Volunteer: Large Volunteer Group Assistant (Garden or Kayak)Urban Rivers is often joined by large volunteer groups, usually at the Wild Mile. Sometimes these groups are from fellow nonprofits and sometimes from companies organizing volunteer days for their employees. When the groups want to divide up, with some volunteers helping pick up litter on kayaks and others helping in the gardens simultaneously, it's difficult for Urban Rivers staff to assist both groups at once. That's where regular Urban Rivers volunteers could be really helpful. Here is what you could do: In the gardens, the main tasks are making sure volunteers are weeding the right plants and that everyone is wearing a life vest and generally being safe if walking on the gardens. It would be helpful if you already have a pretty good eye for our weeds, but if you want to do this and are still inexperienced, just email stephen@urbanriv.org after signing up for a shift. We can usually meetup 20 minutes or so before the group arrives to go over the current needs in the gardens. OR (You don't need to do both) On the kayaks, the main tasks would be making sure people are staying safe, answering questions, and getting people back around when they should be. It would be helpful if you've spent a lot of time out there volunteering for kayak clean-ups before. Ideally, you'd have taken one of the kayak rescue classes, but that's not required. Here are the up coming volunteer days that we could use help with: Tuesday June 23rd 5:00-7:30pm - Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation at the Wild MileSmall group of at most 10 doing some kayaking and (if there's time) gardeningWednesday June 24th 1:30 to 4:30 - Klein & Hoffman at the Wild Mile Small group of 5 to 10 doing both gardening and kayaking Please note that most of these volunteer days start with a tour of the Wild Mile. If you want to attend that tour, you are more than welcome to. If not, setting up some kayaks or boots for gardening might be helpful during that time, or just feel free to show up 30 minutes or so after the start time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Urban Rivers is often joined by large volunteer groups, usually at the Wild Mile. Sometimes these groups are from fellow nonprofits and sometimes from companies organizing volunteer days for their employees. When the groups want to divide up, with some volunteers helping pick up litter on kayaks and others helping in the gardens simultaneously, it's difficult for Urban Rivers staff to assist both groups at once. That's where regular Urban Rivers volunteers could be really helpful. Here is what you could do: In the gardens, the main tasks are making sure volunteers are weeding the right plants and that everyone is wearing a life vest and generally being safe if walking on the gardens. It would be helpful if you already have a pretty good eye for our weeds, but if you want to do this and are still inexperienced, just email stephen@urbanriv.org after signing up for a shift. We can usually meetup 20 minutes or so before the group arrives to go over the current needs in the gardens. OR (You don't need to do both) On the kayaks, the main tasks would be making sure people are staying safe, answering questions, and getting people back around when they should be. It would be helpful if you've spent a lot of time out there volunteering for kayak clean-ups before. Ideally, you'd have taken one of the kayak rescue classes, but that's not required. Here are the up coming volunteer days that we could use help with: Tuesday June 23rd 5:00-7:30pm - Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation at the Wild MileSmall group of at most 10 doing some kayaking and (if there's time) gardeningWednesday June 24th 1:30 to 4:30 - Klein & Hoffman at the Wild Mile Small group of 5 to 10 doing both gardening and kayaking Please note that most of these volunteer days start with a tour of the Wild Mile. If you want to attend that tour, you are more than welcome to. If not, setting up some kayaks or boots for gardening might be helpful during that time, or just feel free to show up 30 minutes or so after the start time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: CAT Jam FacilitatorCAT Jam Chicago is a local music community that hosts open jam nights in the city. During the summer, they host events every Wednesday at the Wild Mile. CAT Jams are every Wednesday from June - September 7 - 10 pm. Facilitators will help to answer questions, get chairs out for participants, make sure everything is put away at the end of the night, and help with anything else that they might need. Feel free to bring an instrument and join in at the jam! Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program CAT Jam Chicago is a local music community that hosts open jam nights in the city. During the summer, they host events every Wednesday at the Wild Mile. CAT Jams are every Wednesday from June - September 7 - 10 pm. Facilitators will help to answer questions, get chairs out for participants, make sure everything is put away at the end of the night, and help with anything else that they might need. Feel free to bring an instrument and join in at the jam! Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Odd Jobs: Special Event VolunteersWe will be having special events at the Wild Mile a few times this summer. Special events include a lot of different types of events, but in general are private events that we act as hosts for. Saturday, June 20th from 5:00pm - 9:00pm - There is a private event that includes music, and we would like some volunteer present to help direct people, make sure they are staying safe, and help to set up and clean up for the event. Volunteers will be cleaning, sharing about Urban Rivers' programming, or anything determined last minute. We would like volunteers to show up at 4:30 to help set up for the event. If you are unable to show up at 4:30 but would still like to help out, please email claire@urbanriv.org to confirm the times that you can help out. