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
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August 29nd, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm: Mussel Mania Outreach at Wildwood Garden Party. Teach people about how Mussels became a fashion staple in the region! *Note this event is not at the Wild Mile. This field trip is at Pullman National Historical Park 610 E 111th St, Chicago, IL 60628
September 3rd , 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm: UIC RESC Fest at the Wild Mile. Student Recreation Facility (737 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607). It’s a wonderful chance for us to connect and showcase all the fantastic programs, services, and partnerships we have with campus departments and local businesses. With around 900 to 1,200 attendees expected, it’s sure to be a fun and lively event, and we would love for you to be a part of it!
September 4rd , 2:00 pm to 300 pm: DePaul trip at Canal Origins Park. Stations will include trash pickup, Plant ID as well as a tour. There will be about 22 College students. The course is focused on the intersections between environmental (air, water, soil, plants, etc), animal, and human health, using an equity lens, in the context of Chicago and beyond.
