What happens to the Chicago River in winter? Our partners at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum recently covered the chilly topic on its blog featuring Friends’ experts. Policy and Conservation Director John Quail and Conservation Manager Maggie Jones answer questions about life under frozen water; how fish, plants, and other wildlife adapt; and outdoor restoration work in winter.

 

While watershed-wide restoration work happens year round, some of the most important restoration work occurs during the winter season. In particular, Jones works in partnership with staff from the Forest Preserves of Cook County to monitor for the optimum winter conditions for Friends’ restoration work, including habitat improvement that increase turtle nesting success and open spaces that need attention in order to establish a healthy native plant community. Visit Friends’ website to learn more about Friends’ ecological restoration work in winter.