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program We will be having special events at the Wild Mile a few times this summer. Special events include a lot of different types of events, but in general are private events that we act as hosts for. Saturday, June 20th from 5:00pm - 9:00pm - There is a private event that includes music, and we would like some volunteer present to help direct people, make sure they are staying safe, and help to set up and clean up for the event. Volunteers will be cleaning, sharing about Urban Rivers' programming, or anything determined last minute. We would like volunteers to show up at 4:30 to help set up for the event. If you are unable to show up at 4:30 but would still like to help out, please email claire@urbanriv.org to confirm the times that you can help out. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Happens On Jun 20, 2026 Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Load Up for Bubbly CreekJoin us to load up kayaks on our boat for Bubbly Creek Community Kayaking! We need a few volunteers to help us move our kayaks and gather other materials needed for our Bubbly Creek programming. Whether you are in the area on your lunch break or would like to join us earlier in the day before you volunteer at the Bubbly Creek event, if you could help us out for a bit to move some kayak, that would be great!! **Please note that we are unable to transport anyone to Bubbly Creek. If you are planning on volunteering with us later in the day, you will need to get yourself to Bubbly Creek on your own. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Join us to load up kayaks on our boat for Bubbly Creek Community Kayaking! We need a few volunteers to help us move our kayaks and gather other materials needed for our Bubbly Creek programming. Whether you are in the area on your lunch break or would like to join us earlier in the day before you volunteer at the Bubbly Creek event, if you could help us out for a bit to move some kayak, that would be great!! **Please note that we are unable to transport anyone to Bubbly Creek. If you are planning on volunteering with us later in the day, you will need to get yourself to Bubbly Creek on your own. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Kayak Facilitator at Bubbly CreekCome help us facilitate free kayaking out of Park 571! We need volunteers to help inexperienced participants of all ages get in and out of kayaks, sign in, and stay safe on the water. We could also use some enthusiastic river-lovers to chat with participants about our organization and our mission while they wait for an open boat. Helping folks into boats is a physically demanding task, so if you’d rather stick to one of the other roles, please let us know when you reserve a spot! No kayaking experience is needed, but please let us know in advance if you're new to kayaking! Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Come help us facilitate free kayaking out of Park 571! We need volunteers to help inexperienced participants of all ages get in and out of kayaks, sign in, and stay safe on the water. We could also use some enthusiastic river-lovers to chat with participants about our organization and our mission while they wait for an open boat. Helping folks into boats is a physically demanding task, so if you’d rather stick to one of the other roles, please let us know when you reserve a spot! No kayaking experience is needed, but please let us know in advance if you're new to kayaking! Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60608 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Education FacilitatorEducation is central to our mission to connect community members of all backgrounds to the Chicago River, and one of our most popular educational opportunities are field trips! We offer free field trips to any school or youth group who asks -- Field trips always begin with a tour of the park (led by either staff or out docent-trained volunteers) before splitting into small groups for ~20 minute station rotations. This is where we need your help With so many students, we need help leading activity stations centered around ecology and nature. Stations can include seed bomb making, exploring aquatic habitat and macroinvertebrates, cleaning the river by picking up trash, and more. All stations are straight forward and fun to teach, so you can pick your preference! If you love education, engaging students with the environment, or just want to hang out with some cool folks, sign up today! Most of our field trips occur in the Spring and Fall. We will update this opportunity with new field trip dates as they are scheduled. In addition to these field trips, we'll use this opportunity to post any public programs we might need help with. Monthly fishing events, partner events, etc... Please be sure to read the description of each event before signing up! If you have any questions, please feel free to email rangers@urbanriv.org or maddie@urbanriv.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 4: Botanic Gardens Field Trip at Wild Mile; 15 educators. In depth Macros. 