Kickoff summer at the FREE inaugural Big Marsh Arts Festival, a family-focused event to celebrate local art and artists and recognize several recent art installations at Big Marsh Park. Guests are invited to participate in workshops and activities (pre-registration may be required), explore the park, bike, hike, and picnic and bring a bike or rent one here. The newly opened Nature Trail Café will feature summer sandwiches, wraps, and drinks.

*Weather permitting, most of the festival will take place outside, with the potential to hold a class or demonstration inside the Ford Calumet Environmental Center.

In February of this year, Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, global energy markets have been in a state of flux. With energy companies divesting from Russian providers and strategic oil reserves across Europe and America running dry, the immediate future of conventional energy production and usage is rife with unknowns. To complicate matters further: the direct attacks on Ukrainian nuclear power plants and the stability of Chernobyl renew questions regarding the use of nuclear power. The matter goes beyond energy itself–the increase in military spending will affect social safety nets, such as healthcare, and environmental protection. This panel will synthesize what has happened across global energy markets since February 2022, how that affects us in the present, and how this will change our future energy landscape.

Continue reading “Energy After War: How Ukraine Affects Us All”

What’s the word, bird? As we reboot our Science in the Parks series, we are excited to partner with the Chicago Audubon Society, Chicago Ornithological Society, Wild Indigo, and–of course–the Chicago Park District to bring birding to West Pullman Park! Whether you’re a first-time birder looking to get outside, or a seasoned veteran of the birding circuit, this program should be a blast! Our partners are providing expert guides to take you through West Pullman Park’s impressive natural oak savanna, helping teach you about animals you may find in your own backyard. Continue reading “Science in the Parks: A Birding Tour of West Pullman Park”