Chicago River Summit: Linking Watersheds
- When
- Thursday, October 24
11:30AM-5:00PM - Cost
- $75
- Series
- Adult Program/Event Partner Program/Event
Join Friends of the Chicago River to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our annual policy-focused event, the Chicago River Summit! The 2024 Chicago River Summit: Linking Watersheds will be co-hosted with the Chicago Wilderness Alliance and provides an opportunity for environmental and planning professionals, policymakers, community leaders, researchers, and students to come together and connect about innovative solutions to critical water and ecosystem conservation issues. The event will focus on how collaborative efforts across jurisdictions can address complex water and ecosystem challenges facing our region today. A watershed is the area of land where water drains into a common body, like the Chicago-Calumet River system. Water doesn’t follow jurisdictional boundaries, making collaboration across sectors and regions essential to protect our waterways and ecosystems. As climate change intensifies, it’s more important than ever to coordinate across boundaries to mitigate its effects on our waterways, communities, and natural systems. The Chicago River Summit will explore how hydrological connections influence policy, planning, and conservation efforts, and how we can overcome jurisdictional divides to create a resilient future.
Featured speakers include:
- Kelli Paige, Former NOAA Equity, Partnerships, and Service Delivery Lead (Federal) at U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, to celebrate the importance of inclusive partnerships in watershed management. She will discuss how federal agencies support local partners in building climate resilience and environmental equity.
- Grant Poole, Water Quality Specialist, and Andrea Jackson from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, who will present a tribal perspective on water resources and the Pokagon Band Kowabdanawa odë kė, which means "They watch over this land." They will explore their stewardship of the Dowagiac River, sharing insights on indigenous water resource management, nature-based solutions, and the cultural significance of their work.
- Jenny Sunday, Green Infrastructure Program Manager at NYC Parks, will discuss strategies for inter-agency coordination, community engagement, and policy frameworks shaping stormwater management in New York City’s park system, offering lessons transferable to other urban water systems.
- Holly Hudson (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning), Kurt Woolford (Lake County Stormwater Management), Jennifer Hammer (The Conservation Foundation), and Danielle Gallet (Waterwell) will bring the discussion into a Chicago-specific lens, highlighting the region’s unique water challenges and innovative solutions.
Ticket price includes lunch. Please contact tmurray@chicagoriver.org to inquire about student discounts.
Experience nature and science up close with a trip to the Nature Museum.