Collaborative Ideas Flow at Chicago River Summit
More than 150 national and local experts exchanged ideas and shared experiences and perspectives about the important intersections of watershed planning, climate justice, and environmental health at Friends’ 20th anniversary Chicago River Summit: Linking Watersheds, last week.
Convened in partnership with the Chicago Wilderness Alliance, the summit recognized the importance of a wide-spanning diversity of voices that is necessary to create a resilient Chicago-Calumet River watershed. Among the informative topics discussed were indigenous perspectives on water resource management, lessons on the importance of inclusive partnerships, and ways cities can improve resilience and equity in urban water systems.
Attendees overwhelmingly expressed the importance of the summit to build regional collaboration and innovative partnerships to advance critical climate policy and watershed planning projects throughout the region.
Grant Poole, a water quality specialist, and Andrea Jackson, a spiritual leader and water walker, both of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, presented indigenous perspectives on water resource management that included an overview of the tribe’s stewardship of the Dowagiac River. They shared insights on how they build support for their river restoration projects which include dam removal, re-meandering, and other restoration techniques, as well as the cultural significance of their work. Jackson reminded the audience that as a culture they always think of the lives of the people who are seven generations ahead of them.
Jenny Sunday, Green Infrastructure Program Manager at NYC Parks, discussed strategies of inter-agency coordination, community engagement, and policy frameworks shaping the $3.5 billion investment in stormwater management in New York City’s park system, which includes massive and micro restoration and green infrastructure. Her presentation included transferable lessons on how cities can improve resilience and equity in urban water systems. In New York City a climate-stressed city is viewed as the new normal and they are planning accordingly.
Kelli Paige, Former NOAA Equity, Partnerships, and Service Delivery Lead (Federal) at U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System presented the importance of inclusive partnerships in watershed management. Paige also discussed the role of federal agencies in supporting local partners in building climate resilience and environmental equity.
Other speakers included Ted Haffner, Chicago Wilderness Alliance; Zack Ater, Peggy Notebaert nature Museum; Kurt Woolford, executive director, Lake County Stormwater Water Management; Holly Hudson, senior aquatic biologist, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning; and Danielle Gallet, Founding Principal + Water Strategist at Waterwell.
The formal event closed with A Watershed Moment Possibility Panel moderated by Friends’ Director of Policy and Conservation, John Quail, which included several of the summit’s presenters as well as Friends’ Executive Director Margaret Frisbie. Each of the panelists shared their visions for a bright future where nature and cities are no longer viewed as mutually exclusive and we all work together to make it so.
We thank our generous sponsors for their support of the summit: Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Hey and Associates, Resource Environmental Solutions, Stantec, and Tetra Tech.
