“mobility as in, we’re thinking citywide mobility, it’s still not as equitable as we would want it to be across the city,” castillo said. “so we’re still trying to bridge that gap and build the infrastructure that will provide better access and connectivity to people, while at the same time, services.”

the collaborative meets at varying communities around the city, bringing the forum directly to people to increase its accessibility, castillo said. apart from representatives from institutions, attendees include researchers, cyclists, people interested in policy, and people with mobility accessible vehicles such as wheelchairs.

castillo said the creation of the cmc was to meet with the intention to discuss actionable projects. the forum evolved from the mayoral bicycle advisory council and pedestrian advisory council, which met at the city hall. during the pandemic, as the chicago department of transportation was re-envisioning how to reach the public in one designated space to discuss mobility, the cmc was formed, initially, only meeting virtually.

with the merging of the two councils into this new forum, transit was brought into the mix, allowing people to discuss public transportation at cmc meetings. the chicago transit authority has formed a collaboration with the chicago department of transportation to be present at cmc meetings with a focus on bus accessibility. 

“the reason we’re doing it is to help elevate the role of transit in chicago mobility and bus in particular and the overlap and the interrelation between street infrastructure and bus performance and bus experience,” chicago transit authority director of strategic planning and policy jennifer henry said. given that 96% of chicagoans live near a bus stop, henry put public understanding of bus priority street infrastructure as high priority.  

the local transit authority and department of transportation created the plan better streets for busses, focusing on improving infrastructure through bus lanes, signals, and boarding areas to provide bus services that are faster and more reliable. 

the transit authority ensures bus stops allow for wheelchair boarding from the sidewalk and that sidewalks are in good enough condition for buses to deploy a ramp. the better streets for buses plan also provides a toolkit for these forms of accessibility and other street designs like adding boarding islands to increase safety while boarding or having overhead shelter on bus stops to improve the bus stop experience. working with the chicago department or transportation ensures that the transit authority is able to meet the annual goal of fixing 50 to 100 bus stops with accessibility issues, henry said.

now that the plan has been finalized, cmc has shifted their collaborative meetings with the transit authority to focus on advocacy, according to castillo. the agency is present to answer residents’ questions and educate them on their operations. castillo said the direct impact of the forum such as changes to policy and designs in public places will likely be seen by the end of this year, or starting next year. 

henry said the transit authority presents designs and projects in the works at cmc meetings so that residents can respond to them. she said that every project by the transit authority is a product of working closely with the chicago department of transportation to make buses more accessible geographically and in terms of their physical designs.  

chicago resident rochelle jackson said public transportation was her main form of transportation for the majority of her life. she considers transportation advocacy a vital priority and is currently the chair of transportation and infrastructure for the north lawndale community coordinating council.

she said if access to transportation is lost, communities are stifled, and residents may be stranded. she said she appreciates spaces like cmc meetings, especially since neighborhoods on various ends of the city differ in their mobility needs and require various accommodations respectively.

“the importance of having those spaces is that everybody gets to voice their opinion, because we’re not just having a meeting in one set place,” she said. “we are not in walking distance of our schools because most of our schools got closed down. we’re not in walking distance of a grocery store because we are (in) a grocery desert.”

castillo said it is pivotal to have representatives from various departments and at different levels of government involved in the meeting because the chicago department of transportation does not single-handedly have the power to influence policy. 

castillo said part of bridging the gap is having members of the committee of pedestrian and traffic safety, which is part of the city council, present so that suggestions shared in the meeting can actually leave the drawing board. she said one proposal in the works is to reduce the speed limit across the city from 30 miles per hour to 20 miles. 

in the meeting held in march, members of the public were asked about their thoughts on this possible change and representatives from the chicago department of transportation explained the stages of approving a traffic policy.

she said the meetings are always evolving to make them as beneficial for residents as possible and to better bridge the gap between the government and the public.