9:30-12 June 16: Project Field Trip at Wild Mile; 30 kids . Macros, Litter Pickup and Seed Pods. 9-12 June 17: British School Field Trip @Wild Mile; 2 sessions of 35 kids. Macros, Trash Pickup & Seed Pods. 9-10:30 & 10:30-12 June 18: Enlace Project Field Trip at Canal Origins; 20 Young Adults. Macros and Litter Pickup. 10am-2 * Note this is NOT at the Wild Mile June 19: Highland Park Field Trip at Wild Mile; 30 kids Plant ID and Seed Pods. 10am-12 June 24: LPZ Field Trip at Wild Mile; 30 Young Adults. Macros and General Tour 1030am-12 June 27: Union Impact Field Trip at Cana, Origins ; 30 folks family structure . Macros and Nature Journaling 1030am-1* Note this is NOT at the Wild Mile; Bilingual or Spanish Speaking Preferred Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Education is central to our mission to connect community members of all backgrounds to the Chicago River, and one of our most popular educational opportunities are field trips! We offer free field trips to any school or youth group who asks -- Field trips always begin with a tour of the park (led by either staff or out docent-trained volunteers) before splitting into small groups for ~20 minute station rotations. This is where we need your help With so many students, we need help leading activity stations centered around ecology and nature. Stations can include seed bomb making, exploring aquatic habitat and macroinvertebrates, cleaning the river by picking up trash, and more. All stations are straight forward and fun to teach, so you can pick your preference! If you love education, engaging students with the environment, or just want to hang out with some cool folks, sign up today! Most of our field trips occur in the Spring and Fall. We will update this opportunity with new field trip dates as they are scheduled. In addition to these field trips, we'll use this opportunity to post any public programs we might need help with. Monthly fishing events, partner events, etc... Please be sure to read the description of each event before signing up! If you have any questions, please feel free to email rangers@urbanriv.org or maddie@urbanriv.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 4: Botanic Gardens Field Trip at Wild Mile; 15 educators. In depth Macros. 9:30-12 June 16: Project Field Trip at Wild Mile; 30 kids . Macros, Litter Pickup and Seed Pods. 9-12 June 17: British School Field Trip @Wild Mile; 2 sessions of 35 kids. Macros, Trash Pickup & Seed Pods. 9-10:30 & 10:30-12 June 18: Enlace Project Field Trip at Canal Origins; 20 Young Adults. Macros and Litter Pickup. 10am-2 * Note this is NOT at the Wild Mile June 19: Highland Park Field Trip at Wild Mile; 30 kids Plant ID and Seed Pods. 10am-12 June 24: LPZ Field Trip at Wild Mile; 30 Young Adults. Macros and General Tour 1030am-12 June 27: Union Impact Field Trip at Cana, Origins ; 30 folks family structure . Macros and Nature Journaling 1030am-1* Note this is NOT at the Wild Mile; Bilingual or Spanish Speaking Preferred Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60625 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: *Kayak Cleanup Training*This training is required for our kayak river cleanup opportunity ands covers a wide variety of safety topics, including best paddle practices, environmental and water traffic hazards, safety equipment usage, and more. We will also cover checking out equipment and other processes for our cleanup shifts. Note, this is an entirely on-land training session. Our safety information is pretty front-loaded, so please be on time. Attendees more than 10 minutes late will not have their training counted. Training sessions are hosted on the Wild Mile boardwalk. The address is 905 W Eastman St, park entrance at the end of the culdesac. * Note that we only have one training scheduled for June, and that it's on a weekday during normal working hours. This is partly because we have a limited number of kayaks and therefor limited clean-up shifts. Pretty much the only shifts that don't completely fill up right away are weekday shifts during the day, so we are hoping that the people available for this training will also be available for those shifts with openings. Sorry for the limited schedule! We'll have additional training opportunities each month through September. * Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program This training is required for our kayak river cleanup opportunity ands covers a wide variety of safety topics, including best paddle practices, environmental and water traffic hazards, safety equipment usage, and more. We will also cover checking out equipment and other processes for our cleanup shifts. Note, this is an entirely on-land training session. Our safety information is pretty front-loaded, so please be on time. Attendees more than 10 minutes late will not have their training counted. Training sessions are hosted on the Wild Mile boardwalk. The address is 905 W Eastman St, park entrance at the end of the culdesac. * Note that we only have one training scheduled for June, and that it's on a weekday during normal working hours. This is partly because we have a limited number of kayaks and therefor limited clean-up shifts. Pretty much the only shifts that don't completely fill up right away are weekday shifts during the day, so we are hoping that the people available for this training will also be available for those shifts with openings. Sorry for the limited schedule! We'll have additional training opportunities each month through September. * Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Kayak River Clean Up - Wild MileKayak the Chicago River at the Wild Mile to pick up trash! Removing trash improves water quality, habitat quality, and