Chicago River Restoration Wins Award

Friends of the Chicago River is proud to announce that our work at Edgebrook Woods has won a Conservation and Native Landscaping Award from Chicago Wilderness. Friends' award was earned for our efforts to transform Edgebrook Woods into a healthy ecosystem, including improving the riverbank and upland conditions while reducing stormwater runoff.  

Edgebrook Woods is part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County and was previously overrun with invasive species, like buckthorn and garlic mustard, which were preventing healthy growth of native plants and causing erosion. Over the last five years Friends and 1,300 volunteers, who logged 5,000 hours, dramatically improved the landscape at Edgebrook Woods which now flourishes with beautiful prairie plants that are the foundation of good habitat and prevent the soil from being swept away into the river.