“we tried different things here and there. we have a little survey to ask people what they want to talk about, how we were doing on engagement,” castillo said. “so, we just identified a space and i’m not saying it’s perfect right now, but i think we have more of a template that we are continuing replicating.”

waves crash against the concrete sea wall hugging the shoreline along chicago’s calumet park. sections of the gray boundary between land and lake are crumbling against the constant pressure of the elements.

with over 25 miles of glistening blue water, chicago’s lakeshore, composed of lake michigan beaches, faces a significant threat. erosion is the shrinking of a shoreline that is slowly worn away by waves, wind, currents and other natural factors, and it is affecting the city’s shoreline at an exacerbated rate due to climate change. 

chicago beaches are narrowing at a rate of nearly 100 ft. per year along parts of the coastline, meaning less space for recreation and the loss of habitats for shorebirds and other beach animals.

“in a warming climate, there’s more intense precipitation events, which also tend to facilitate higher rates of erosion,” max berkelhammer, a climate and atmospheric scientist and professor at university of illinois at chicago, said. “the primary cause is coastal management. like building right along coastlines and not maintaining basically wetlands or or natural shore ecosystems that absorb the action of the lake. so i think it’s primarily a human or urban development issue.”

berkehammer said the primary action in question is the rising lake levels exposing more of the sand to water, wind and the increase in runoff — when it rains faster than the sand or soil can absorb the water and it runs off a surface, increasing the rate of erosion.

erosion causes damage to infrastructure (roads, buildings and parking lots) and natural habitats. it can also threaten public health by increasing the risk of algal blooms, quick growing areas of algae that can produce harmful toxins. 

edgewater environmental coalition (eec) — a nonprofit organization focused on action, advocacy and education for environmental stewardship — has a shoreline protection program aimed at restoring the natural ecosystems of the lakeshore using nature-based solutions. the organization has used successful strategies of green infrastructure like building dunes, planting native plants and removing invasive ones to mitigate erosion. eec, in conjunction with the loyola university student environmentalist alliance, has planted 300 native grasses and 1,500 marram grass stolons that act as anchors that strengthen dunes across the shore.

natural solutions can often be more cost effective, visually in tune with the natural landscape and equally as durable as traditional gray infrastructure like the concrete ground and walls that make up most of the chicago shoreline, according to eec advisory board member john laswick. he said the main goal of the organization is to reestablish dunes, which are nature’s original protection system.

“what we do is go out every last sunday of the month in the summertime and pull out invasive plants, pick up trash, plant new grasses to extend the dune plantings because if you don’t have the sand anchored with grasses and trees, then it’s just gonna blow away or wash away,” laswick said.

while the organization focuses on dunes and native plants, they also promote other natural resources to combat erosion.

natural solutions to erosion

1. beach nourishment and restoration: replenishing eroded beaches with sediment like sand to protect against wave energy.
2. dune restoration and protection: stabilizing dunes with plants and shrubs to help them last longer and protect the land against erosion.
3. natural shorelines: adding vegetation, oyster reefs and aquatic vegetation to trap sediment and diminish wave energy effects.
4. green infrastructure: adding green infrastructure in urban areas to manage stormwater runoff, like permeable pavement to retain and filter stormwater.
5. coastal vegetation management: adding and preserving native grasses, shrubs, and trees to anchor sediment.
6. integrated coastal zone management: using an integrated approach to coastal management by understanding the interaction of land, water and human activities. 

friends of the parks (fotp), which provided the seed grant that enables eec’s stewardship services along the shore, is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting chicago’s lakefront and ensuring an equitable, ecological park system. they have enacted policy changes — such as partnering with the state and chicago park district to implement the illinois clean harbors program — and educate local residents on park stewardship. 

gin kilgore, interim executive director of fotp, is a former resident of hyde park, a south side neighborhood a few miles from the lakeshore. she says she grew up observing the power of lake michigan to batter the shoreline during big storms, which she notes are more frequent and intense in recent years due to climate change. during long runs along the lakefront she has seen the limitations of “gray infrastructure” to protect against erosion, such as crumbling sidewalks in front of the calumet beach fieldhouse.

fotp is closely monitoring the u.s. army corps of engineers’ general reevaluation report (grr), a study that will evaluate the risk of flooding, erosion and storm damage along lake michigan’s coast in areas of chicago. the study, cost-shared with the city of chicago and the chicago park district, is set to be completed in 2025, at which time solutions will be shared to combat these issues.

according to kilgore, the corps’ mandate is to use the lowest-cost solutions, prioritizing the highest property values. 

