MILLENNIUM RESERVE MONTHLY
OCTOBER 2015
Join Millennium Reserve: Benefits of Being a Partner You lead a group that is finding new ways to encourage commerce in one of the region’s communities. Or you work for an organization that focuses on environmental issues in the region. Through Millennium Reserve you meet and partner with other leaders who address the same challenges. Your group benefits from greater visibility because its work is related to a Millennium Reserve priority project. Or perhaps your organization is pursuing a grant for work that aligns with Millennium Reserve. Your grant application is more competitive because it supports the Millennium Reserve mission and goals. These are among the many ways that groups focused on the commerce, communities and wildlife of the Calumet region are benefiting from Millennium Reserve, which brings together communities, government and businesses in the region. We asked four Partners to share their thoughts about how their organizations and the people they serve benefit from Millennium Reserve. MarySue Barrett, President, Metropolitan Planning Council The southeast side is rich in assets, but it has paid a price of disinvestment and has lacked the partners and institutions to put the pieces together for recovery and reinvestment. Millennium Reserve is an important part of an overdue effort to do just that: it provides a mechanism for organizations to set a joint agenda. By bringing together partners, Millennium Reserve has helped the Metropolitan Planning Council create a ripple effect on the issues we are dealing with. For example, as the lead organization on the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, Millennium Reserve has supported our work to share data, encourage green infrastructure and, in general, help strengthen our partnerships with local organizations and decision makers. The Calumet region sits in a beautiful area that is tragically unappreciated. We have to show people its potential and be an advocate for this region. Millennium Reserve is playing a critical role in making that happen. We have also been engaged in Millennium Reserve on the communications side; all of our work will be aided by having an aggressive communications strategy to reset how the Calumet is seen. Story continues on page 2 1 Millennium Reserve
Join Millennium Reserve: Benefits of Being a Partner ‐ Continued from page 1
Jason Berry, Deputy Director of Community Development, City of Blue Island Before Millennium Reserve was created, you got the sense that there were a lot of people doing the same thing in different places. Getting people on the same page has been really valuable. Blue Island has been on the Millennium Reserve bandwagon since the beginning. It’s been an opportunity that has played an important role in enabling us to tackle some recreation, tourism and economic development projects. Being a Partner has helped bring all sorts of resources to Blue Island. In addition, many projects we support align with Millennium Reserve priorities – like the Blue Island Rowing Center, the Cal‐Sag Trail and various green infrastructure efforts. When you look at the rowing center, that’s an idea that gained traction because of Millennium Reserve; Blue Island couldn’t have tackled this kind of project on its own. When you have Millennium Reserve’s Steering Committee bringing Partners to the table who support a project, that makes a difference. It was instrumental in our being able to do a feasibility study for this project. This kind of support is critical to what we are doing in Blue Island. Paula Robinson, Managing Partner, Bronzeville Community Development Partnership I see Millennium Reserve as being a broad umbrella for a lot of interests. What we do under this umbrella is find opportunities to create linkages. Some are natural, like a trail that connects parks, some are historical, some are between communities. Millennium Reserve is an umbrella that allows us to have Partners come together to interpret, showcase and collaborate as we tell our stories. The Calumet region offers the types of experience that very few places can offer. Think about it: You can bike and engage in many recreational activities here. You can visit communities, and you can learn about the region’s rich history and culture. It offers experiences that can inspire you. Millennium Reserve is supporting those experiences. One example is that the Millennium Reserve Steering Committee selected national heritage area designations, including the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area, as a priority project. Another is Millennium Reserve’s support for community‐based art installations in natural settings (a project of the Field Museum and Chicago Park District). Bronzveville was named as a winner by this project for a commissioned installation called “Sounding Bronzeville.” It’s important to realize when we’re talking about Millennium Reserve that it’s not only huge in space, but in creating opportunities. Rebeccah Sanders, Executive Director at Audubon Chicago Region, National Audubon Society I grew up in the south suburbs, and my parents met in the steel mills. The region often felt like a second‐
