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Announcements and News

Earth Day Clean-ups 2025: Volunteer Sign Up Open!
We are looking for volunteers to join cleanup teams at parks across the city. Explore the map here to find a park near you and sign up to make a meaningful impact in your community!
For further inquiries, email Egna Setiawan at [email protected]
For corporate groups looking to volunteer click here to sign up

Breaking News: Win for the South Side! Corps Backs away from CDF
Great news! The Army Corps of Engineers has withdrawn its plans to build a new toxic waste structure on top of the existing Confined Disposal Facility that borders Calumet Beach. It is incredibly gratifying to share this victory, especially in a time when environmental justice efforts are under attack. The recent decision by the Army Corps to abandon plans to expand the toxic dump on Lake Michigan is a significant victory for the community. Stay tuned for more details, and we encourage you to keep powering us forward with a donation today—it’s time to turn the CDF into a park! Read more about our work on the CDF here. Read the press release here.

Friends of the Parks Welcomes New Executive Director
Over our 50-year history, Friends of the Parks (FOTP) has championed an equitable park system for a healthy Chicago. As it prepares to celebrate this significant milestone, FOTP announces the selection of Brian Gladstein as its new executive director. Gladstein’s career has spanned over three decades serving in leadership roles for several non-profit organizations in Chicago and beyond. He brings extensive experience in all domains of FOTP's work--community engagement, advocacy, civic education, public policy, and environmental justice and stewardship.
FOTP thanks our dedicated staff, led by interim executive director Gin Kilgore, for their tireless work during this time of transition. Gin will now be serving as FOTP’s senior advisor and will be working closely with Brian to usher in a new era of leadership. Learn more here.

Earth Day Clean-ups 2025: Looking for Site Captains!
2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Friends of the Parks’ citywide Earth Day cleanups! For four decades, we have partnered with the Chicago Park District to gather Chicagoans all over the city each spring to restore and beautify our beloved parks. On Saturday, April 26, we are aiming to make this our biggest Earth Day yet, reaching more parks than ever before. To make this possible, we are recruiting Site Captains to organize and lead cleanup efforts in their local park. Click here to sign up! (For a list of parks that already have captains, click here.)

Call for Nominations: 2024 VIP (Volunteers-in-Parks) Award
Each year Friends of the Parks puts out a call for nominations for groups and individuals that have gone above and beyond in making Chicago’s parks great places—through stewardship, advocacy, coordinating park-centric activities for the community, and other kinds of volunteerism. Join us in recognizing and celebrating the champions who are shaping the future of our parks. Submit your nomination by January 31, 2025 here!

Friends of the Parks in Opposition to a New Chicago Bears Stadium on the Lakefront
September 18, 2024: During a press conference at the iconic Soldier Field, we announced the formation of a growing coalition of groups and individuals opposing the Chicago Bears' proposal to construct a new domed stadium on Chicago's lakefront. Learn more here: Chicago Lakefront Coalition. We invite folks to sign on to a petition that says "STOP the Chicago Bears new stadium proposal on Chicago's lakefront." Click here to add your name!

First NAL Trip of Fall 2024 Launched
We kicked off our 2024-2025 Nature Along the Lake program on September 16, 2024, with exciting news! Field trips will be held at two locations: Montrose Point and Rainbow Beach. Don’t miss out—sign up using this link!

Annual DuSable Commemoration
We had a great turnout on August 24, 2024 for festivities commemorating the 206th anniversary of Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable’s passing. This event serves as a critical moment of advocacy to honor the man who had the vision and courage to build Chicago. Let us ensure that his contributions are never forgotten and that the long promised park in his honor is completed! Learn more here and at our DuSable YouTube channel.

Riot Fest Chicago Park District Hearing
September 11, 2024: Anti-Riot Fest advocates hosted a news conference before the monthly meeting of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners. FOTP stood with local leaders calling on the Park District to engage in open, honest, and inclusive dialogue with the communities most affected by these decisions. Public spaces should not be privatized to fund our parks!