“do we only measure cost in terms of how much it costs to put down the concrete? okay, maybe that’s cheap. but, what’s the cost of compromising habitats, or what’s the cost of human access to the lake?” kilgore said. 

fotp also sees the study as an opportunity to complete chicago’s lakefront parks and paths system which currently falls short two miles at both the north and south ends, due in part to private properties that hug the shoreline, kilgore said. creating a buffer between the buildings and water’s edge provides flood protection and allows for public use.

eec also wants to ensure that the report’s proposed solutions are nature-based, and are raising awareness of their work to influence the army corps’ approach.

“a huge part of what is physically chicago and culturally chicago is this lakefront and these parks and the lakeshore drive, and these decisions [about the shore] are going to have an effect for decades,” laswick said. “we got to get started on the right path.”

some of the planet’s biggest challenges are those that need multiple solutions, addressing the problem from every angle.

climate change brings about fluctuations in temperature, precipitation patterns and extreme weather events, which disrupt and reduce agricultural productivity. increasing biodiversity and plant precision breeding are techniques that can create agricultural resistance to climate change.

precision breeding can help agriculture get ahead of climate change effects such as drought and strong storms by making plants resistant to them, according to ryan mertz, operations lead at the bayer marana product development center in southern arizona.

reduced food availability is a big concern due to climate change, according to the united states environmental protection agency. climate change has caused increased severity of droughts and floods that cause challenges in raising crops. crop yields are particularly important in the u.s. as the national sector supplies nearly 25% of all grains on the global market.

short corn to fill tall orders

bayer, which operates a climate-regulated greenhouse outside of tucson, arizona, is using plant breeding to develop new products for farmers globally.

scientists use dna analysis to see the traits in the corn seeds, designing products by analyzing billions of genomic data points over time. at the bayer facility, there are automatic seeders that follow the identities of each seed and place them into germination trays until they sprout seven to 10 days later. if the seedlings’ size and vigor look promising, they are ready to be planted.

the bayer site in arizona is centering its attention on short-stature corn, which is sturdier due to its low height and more resistant to strong winds.

“we’re always trying to innovate. [with] climate change, you’ll have bigger storms, extreme floods, or drought conditions,” mertz said. “bayer is working to constantly improve their products.”

breeding for biodiversity

plant breeding can lead to new crops and also contribute to plant biodiversity, which is significant as new varieties of plants can be made to adapt to environmental stress conditions — meaning less food loss in fields — and create diversity that maintains functions of an agroecosystem. biodiversity has also been achieved differently through native techniques.

genetic biodiversity is the key to climate adaptation, according to michael kotutwa johnson, ph.d., assistant specialist at the university of arizona school of natural resources and the environment and member of the hopi tribe in northern arizona.

plant biodiversity entails having crops that are physically different. for example, hopi corn varieties are not all the same height, produce varying numbers of ears, and are different colors, johnson said. to achieve this diversity, people must plant crops year in and year out.

johnson said he was able to eat corn that was 30-40 years old, that was dried out and preserved, by boiling it in water and making it “come back to life.” 

“that’s what food security is. making sure that our future generations can have this, and this food right now is nutrient-dense,” johnson said. “those seeds are like us, they represent us. so if you take care of them, nurture them, they come back to life.”

indigenous value systems allow for them to have a large biodiversity, because they have a relationship with the environment that is not based on gross domestic products, johnson said.

indigenous lands contain 80% of the world’s biodiversity, while indigenous peoples make up only 5% of the world’s population. many of these communities demonstrate that having small farms or gardens is not an obstacle to achieving plant biodiversity. 

on his roughly 11-acre farm, johnson grows corn, squash, melons, peach trees and other food varieties. 

this year, johnson lost some crops to heat stress, but the ones that produced seeds he will save and plant in a year or more depending on heat conditions, he said. according to johnson, this has been practiced by hopi for well over 2,000 years. he said his people have been planting for so long that they have produced genetically diverse plants with different rooting systems, ones that are deep or shallow. both are necessary for optimizing nutrient capture from different soil types. 

johnson said that technology such as automatic planters and tools to healthfully remove topsoil can be helpful in agriculture, but when it comes to achieving genetic biodiversity, the hopi have all the traditional tools they need. while scaling this biodiversity may not be possible due to the manual labor needs involved, the practices that cultivate such biodiversity are sacred food ways that every person is dependent on, johnson said. 

