Exploring environmental concerns of the Midwest, from the perspective of a native Californian
In the months prior to this pandemic and the shelter in place orders, there were some exciting policy changes being pushed on the state level in Springfield and at the city level in Chicago. For my work with Friends of the Chicago River, I traveled to Illinois’ state capital this last February to testify in… Continue reading COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis
April 1st I began a new career as Policy Specialist with Friends of the Chicago River, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of the Chicago River for people and wildlife. Policy research doesn't require much work in the field, so I jumped at the opportunity to tag along with our Conservation Programs Specialist Maggie… Continue reading Touring the Chicago River Watershed
POPS (privately-owned public spaces) are spaces that, in exchange for zoning concessions, are available for public use, but owned and managed by private property owners. In other words, real estate developers can build bigger buildings if they allot some of that space for plazas, atriums, small parks, etc. However, cities have had to be vigilant… Continue reading POPS
During the month of January, I learned a lot about recycling in Chicago. I first learned about recycling Christmas trees, the theme of my January Post. Then I attended an Environmental Chicago Industry event where the theme was… recycling! Two individuals who work for Independent Recycling Services, a privately-owned waste and recycling company, came to… Continue reading More on the World of Recycling
While visiting California for the holidays, I noticed some eager folks kicking their tree to the burb December 26th. In the Sacramento neighborhood that my mom and step dad have lived in for the past few years, I’ve always known you can leave your Christmas tree (I absolutely want to be culturally sensitive, but do… Continue reading Chicago Turns Christmas Trees into Mulch
When I was asked by a colleague to check out what phone applications existed for Great Lakes issues, I wasn’t sure what I would find. After some research, I am pleased to report that there are a lot of folks in the region who have come up with some really useful apps around these issues.… Continue reading Great Lakes Apps
Chelsey in Chicago 