A Look Back at 2023

The biggest milestones, best photos, & a few parties to wrap it all up!

“Wild Mile”stones

This year we achieved many memorable milestones in our ongoing commitment to transform urban waterways into wildlife sanctuaries. In just 365 days, we had:

  • 31,000+ visits to the Wild Mile

  • 3,500+ people attended an Urban Rivers program 

  • 1,350 people connected with our mission through outreach at public events 

  • 1,000+ students educated on a free field trip

  • 850 attendees at the 2nd Annual Wild Mile Block Party

  • 700+ active River Ranger volunteers

  • 105 species of birds spotted and counting

  • 18 free summer workshops hosted

  • 1 resident Chonkosaurus who went viral and stole the Internet’s heart

End of Year Holiday Party

Join Urban Rivers staff, volunteers, and partners for a festive end-of-year celebration at Off Color Brewing Thursday December 7th 6:00pm-9:00pm!

We’ll enjoy beer and (free) snacks, play some board games, and reflect on our favorite river-centric memories of 2023. Plus, select beers will be donating $1 per pour to Urban Rivers! All are welcome - come ready to make some new friends in the river-loving community.

RSVP for the party at eventbrite.com/e/urban-rivers-holiday-party

Best Photos of the Year

The winning photos speak to the beauty and personal experiences of our parks, spanning four different categories. We are grateful for all who shared their moments of color, wonder, and joy on the Chicago River. We hope you enjoy them as much we do!

Best of Wildlife & Best Overall

Black-Crowned Night Heron

by Jesse Vega Gonzales

Best of People

River Ranger Kayaking

by Kaitlyn Tran

Honorable Mention

Flowers in Focus

by Giada Morresi

Best of Landscapes

Sunset at the Wild Mile

by Maddie Demo

Best of Humor

Smiles Despite the Rain

by Laura Christine Derks

Honorable Mention

Cliff Swallows

by Jesse Vega Gonzales

You can check out all submissions at https://www.urbanriv.org/photo-contest-2023

Wild Mile S’mores Party!

Sweet treats to welcome winter!

The newest addition to the Wild Mile is a state-of-the-art propane-powered fire pit, and we can’t wait to use it! Bundle up and join us for a cozy evening on the boardwalk on Friday December 15th 6:00-7:30pm, roasting marshmallows, sipping warm drinks, and enjoying the weather of a (hopefully) mild winter.

Thanks from the Team

No silly office insights today - just a heartfelt “thank you!” from the Urban Rivers team. Everything we do is motivated by our love for the community, and this year, we’ve felt that love returned like never before. Whether through shouts from the crowd of 850 smiling faces at the Block Party, or from the simplest interaction with a first-time River Ranger, your cheerleading makes a difference. 

We forgot to take a team picture when the weather was nice, so here’s a picture of Bubba, since this project mostly orbits around him anyways.

Urban Rivers