“as a result of planting every year, plants such as corn — which originated in south america over 10,000 years ago with fairly high rates of precipitation (30 inches or more) — are able to thrive in our climate, which only produces six to 10 inches of annual precipitation,” johnson said.

according to johnson, this is thanks, in part, to the process of starting small before scaling even becomes an option. “a lot of the technology can be very useful. we’re always talking about upscaling, but i think it’s almost better to create a system ahead of the scale because some stuff is just unscalable.” 

bird migration is a necessary process for birds to find areas with more resources like food and nesting areas. but chicago poses a threat to this process, deemed by a study to be the most dangerous city for migratory birds because of bird collisions with windows. chicago bird collision monitors (cbcm) is a nonprofit organization working toward addressing this problem and helping rescue injured birds.

since its inception in 2003, the volunteer not-for-profit organization’s mission has been to document the issue of bird collisions and advocate for the protection of migratory birds passing through the chicagoland area, particularly downtown. cbcm has a hotline operating seven days a week for people to report injured migratory birds near buildings. according to the organization, its members take more than 3,000 injured birds to wildlife rehabilitation centers each year. much of this work is done from mid-august to early november during the fall migration season.

facing an invisible threat

just like humans, birds cannot see glass. however, humans, unlike birds, have found ways to identify when glass is in their sight by finding identifiers like drapes, a frame or a reflection. many birds, before they migrate, come from areas where they have no familiarity with buildings or windows, which is why cities pose a great threat to them.

“the deadly thing for birds is glass,” director annette prince said. “glass can either be transparent and something that birds think they can fly through because they don’t know there’s a barrier there, it can be reflective and look like a mirror showing birds images of sky or trees that they think are real but they don’t realize again that there is a surface that they’re going to fly into and they should avoid.”

cbcm receives almost 12,000 calls a year about birds that need help, and volunteers find nearly 7,000 birds a year.

prince explains that chicago is in the migratory path of birds as they travel from as far north as the arctic circle down to south america. over 250 bird species fly through chicago annually.

“[the chicago area] has been used by birds for centuries and we have just had tall buildings with bright lighting here for the last 100 years,” prince said. “so, we have put obstacles in their way when it used to be a safe place to travel.”

coordinating with community

volunteers of cbcm help migratory birds by taking calls for the group’s bird collision hotline (773-988-1867), transporting birds to wildlife centers, spotting injured or dead birds in the chicago downtown area and making donations to the organization. 

cbcm’s hotline is open 24/7 and when people call, they receive instructions for connecting with a nearby volunteer, safely containing a bird as they wait for help, taking a bird to a safe location until they can be taken to a wildlife center, or the caller can give directions for where the bird can be found by cbcm.

the two birds that are found the most often are brown creepers, small songbirds that are usually brown with brown and white speckles and a white belly, and white-throated sparrows, which are brown with a gray belly and a black and white striped head, prince said.

volunteer transporter lorna lightle said she picks up birds so often to transport them to a wildlife center that in addition to getting calls from the hotline, many people call her personal number. she said that people can help volunteers by doing what they can on the scene when they find a bird or transport them a portion of the way to their destination, whether a volunteer’s home or a wildlife refuge. 

becoming bird-friendly

“don’t give them water. try and get it back in the nest… if it’s had a collision with a window, the best thing is to do is put it in a box. let it hang out for a little bit, see if it regains composure, and (the bird) might fly off on its own before you need to bring it to us,” lightle said. “there are options. get it to a cross point, and then somebody else can take it the rest of the way, then you really are helping the bird and helping the organization.”