class space, a forgotten area. By bringing together all these players – government, social services, companies – Millennium Reserve is helping to make this an area people should feel proud of. So much commerce grew from this area, and it has such rich ecology. So many stories haven’t been told. Through partnerships fostered through the Millennium Reserve, Audubon is working on a collaborative project to restore wetlands in the Calumet region. Because of the Millennium Reserve, key people are at the table. Millennium Reserve has also played an important role in promoting Wild Indigo, a program we manage that is rebuilding connections between people of color and nature in the region. In the end, almost everything we do is in partnership with other organizations. Having Millennium here gives us a framework, helps us understand priorities and connects us to different Partners. It helps us ask and then answer an important question: What are we going to work on together? For more information about how to become an official Partner, go to: http://www.millenniumreserve.org/
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Pullman: National Monument Site Gaining Momentum Nearly Last February, President Obama came to Chicago to announce that the city’s storied Pullman community would be designated as a national monument. That marked the first time an Illinois site has received this designation, which has been strongly supported by Millennium Reserve. Now, the question is, “What’s next?” as the community tries to make the most of an opportunity that has major implications for residents and potential visitors. “This is a healthy, vibrant community with a lot of hope and optimism, but with more work that needs to be done,” says Sue Bennett, Chief of Visitor Services, Pullman National Monument for the National Park Service. “The future of this site will be a collaborative effort.” In the wake of the president’s announcement, momentum to develop the site has grown, as public agencies, businesses, nonprofits, community residents and many others have voiced their views about its future. The Pullman community has supported and showcased Pullman’s dynamic history for many years. Current activities and discussions are building on these efforts. Dr. Lyn Hughes, founder of the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, says the future will reveal more about how the process involves the community. “What needs to happen is that the process happen organically, authentically and honestly in order to work. You have to involve all the people.” The Pullman story is many stories rolled into one. In the 1880s, industrialist George Pullman opened his Pullman Palace Car Company in the community, soon followed by a model industrial town that included row houses for employees. In 1894, the violent Pullman Strike spread nationwide and disrupted rail service, ultimately leading to greater awareness and improvements in workers’ rights. In the 1920s, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was formed, the first African‐American labor union to secure collective bargaining rights. Its leader, A. Philip Randolph, played a key role in the civil rights movement. Positioning Pullman In April, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects convened Positioning Pullman, a three‐day workshop held in the community. Participants envisioned what improvements might be needed for the Pullman National Monument and the community to accommodate new visitors and increased interest. More than 40 participants included urban planners, architects, landscape architects, engineers, economists, historians and members of the community (the Pullman and Roseland neighborhoods were well represented). Positioning Pullman was designed to help establish a framework for action, says LeAaron Foley, Midwest Senior Outreach Coordinator for NPCA. Participants in the event focused on four areas: access and connections; historic preservation and adaptive reuse; community development; and park experience. Story continues on page 4 3 Millennium Reserve - Oct 2015
Pullman: National Monument Site Gaining Momentum ‐ Continued from page 3 Access and Connections Designers envisioned using historic Pullman train cars “in a functional capacity, perhaps used as Metra train stop shelters.” “This will be a park that should be accessible through public transit,” says Foley. “But some of that transit could use some improvements in service and infrastructure.” He also suggests that road and pedestrian improvements and parking will be developed with respect to Pullman’s unique story. The Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency (CMAP) funded a deep‐dive transportation plan and, with NPCA as the lead, hired Sam Schwartz Engineering to do the work. The plan will, among other features, make specific recommendations to move people to, from, and within Pullman and to connect the