About this Event
Site Captains: Kalindi Parikh; Shannon Madden
Meeting Spot: Between the Buildings
The health of the Chicago River system is improving, but litter continues to be dangerous to people and wildlife and diminishes the beauty of our region. You can make a difference by volunteering with Friends of the Chicago River on Chicago River Day, our fun, free, family-friendly annual cleanup the morning of Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Year after year, thousands of inspired, caring, committed volunteers address the persistent problem of litter, making this Friends’ largest and most popular volunteer day. With over 60 sites to choose from throughout the watershed from Lake County to the Calumet, join us to take collective action to make an instant and lasting positive impact which is essential in creating a Litter Free Chicago River. We have made progress over the last 30 years, so depending on the location, some sites have less litter and instead improve the site by removing invasive plants or trail maintenance.
Volunteers receive a Chicago River Day T-shirt as a special thank you gift. Registration is open until Friday, May 6, 2022 or until a site is at capacity. Children eight and up are eligible to volunteer (though we leave this decision ultimately to the parents). Younger family members are welcome to observe provided they are supervised. Individual registration required, volunteers under 18 need their guardian to register them.
The Chicago River system has a long history of bringing people together, first as an important meeting spot for Native American tribes, then for European explorers and the diverse people who followed - all contributing to the world renowned Chicago we treasure today. It’s wonderful place to live, one we share with migrating birds, eagles, butterflies, mink, over 75 species of fish and endangered species like the black crown night heron.
Every year we feature a river animal to put a face to the name "wildlife," and help us to connect to the animals who rely on us to care for and protect this important river system. The 2022 featured animal is the Blanding’s Turtle, highlighted in the Chicago River Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Action Plan, and is directly helped by our work to clear nesting habitat and monitor their success.
Friends follows CDC, state and local coronavirus guidelines, which are updated to reflect best practices on a regular basis. Please check our current Friends Volunteer Events COVID-19 Protocols here. To promote the safety, health and comfort of volunteers and staff, we ask participants to be fully vaccinated, unless they have a medical exemption, and consider wearing masks when social distancing is not possible.
Be sure to wear closed toed shoes, work clothes that can get dirty, tie hair back or wear a hat and bring a full water bottle. If you have work/garden gloves, please bring those as well to help us limit the number of single use gloves we use.
Our rivers offer us a place to connect with the natural world, relax and have fun! Let's show our respect by caring for this amazing natural resource, making it cleaner for future generations and the wildlife who depend on it for their homes. Teamwork is needed create a Litter Free Chicago River and we appreciate all the volunteers, partners and sponsors who make this event possible. Help spread the word! Share this event on social media and use the hashtag #ChicagoRiverDay.
Have a question? Visit Friends' Chicago River Day FAQ page for more information about how to be best prepared for the day and other general information.
Liability Waivers
Waivers are to be read and digitally agreed to as part of the registration process. This means volunteers need to register individually, parents need to register on behalf of their children.
If you do not wish to be photographed, please let your Site Captain know and do not participate in group photos. Please check the box below indicating you’ve read and agree to the terms of the waivers for this location:
Friends Waiver
Chicago Park District
Note
Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or part of a school or scout group with a teacher or group leader to participate on Chicago River Day. As each site is unique, some are more suitable than others for families and children. If you have questions about whether the site is family-friendly, please email Friends of the Chicago River by clicking the ‘Contact the Organizer’ button on the right.
Look forward to seeing you there!
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Eleanor Street Boathouse at Park 571, 2828 South Eleanor Street, Chicago, United States
USD 0.00