if a dead bird is found, chicago bird collision monitors sends the bird to the chicago field museum — focused on natural history — for documentation where it can be researched to understand the magnitude of the collision problem.

the organization also advocates for bird-safe architecture by making recommendations for patterned glass, screening in front of glass, using less glass in building designs and having protected green spaces on buildings that do not use illuminated objects that attract birds. it’s easier to make a building bird-friendly during initial construction rather than making the costly decision to retrofit it after it’s completed, prince said.

solutions for bird collisions

1. make home windows and glass objects visible to birds by creating markings and designs with paint, or add temporary installments such as hanging cords in front of window screens. 
2. turn off lights at night as birds use light sources of the moon and stars to navigate and can be thrown off course by artificial lighting.
3. monitor the movement of migratory birds in your area by watching the bird cast, which uses the weather to predict how many birds will fly through an area. 
4. while it is not recommended to feed wildlife because they have natural food sources, you can help migratory birds by feeding them a healthy diet with regularly cleaned and elevated bird feeders as many migratory birds often look to refuel during their trips. 
5. if you can, maintain a natural garden with native and pollinator-friendly plants.

healing chicago’s birds

cbcm collaborates with multiple wildlife centers to get medical attention for birds with injuries of all magnitudes. the willowbrook wildlife center — a rehabilitation center in glen ellyn, il promoting the harmonious coexistence between wild birds and humans — has a partnership with cbcm. the center is a hospital for wildlife dedicated to returning mammals, reptiles, amphibians and (mostly) birds to the wild. while the center works primarily with species native to northern illinois, others tend to pass through during migration. 

cbcm brings injured birds to willowbrook every day, according to wildlife education supervisor for forest preserve district of dupage county stephanie touzalin. most of the birds received by willowbrook through cbcm are stunned birds — unreactive birds that are generally unmoving and have squinty or fully closed eyes. although, by the time they arrive at the center, they have generally recovered, touzalin said. still, the center does receive badly injured birds as they are hard-hit when they fly into windows.

“[cbcm volunteers] put birds in little paper bags and so when they arrive here, often the bags are kind of jumping because the birds have recovered a bit more,” touzalin said. “we do sometimes see eye injuries, knee injuries, sometimes leg fractures. they can sometimes break like their coracoid, which is kind of like the collarbone area. but, a majority are probably stunned and otherwise injury-free.”

a majority of the birds, particularly those that are stunned, are released the same or next day they arrive. the birds receive a test flight in a space where they cannot escape. often when the animal care staff at willowbrook opens the bags birds are held in, they fly right out. if the birds fly properly, without being tired or out of breath, they are ready for release, touzalin said. 

are clear skies ahead?

most birds are received by wildlife rehabilitation centers during the peak of migration periods. during the spring, the peak is mid-may, and during the fall, the peak is late september to mid-october. these are times when most birds are moving because weather conditions are optimal.

there are various ways people can make their homes save for passing birds. it is crucial for people to understand the danger glass poses to all birds and make the changes necessary to their homes for birds to continue their natural process of migration, touzalin said.

“glass is not an indiscriminate killer. it’s not like it weeds out the weak individuals. it can take out any bird: the strongest, most healthy bird to the weakest bird because it’s universally something they don’t understand or recognize,” touzalin said. “it’s really important that more people are aware of it and knowing that here, we’re very lucky to be along the migratory pathway that we get to see all these really cool birds, but then important to make it safe for them.”

freerksen has a garden in the backyard of her south shore neighborhood home in chicago where she plants herbs, fruits and over 10 different vegetables. she harvests corn, green beans, bell peppers, radishes, zucchini, rhubarb and more.