CDF Lawsuit Gets Support from IL Attorney General
On July 12, State’s Attorney General Kwame Raoul took a strong stand for environmental justice and our lakefront! He has filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief in support of our lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers' proposed expansion to the Confined Disposal Facility on Chicago's Southeast Side. Click here for the press release and here to learn more about the CDF which should have been converted to a park decades ago!

Earth Day 2024
This year, we led nearly 2,000 volunteers at over 100 parks for a successful day of community service. Together with PACs, park leaders, and local volunteers, we picked up trash, mulched flower beds, and repaired playground surfaces. This event is crucial in building community and momentum for caring and advocating for parks year-round. Thank you to the Chicago Park District for being a partner in this effort, and also to the Bickerdike Development and Magid Glove for their generous sponsorship, making this event possible.

A Message from our Board about Interim Executive Director, January 29, 2024
The Board of Directors of Friends of the Parks is pleased to announce that our Deputy Director Gin Kilgore is stepping into a new role as Interim Executive Director. Gin's passion for parks and her respect for Chicago's diverse communities will serve the organization well. Click here for the press release.

A Message from our Board about Organizational Transition, December 5, 2023
Today, we're sending out the official announcement of Juanita's resignation as executive director of Friends of the Parks. While change is the only constant, we hope you will join us in wishing Juanita a happy next chapter. Her time at FOTP has put us in a good position to embark on our next 50 years. We look forward to what that looks like. We also thank Juanita for all of her hard work. Click here for the press release. Stay tuned for more reflections and details in the coming days and weeks.

2023 VIP (Volunteers-in-Parks) Awardees Announced, November 22, 2023
Check out our announcement of this year's awardees!

$50,000 Matching Grant Challenge
We are thrilled to announce that through the generosity of many friends of the parks, we have met our $50,000 matching grant challenge! We are deeply appreciative of Susan Schwartz, who again took up her “normal” role of encouraging special gifts, starting this summer. Honoring the legacy of her late husband, former board chair Charles Schwartz, who loved investing in Chicago’s parks through time, talent, and treasure, she has matched $50,000 in donations! Although we have met the matching goal, we continue to seek your support to help us power into 2024. Please visit our donation page to make your gift today.

Netsch Lecture: The Shoal and Shipwreck: Stories from Pebble Beach on Chicago’s South Lakefront, November 14, 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Our third Netsch Lecture of the year is: "The Shoal and the Shipwreck: Stories from Pebble Beach on Chicago’s South Lakefront." A distinguished panel of speakers will dive into the compelling geological and social history of Morgan Shoal and Pebble Beach, the section of lakefront between 45th and 51st streets. We will hear the tale of the 1914 shipwreck of the Silver Spray right off the shore, learn about the marine ecosystem that can be found around its remnants and see examples of stone carvings and other forms of art that speak to longstanding human connections to the lake. Learn more and RSVP here.

Parks as Democracy?: A People’s History of the Chicago Park District, November 11, 1:30-2:00 pm
Executive Director Juanita Irizarry will be speaking at "Land in Common: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on Land Justice," organized by the Goethe Institut and hosted at The Plant's Packingtown Museum in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood. She will explore the question: What does it mean for parks to be democratic spaces? Renowned park designer Frederick Law Olmsted said that parks are democratic spaces, and the assertion that they are is often made. But in practice, not everyone experiences their park as a democratic space. In this look at the social forces that have shaped the Chicago Park District, Irizarry will discuss some of the social histories that have shaped Chicago’s parks and the urgent issues affecting the city’s parks and other green spaces. Learn more here.

November Walk with FOTP in 2023: El Paseo Community Garden, November 11, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Our November Walk with FOTP takes us to Pilsen. We start at El Paseo Community Garden, 944 W 21st St, Chicago, IL 60608. Stay tuned for details.