national monument neighborhoods to Harborside golf course, Big Marsh and other regional assets. Historic Preservation and Reuse Participants considered “strategies for commemorating important buildings that have been lost‐or programming buildings in need of renewal as well as strategies to incorporate landscape design, streetscape enhancements, and new construction guidelines, all based on the historical design of the neighborhood.” Community Development If, as expected, the new national park designation results in an increase in tourism, how will that affect local residents and businesses? How will it impact the Calumet region? The community development team looked at all regional attractions in terms of impact, including revenue generation and job growth. Park Experience Participants discussed plans that could include self‐guided visitation routes that integrate the area’s past with its present. They also discussed how visitors come to national park sites with different amounts of time to spend there as well as varying levels of interest and knowledge about a subject. Many of the suggestions were focused on low‐cost solutions, which will be important given the austere budget that national parks are working with. Positioning Pullman, is one of many efforts to develop Pullman that are in play. The National Park Service is leading an effort to create a Foundation Document for the site that will become part of the park’s General Management Plan. Meanwhile, the City of Chicago is creating an advisory committee for Pullman. Also gaining in visibility with the national monument designation will be the legendary Hotel Florence of the Pullman State Historic Site (closed for construction); the old Pullman factory, which offers tours but has limited access; the Pullman Porter Museum; and a much‐talked about new visitor center, planned for the first floor of the Clocktower Administration Building. Mike Shymanski, president and founding member of the Historic Pullman Foundation, says that the national monument “is going to stimulate much broader interest in Pullman, and help the city and state attract more visitors. It’s also going to be one of the few national parks where such a range of significant issues can be talked about.” For more: www/nps.gov/pull www.positioningpullman.org 4 Millennium Reserve - Oct 2015
Habitat 2030: Restoring Nature, Building Community Sue Kirt learned where she could get out in nature and volunteer by visiting an environmentally‐friendly site: the Facebook page of Habitat 2030, a 10‐year‐old group that organizes volunteers around habitat restoration in the Calumet region and other parts of the state. The organization has several regional groups, including one called Calumet 2030. The natural areas in the region that volunteers of Calumet 2030 restore include Millennium Reserve sites like Eggers Grove, Beaubien Woods and Kickapoo Woods. Kirt, a full‐time instructor in the biology department at Chicago State University, says she used to drive by various nature preserves in the region, but didn’t stop to see them. “I decided to change that,” she says. “I realized that these are actually great places. Now I’m seeing what they have to offer firsthand.” “We believe every single person is capable of having an impact on the environment and can help restore nature,” says Robb Telfer, a member of the advisory group that organizes Habitat 2030 (he is also the Calumet Outreach Coordinator at The Field Museum). The group’s website includes a different but related description of volunteers: “Incredible people doing good ‘n’ dirty work.” The organization, Telfer’s own work suggests, is also capable of a playful yet pointed defense of the region and state’s environment. In the last year or so, Telfer has advocated that the Kankakee mallow, a wildflower endemic to Illinois, become the state’s flower. Habitat 2030’s website features a sign supporting the mallow (“Don’t Be Shallow Vote for Mallow”) that echoes political slogans of yesteryear. Habitat 2030 had about 100 members in 2013; now, it has over 800 members. While Habitat 2030’s Calumet 2030 group is only a year old, it has already featured a range of events with many more on the way. Between October and December of this year, 12 “Restoration Days” are scheduled in the Calumet region at Beaubien Woods, Eggers Grove and Kickapoo Woods. “One thing that is refreshing about the group is its lack of cynicism,” says Telfer. “Habitat 2030 is about happily doing the work and making the world a little nicer.” Another characteristic of the group is that volunteers will spend time at different sites. “We are trying to foster a group that wants to wander and go to a lot of different spaces,” says Telfer. In September, volunteers removed invasive species and planted a mix of sedges, rushes and other plants at Eggers Grove. On a typical day, workday leaders set an agenda, describe what work will be done that day and talk about why it’s important to the site. The Forest Preserves of Cook County also assigns a site steward to coach workday leaders, who are required to take classes offered by the Forest Preserves related to what they will do at area sites. (Developing the future generation of conservation leaders is a priority project of Millennium Reserve). Story continues on page 6 5 Millennium Reserve - Oct 2015
