Winter at the Wild Mile 🌨
Mussel Madness!
5 pregnant female mussels - in just two days!
In December, we braved the chilly waters of the North Branch of the Chicago River, joined by some dedicated River Rangers, in search of pregnant Giant Floater mussels. In just two days, we found a record of FIVE pregnant mussels - our limit for the year!
Our effort to reintroduce and promote this valuable freshwater species in urbanized stretches of the Chicago River requires pregnant females to be collected from the wild and hosted at DuPage Forest Preserve District’s Urban Stream Research Center. When the baby mussels are old enough to live independently, they’re transplanted to submerged garden modules on the Wild Mile, where they’ll each filter about ten gallons of water per day when fully grown!
This project is made possible by 11th Hour Racing’s grant program (funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation), as well as by Google. Huge thanks to our partners, funders, and volunteers for making this year’s mussel hunting a huge success!
Gardens in the Wintertime
Still valuable habitat!
The dormant foliage is also used by larger animals as they forage for food and shelter materials during winter resource scarcity. Muskrats, an otter, and an impressive array of bird species have all been spotted on the Wild Mile in the dead of winter. In the early spring, just as the first greenery starts to emerge, baby bunnies and ducklings can be seen all over the gardens!
As we progress deeper into our Midwestern winter, the gardens’ greenery has mostly died off. Grass withers, and plant stalks become woody skeletons. Despite the downtrodden appearance, the gardens still provide valuable habitat! Insects burrow into the larger plant stalks to wait out the winter, anticipating warmer weather. We intentionally leave dead foliage on the gardens, as it creates prime insect real estate.
Wild Mile Walking Tours!
Starting Thursday, Jan. 11th
How are the gardens constructed? Why did the Urban Rivers staff choose these particular plants? How is the Wild Mile funded? What’s that funny-looking bird I always see by the river?
All these questions, and more, will be answered during our monthly Wild Mile walking tours. Our first tour will be on Thursday, Jan. 11th, at 5:30pm. As for all our programs, these events are free and open to all, though we do request that you RSVP here.
Photo: Dave Burk, SOM
Winter Programs
S’mores n’ more!
We’re gearing up for a great programming season in 2024, starting with two fun January events! You can always find our programs and events on our website, and starting this year, we are requesting that participants RSVP for all our events (though last-minute walk-ups are still accepted)!
Our first S’mores night was such a hit, we’ve decided to make it a monthly occurrence. Our next event will be on January 25th - see the details and RSVP here.
Photo: Chicago Ornithological Society
Our partners at Chicago Ornithological Society are leading a multi-day birding event, the Basin Blitz, over the next two months. They’ll visit various locations around the Chicago river system, including some sites where Urban Rivers works! Sign up to join them below.
Office Insights
New Year’s resolutions
Our team took some time off for the holidays, and returned with a new sense of vision and purpose. Here are our resolutions for the New Year - may they serve as an inspiration to you all.
Maya:
“Befriend a goose. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
Sage:
“Don’t let fourth graders break any more of my fancy microscopes. It’s lot to ask, but hey, shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars.”
Phil:
“Open a turtle gym to ensure a constant supply of buff turtles at the Wild Mile. Chonkosaurus was a great start, but she could’ve been chonkier.”
Nick:
“Sleep more”
Bubba:
“This is the year I finally eat a goose.”