Happy Hour Speaker Series Underway
Sip on a beverage from a local brewery while learning about the continuing improvements to the Chicago-Calumet River system.
Friends’ Happy Hour Speaker Series at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum kicks off June 27 with expert speakers bringing to life key aspects of our rivers, wildlife, and related topics such as public art along the river. The speaker series takes place every other Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. through August 8 (except July 4) on the museum's outdoor plaza on the Chicago Riverwalk. The series is free and open to the public, and donations to Friends of the Chicago River are encouraged to support the Bridgehouse Museum programming.
Speakers include:
June 27: Stories of Fish Travels: Why Shedd Aquarium is tracking the journey of fish in the Chicago River
- Austin Happel, PhD. Research Biologist focusing on freshwater ecosystems
- Jaclyn Wegner, Senior Director Conservation Action
July 11: Can Chicago River's south branch be a River of Welcome/Rio de Bienvenida for environmental justice?
- Project Artists: Cynthia Weiss and Delilah Salgado
- UIC Freshwater Lab Partners: Citlalli Trujillo and Rachel Havrelock
July 25: Researchers from the Urban Wildlife Institute at the Lincoln Park Zoo talking about Black-Crowned Night Herons
- Henry Adams, Wildlife Management Coordinator, Urban Wildlife Institute
- Liza Lehrer, Assistant Director, Urban Wildlife Institute
August 8: The Otter Society Presents: Recreation in the Chicago River: Cleaner Water and the Chicago River Swim
- John Quail, Director of Policy and Conservation, Friends of the Chicago River
- Doug McConnell, CEO and Co-Founder of A Long Swim
Located in the southwest bridgehouse of the historic DuSable Bridge on Michigan Avenue, the Bridgehouse Museum tells the story of how the Chicago-Calumet River system changed as people's use and relationship with it changed. The five-story museum showcases a river teeming with wildlife due in large part to hard fought water-quality victories and significant restoration efforts. Guests at the museum can also see the massive gears and inner workings of the bridge. The Bridgehouse Museum opened in 2006 as one of the first attractions to pioneer the development of the renowned Chicago Riverwalk and is the only Chicago bridgehouse open to the public.
The Bridgehouse Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Guided tours of the Bridgehouse Museum are available at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Call (312)-977-0227 to reserve a Bridgehouse Museum tour.