creates a more beautiful river for all. It’s a great way to kayak for free and directly improve your local ecosystem. Volunteers are provided with the kayaks, life jackets, radio for safety, and all necessary trash collection equipment. Trash collected is recorded in a Litter Task Force log so we can inform research and future policy about what kinds of trash end up in our river system. IMPORTANT NOTES: *Volunteers must attend one of our in-house kayak safety training before participating. You can view and sign up for upcoming sessions here. *Because trained volunteers kayak without our staff present, volunteers must be 18 years or older to sign up for this opportunity. *In order to reduce no-shows, we are releasing kayak shifts one month at a time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Kayak the Chicago River at the Wild Mile to pick up trash! Removing trash improves water quality, habitat quality, and creates a more beautiful river for all. It’s a great way to kayak for free and directly improve your local ecosystem. Volunteers are provided with the kayaks, life jackets, radio for safety, and all necessary trash collection equipment. Trash collected is recorded in a Litter Task Force log so we can inform research and future policy about what kinds of trash end up in our river system. IMPORTANT NOTES: *Volunteers must attend one of our in-house kayak safety training before participating. You can view and sign up for upcoming sessions here. *Because trained volunteers kayak without our staff present, volunteers must be 18 years or older to sign up for this opportunity. *In order to reduce no-shows, we are releasing kayak shifts one month at a time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Fix-it Friends: Weekly Maintenance MeetupMidday every Saturday for the next couple months before real winter sets in, some volunteers will meet up to take care of all the little maintenance tasks around the Wild Mile. Here's a few of the types of tasks we may be tackling: Preparing the new office/lab/classroom space Tearing apart and updating some of the early experimental floating wetlandsReplacing any cracked boards on the Wild Mile walkwaysRevamping the way the kayak rack is laid out in the shipping containerBuilding aerator/blower systems or anything else Nick comes up with to move duckweed alongAdjusting anchor chains on floating wetlands
Feel free to drop by for just part of the time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Midday every Saturday for the next couple months before real winter sets in, some volunteers will meet up to take care of all the little maintenance tasks around the Wild Mile. Here's a few of the types of tasks we may be tackling: Preparing the new office/lab/classroom space Tearing apart and updating some of the early experimental floating wetlandsReplacing any cracked boards on the Wild Mile walkwaysRevamping the way the kayak rack is laid out in the shipping containerBuilding aerator/blower systems or anything else Nick comes up with to move duckweed alongAdjusting anchor chains on floating wetlands
Feel free to drop by for just part of the time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Fishing FacilitatorHelp us run our public fishing events on the Wild Mile! From late April to early November, we'll be hosting public fishing events on the Wild Mile. They're geared towards first-time fisherpeople, so we need LOTS of knowledgable volunteers to help them manage fishing gear, safely unhook and handle fish, and learn cool river facts. No experience is required in order to volunteer as a facilitator. The events are 10am - 2pm, but we recommend coming early to get a briefing from our volunteer leaders (Evan and Jeremy) - especially if you are less familiar with fishing! They'll show you the ropes, and make sure you're comfortable working with participants. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Help us run our public fishing events on the Wild Mile! From late April to early November, we'll be hosting public fishing events on the Wild Mile. They're geared towards first-time fisherpeople, so we need LOTS of knowledgable volunteers to help them manage fishing gear, safely unhook and handle fish, and learn cool river facts. No experience is required in order to volunteer as a facilitator. The events are 10am - 2pm, but we recommend coming early to get a briefing from our volunteer leaders (Evan and Jeremy) - especially if you are less familiar with fishing! They'll show you the ropes, and make sure you're comfortable working with participants. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Multiple Shifts Available Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Odd JobsDon't see an opportunity that fits with your schedule? There are often small jobs, especially around the Wild Mile, that could use an extra hand or two. It might be assembling furniture, shoveling gravel, or even swabbing the (goose) poop deck. Some volunteers have also found specific ways to regularly assist the Wild Mile's research and other missions. If you are interested in getting emailed whenever one of those small tasks comes up, just respond to this opportunity. In the "Response Notes" you could include the type of work you are interested in, since knowing what volunteers we have can influence what projects we start. You could also include general times and days of the week you tend to be free, since that could change when we schedule opportunities. If you are closer to our projects at Bubbly Creek on the Southside or River Park up north, let us know and we can add you to a list so you are sure to get an email if/when projects come up at those locations. