This February the Forest Preserves’ Board of Commissioners approved the Next Century Conservation Plan, a bold path for our next 100 years. One of the plan’s exciting first initiatives is already underway.

The Chi-Cal Rivers Centennial Initiative will recruit 6,000 volunteers to work on five large restoration projects — three along the North Branch of the Chicago River and two along the Little Calumet River.

The two-year project, a partnership with Friends of the Chicago River, Friends of the Forest Preserves and Audubon–Chicago Region, will work to restore more than 100 acres of riverside habitat. Our goal is to improve stability and biodiversity in areas that are bare and eroding.

The project will set the stage for ongoing work, with a goal of identifying 25 dedicated volunteer stewards who will manage and monitor these and other sites in the future. Another goal of the project is to engage residents from a variety of backgrounds.

Funded through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and matched by the Forest Preserves and partners, the Chi-Cal Rivers Centennial Initiative is just one of efforts to engage volunteers and partner with organizations.

We hope you will consider joining this important project. It begins with a kick-off event at our Earth Day Celebration, April 26 at Whistler Woods in Riverdale along the Little Calumet. And it will continue with Friends of the Chicago River’s Chicago River Day , which will be held at multiple sites on May 10. You can join us at one event or begin a long-term relationship with the land along these great rivers.

Stay tuned to fpdcc.com and our social media accounts for more information.