Habitat 2030: Restoring Nature, Building Community ‐ Continued from page 5 “What I like most about Habitat 2030 is that it has a really strong sense of community,” says Cassi Saari, an ecologist and consultant who lives in Forest Park and is also a member of Habitat’s advisory group. “There’s a really active online community through Facebook, and people get together to volunteer or even just to hang out.” Volunteers, she says, don’t just focus on doing restoration work. They also may have other opportunities to learn, whether that means listening to someone who can share knowledge about different kinds of trees, going for a walk at a site or learning about nature in other ways. Telfer suggests there is a similarity between natural sites volunteers visit and the way the group communicates with people. “Social networking and the natural sites where our volunteers go – both create a sense of community. Everyone brings something different to both. And I think a Facebook page can become like an ecosystem.” “The community creates its own values and ways of doing things,” he adds. “It’s a positive place where thoughtful conversations happen. One of the greatest strengths is removing barriers between lay people and experts. Anyone can help restore these sites.” Saari adds that the perception people may have about getting to volunteer sites in the region may be misleading. Many are located about the same distance to downtown Chicago as it is between Northbrook and downtown. Meanwhile, Kirt suggests that people should explore the region and volunteer for Habitat 2030. “I think it would be great if more people got out and explored these preserves,” says Kirt, whose volunteer efforts for the group have included taking photos at various sites, including Eggers Grove, as well as removing and replanting activities. “I grew up in the western suburbs, and never thought of getting out of my car on the south side. Now I’m seeing what I missed.” For more information, go to the Habitat 2030 web page for the Calumet region: http://habitat2030.org/calumet/ 6 Millennium Reserve - Oct 2015
First Person Narrative: Christopher Rodriguez Christopher Rodriguez is a volunteer with Habitat 2030, a group of volunteers who care about the remarkable natural areas of the Chicago region. He lives on the southeast side. I have run neighborhood cleanups and volunteer efforts in the 10th Ward since I was a teen in the 1990s. One of the people who volunteered forwarded me a link saying that Habitat 2030 was looking for help with native plantings in Eggers Grove. I wanted to help out, and I showed up with 15 people, including my daughter, who is in high school, as well as seven or eight high school students and about as many adults. My experience includes working to eradicate invasive species on a ranch in Montana. At Eggers Grove, we removed invasive species and did a wetland native planting. As a father, I want my daughter to have a connection to nature as well, and see that she can make an impact. I want to see more young people develop pride in the natural areas around them. I live about a mile from Eggers and it’s a treasure I want my children to see. I believe that the closing of the steel mills has had a major influence on life in these communities. Yes, it will take time for the community to recover, but now more young people are staying and trying to improve things here. Volunteering at Eggers and other places in the region is one way to do that. Outside of the time I spend as a volunteer, I am also a stone sculptor. I use the woods for carving and meditation time. I walk, I connect with my art. I also have other ideas about how we can use this space. Maybe we can have different kinds of community gatherings or festivals. The sky’s the limit. The truth is, we have many untapped treasures here. Nature is one of the resources we look to as part of our wealth. We have to find a way to make it accessible. About the Partnership Millennium Reserve is a partnership of government, businesses, and nonprofit groups working together to advance a shared action agenda. It is led by a Steering Committee of diverse Partners who understand community priorities and know how to make the most of the region’s assets. Scores of additional Partners are actively stewarding initiatives and on‐the‐ground projects that help to realize the Millennium Reserve vision. Join Millennium Reserve Millennium Reserve is a special place that belongs to everyone. Joining us as a Millennium Reserve Partner or community makes you an official part of the exciting transformation of this under‐recognized region. For more information and to join, visit http://bit.ly/1GR4Y5W For questions, contact: Suellen Burns e: [email protected] p: 312‐814‐6509 7 Millennium Reserve - Oct 2015