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Don't see an opportunity that fits with your schedule? There are often small jobs, especially around the Wild Mile, that could use an extra hand or two. It might be assembling furniture, shoveling gravel, or even swabbing the (goose) poop deck. Some volunteers have also found specific ways to regularly assist the Wild Mile's research and other missions. If you are interested in getting emailed whenever one of those small tasks comes up, just respond to this opportunity. In the "Response Notes" you could include the type of work you are interested in, since knowing what volunteers we have can influence what projects we start. You could also include general times and days of the week you tend to be free, since that could change when we schedule opportunities. If you are closer to our projects at Bubbly Creek on the Southside or River Park up north, let us know and we can add you to a list so you are sure to get an email if/when projects come up at those locations. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Flexible Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Bird MonitoringDid you know there are bald eagles in downtown Chicago? Help us spot all of the fantastic (and even some of the lame) birds on the Chicago River so we can have a better understanding of our ecosystem. Volunteers choose a weekly time to observe birds from one of our three garden locations. All you need is an hour, our monitoring worksheet, and an enthusiasm for birds - no previous birding experience required! To help get you started and explain our birding process, click here to watch this brief 15 minute training video that explains the why/where/when/how of birding with us. P.S. all birding resources are under the "Resources" section of the volunteer website for you to reference at any time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Did you know there are bald eagles in downtown Chicago? Help us spot all of the fantastic (and even some of the lame) birds on the Chicago River so we can have a better understanding of our ecosystem. Volunteers choose a weekly time to observe birds from one of our three garden locations. All you need is an hour, our monitoring worksheet, and an enthusiasm for birds - no previous birding experience required! To help get you started and explain our birding process, click here to watch this brief 15 minute training video that explains the why/where/when/how of birding with us. P.S. all birding resources are under the "Resources" section of the volunteer website for you to reference at any time. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Flexible Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |
Volunteer: Camera CrewThere is so much of the Chicago River that we want to explore and share, and we need your help to do it! We have several types of cameras we work with, including Wildlife Camera Traps, 360 Camera, GoPro, and Drone, and currently have two key ways folks can get involved: Photo Observations: Help us review a backlog of photos and document your observations. This can be done in the Urban Rivers office or from the comfort of your own home — all you need is a computer. Here is a tutorial to get you started. Wildlife Camera Maintenance: Become a regular camera manager by showing up to reposition cameras, swap batteries, and offload and replace SD cards. This group meets here in the office (1440 N Kingsbury St.) every Saturday from 1-3 PM. On the first Saturday of the month, we'll sometimes meet in a coffee shop instead. While new volunteers are welcome to just start showing up, once per season we'll try to have a special onboarding/training Saturday for new Camera Crew volunteers. If you are registered for this opportunity here, you'll get a message when we schedule the next one. No previous photography experience required! The most helpful contribution a volunteer can make is consistency, ideas, and a willingness to learn! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to let us know: rangers@urbanriv.org. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program There is so much of the Chicago River that we want to explore and share, and we need your help to do it! We have several types of cameras we work with, including Wildlife Camera Traps, 360 Camera, GoPro, and Drone, and currently have two key ways folks can get involved: Photo Observations: Help us review a backlog of photos and document your observations. This can be done in the Urban Rivers office or from the comfort of your own home — all you need is a computer. Here is a tutorial to get you started. Wildlife Camera Maintenance: Become a regular camera manager by showing up to reposition cameras, swap batteries, and offload and replace SD cards. This group meets here in the office (1440 N Kingsbury St.) every Saturday from 1-3 PM. On the first Saturday of the month, we'll sometimes meet in a coffee shop instead. While new volunteers are welcome to just start showing up, once per season we'll try to have a special onboarding/training Saturday for new Camera Crew volunteers. If you are registered for this opportunity here, you'll get a message when we schedule the next one. No previous photography experience required! The most helpful contribution a volunteer can make is consistency, ideas, and a willingness to learn! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to let us know: rangers@urbanriv.org. Program: River Ranger Volunteer Program Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Flexible Zip Code: 60642 Allow Groups: No |