“i remember being very little and [my father] making holes with his finger in the ground and being like, ‘put a seed in each one of these holes.’ and i just thought it was cool because then it would become a plant that you can eat,” said freerksen. “every time i touch the earth to shape it into something pretty or edible, i definitely am connected to him.”

in the last decade, the demand for locally grown food has increased 260% in chicago, and three-fourths of americans report caring about having locally sourced food, according to the chicago metropolitan agency for planning.

fighting food insecurity with convenience, freshness, and health

according to the chicago community trust, about one in seven people in chicago face food insecurity.

freerksen said she only gardens during the spring, summer and into the fall, but doesn’t have a need to continue growing after harvest season, which ends by late november. 

but saving money with her garden is another bonus freerksen said she has experienced, with the production of her tomatoes and kale alone. she said she rarely visits grocery stores for produce as she was even able to produce 14 squashes this summer from a single plant.

locally growing produce is a strategy used by residents, urban farms and community gardens to combat food desert status in underserved neighborhoods across chicago, especially on the south and west sides. it also reassures people about the quality of their produce. in freerksen’s case, she gardens for the convenience of having readily available produce untouched by harmful chemicals like pesticides. 

“i also compost, and for my garden i knew i wasn’t going to use insecticides,” freerksen said. “i use neem oil, which is not harmful. the only fertilizer i use is dead leaves, so organic compost.” 

in her previous apartments, she always had a small windowsill herb garden, so when she bought her house a little over a year ago, she was excited to plant a large garden, she said. 

like freerksen, keith tody, who lives in the edgewater neighborhood on the north side of chicago, said he does not live in a food insecure area, but he too grows produce outside his apartment, where he has two raised plant beds in his small backyard. he has found ways to extend his growing season into the winter. he said his motivation is ensuring he is consuming fresh and healthy foods, especially as he does not often eat meat.  

he usually grows spinach, different types of lettuce, kale, garlic, tomatoes and more in summer and fall. 

“i decided what to plant (by) basically just googling what’s super easy to grow,” tody said. “when there’s big e. coli recalls on stuff like lettuce … i just try to avoid those big supply chain problems by keeping it local and independent.”

during winter, he plants winter-hardy plants like kale and carrots in raised plant beds. 

in addition to concerns with the quality of produce, another big impetus for locally grown produce is food apartheid, also known as the food desert problem: where residents only have close access to corner liquor stores, gas stations, retail locations or small grocery stores for food, but not to supermarkets with a wide selections of fresh produce. 

cultivating healthy foods across chicago

one solution is urban farming beyond the backyard. star farm is a year-round urban farm operating in the south side’s back of the yards neighborhood and is increasing food access in the community. it creates safe spaces for women and children to learn about sustainable foods, and has a volunteer program where people with disabilities can help package produce for sale. 

through the community supported agriculture (csa) program, a weekly (sometimes biweekly) food subscription service, they serve local residents, including senior citizens who are unable to travel for groceries. they also partner with other local organic farms to boost the local economy. 

with winter underway, star farm is centering on growing vegetables like tomatoes, onions and zucchini to ship to the csa members, according to communications manager and farmer mira cameron. 

the farm has additional strategies like growing microgreens as well as broccoli, cabbage and turnips on the main site, an apartment, and in a greenhouse predominantly used in winter. during winter months, they will continue to do pop-up markets, distribute to local hospitals and sell produce at several indoor markets even outside of back of the yards, like in wicker park and lincoln park.

“because we’re able to sell directly to the consumers so often, we’re able to sell them organic local produce for a relatively low price compared to what you would find at a store,” cameron said. 

another smaller and family-run urban farm is cedillo’s produce in the englewood neighborhood, which focuses on providing organic food to people of color through farmers markets in its south side neighborhoods and those on the west side, like little village. the farm operates a csa program and provides leafy greens in the spring and fall, then fruit crops in the summer, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants and more. 

co-founder dulce morales said that while the farm doesn’t have a greenhouse, it has a large hoop house — an uninsulated sheltered space — and she covers some plants with low tunnels made of plastic tube arches encased by a plastic sheet, to protect crops that thrive in winter, like spinach and lettuce. 

morales said it is beneficial for people’s health to eat organically, avoiding exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.  

“knowing that your food is being harvested the day of … that it didn’t have to travel in refrigeration for a whole week before it comes to your plate, all those things are big factors for people to get the most nutrients,” morales said. 

a communal effort

community gardens are another very common way of tackling food insecurity. the urban growers collective (ugc) supports access to fresh foods by growing abundant produce year-round in two south side community gardens — located in schafer park and jackson park — and eight urban farms predominantly on the south side. the organization also provides community members with job training and workshops on growing food.

laurell sims, co-ceo of the organization, said it is very important to hire local residents to work in the urban farm communities and keep a consistent program going without fully relying on volunteers.

