverfront economy. And, for the first time, people care about what happens in and along the river, after decades when there were not very many of us out there fighting for the river’s health.

As the story makes clear, one of the greatest threats looming right now is the climate crisis which causes devasting rainstorms which flood our communities and poisons our river. This is why Friends of the Chicago River founded the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance six years ago to drive natural solutions on a regional scale. The 55-member Watershed Alliance coordinates work among public agencies, conservation groups, nonprofit organizations, research institutions, and other practitioners to build collective efforts for policies, projects, and programs that advance the implementation of multi-benefit nature-based solutions for a more resilient Chicago region.

Our vision? The region transformed into a vast green resilient thriving ecosystem using the ecological power of native plants which is bright and provides great hope for the river that has come so far.