“there’s really low food access, in particularly [disinvested] black and brown communities [of] chicago, so predominantly on the south side, but also on the west side,” sims said. “when you’re really having to choose between paying rent or your heat, or our high quality produce, produce is going to be the last thing on your list.”

ugc’s produce is only available through farmers markets, their fresh moves mobile market bus, and their collective supported agriculture program.

the fresh moves mobile market — which has produce and pantry items like beans and pasta — is a chicago transit authority bus converted into a farmers market used to target areas with higher need of fresh groceries, to shorten the food gap in chicago. the market is run by ugc farmers and the bus route is posted on its instagram, which you can follow for updates. the bus has a $10 voucher for first-time shoppers, and distributed $169,000 worth of free food to people in need, sims said.

“[urban gardening] gives folks a place to be able to grow their own and to have food autonomy, and includes beauty in the city,” sims said. “i think it’s really helped to foster a better living environment for the folks living in chicago.”

tellock saw a lot of food takeout packaging, utensils and plastic bags, and she began recruiting others to help her cover more ground. 

“i started cleaning my own neighborhood, then i ventured out to other areas and i eventually started to find such intense litter that i just could not do it myself,” tellock said. “so, i posted about it online and i started to gather some people to help.”

a communal effort

miranda carrico of the lake view east neighborhood was one of the first people to help tellock. both of them co-founded cleanup club chicago (cuc) in july of 2020, a volunteer group tackling litter pollution through land and water group cleanups, city outreach, and waste reduction advocacy. 

the environmental group has burgeoned to about 350 members from all over the city, carrico said. as of october, they collected 1,359 kitchen-sized bags of litter since their inception. cuc often collaborates with other organizations, companies, colleges, and wards like university of illinois chicago, dill pickle food co-op, and ward 25.

cuc has two group cleanups per month, running from april to november, and you can sign up here. tellock and carrico encourage people to always report litter issues through their alderman or 311 — the number that connects to city services like the department of streets and sanitation.

chicago generated 4.13 million tons of waste in 2020, but most recent data from 2018 reveals chicago’s average recycling rate is just 8.81%. cuc focuses on plastic litter, encouraging members to remove plastics from the environment whenever possible as the items can have detrimental impacts on habitats and animals like turtles and birds, trapping them, tellock said. 

“plastic pollution has some negative effects, especially on waterways and our soil,” tellock said. “along the river you can see very nakedly the impact that plastic pollution has on wildlife. it’s in their habitat, in their nests, they’re swimming in it.” 

a clean chicago

chicago has litter reduction initiatives, like the single-use foodware ordinance of jan. 18, which only restricts restaurant-caused plastic waste if patrons turn down disposable utensils. federally, the break free from plastic pollution act of 2021 is a proposed bill to reduce the production of certain products like packaging, paper, and containers. lastly, on the state level, the polystyrene foam ban bill seeks to prohibit stores from distributing disposable food containers made of the synthetic polymer polystyrene. yet, littering of this material continues with the lack of enforcement of these initiatives.

carrico said the pandemic increased the waste of single-use plastics and other items like gloves and disposable face masks, partly because the chicago parks district was not hiring maintenance workers, who typically target littering in parks across the city. 

carrico said cuc gives volunteers instructions and equipment like grabbers, gloves and buckets before each cleanup.

“we’re using eventbrite for people to sign up, which provides them instructions,” carrico said. “we will describe to them the goals of the cleanup, where we’re going and tips.” 

she added that the group holds activities like litter bingo and trash competitions to keep things engaging and fun.

tellock said the group is gaining many volunteers in communities across the city, especially south and west sides, so far doing work in humboldt park, pilsen, and hyde park, among others. tellock said cuc is a group that fosters community.

“i think it is a nice way to meet people that have a common interest in taking care of the community, and to get outside and do something productive with their time,” tellock said.