Ducks not Dumps: Birders Protest Chicago Lakefront Dump, November 11, 9:30 am
The birding community is coming out to show support for our lawsuit to prevent the expansion of the Confined Disposal Facility on Chicago's Southeast Side. Learn more here.

November 6 Deadline! Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) Award Nominations
Each year Friends of the Parks honors Park Advisory Councils (PACs) and other groups and individuals that have gone above and beyond in making Chicago’s parks great places—through stewardship, advocacy, coordinating park-centric activities for the community, and other kinds of volunteerism. These may be folks who are actively involved with Friends of the Parks. Or they may be people we don’t know yet, but really should! That's where you come in. Who do you see going above and beyond to care for a park? What projects have captured your imagination? What groups are influencing decision makers to ensure all parks work for all Chicagoans? Submit your nomination by Monday, November 6. Learn more here.

Screening of the The Hills: Environmental Injustices in Chicago's Southeast Side, -- including FOTP Executive Director Juanita Irizarry as a panelist. November 5, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Created by Chicago artist Ines Sommer, THE HILLS tells the story of contaminated land, water, and wildlife in Southeast side Chicago and its impact on the community. This film is being screened at part of the Chicago Humanities Film Festival and will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Sommer, members of the Southeast Environmental Task Force with Daniela Herrera of Earth Art Chicago, Juanita Irizarry, Olga Bautista for a conversation on art as environmental activism and creating a healthier world. Learn more here.

October "Bonus" Walk with FOTP in 2023: Ping Tom Park, October 21
We were delighted to be given a tour of Ping Tom Park by Ernie Wong: world-renowned architect and the park's designer. After the walk, we joined our friends from the Ping Tom Park Advisory council in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Leonard M. Louie Fieldhouse, followed by Trunk or Treat and and other family activities. Plus, we enjoyed the stunning river views! Click here to see event promo.

October Walk with FOTP in 2023: Jackson Park, October 14, 2023
Despite the rain that kept us from walking through the park, we recently had a great gathering of Jackson Park and Museum of Science and Industry neighbors and stakeholders. We were so pleased to be received in the museum conference room by MSI president, Chevy Humphrey, who shared her vision for making the building and surrounding park land that they lease more accessible and welcoming to the general public and especially those who have experienced various barriers to engaging the museum and it's grounds. This comes as MSI also plans for how the future Obama Presidential Center will impact engagement with Jackson Park as a south side museum campus. Click here to see event promo.

State of the PACs Summit, September 30, 2023
Friends of the Parks has long supported Park Advisory Councils and other park partners through training, advocacy, fiscal sponsorship, and additional technical support. On September 30, 2023 we are hosting a State of the PAC's Summit to connect and dialogue about where we are at, the challenges we face, and decide together how we can move our collective vision for parks forward. Stay tuned for details and learn more here.

September Walk with FOTP in 2023: Riis Park
Join us on September 16 for an informative walk with our friends at Northwest Center as we learn about this unique park and their work to improve It. Walk starts at noon. For details and to register, click here.

Still Accepting Seed Grant Applications
Does your PAC or park partner group have some other great nature-based solutions ideas that we can help support with a 2023 Seed Grant? We still have some money to spend this calendar year and are excited to see your applications come in ASAP! We are vetting and funding projects on a rolling basis, so contact us with your ideas right away. Photo credit: Edgewater Environmental Coalition. Learn more here.

Annual Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Commemoration, August 19, 2023
It is that time of year again! We are right around the corner from our annual DuSable Commemoration honoring the life and efforts of Jean Baptist Pointe DuSable, his wife Kitihawa, and the support they received from indigenous people in founding the City of Chicago. Registration for the event is encouraged but not required. Click here. Learn more about DuSable Park here.

FOTP Office Warming Party, July 27, 2023
Thanks to all who came out to celebrate our 48th anniversary and our new home. Read more and see photos here.

Netsch Lecture: Parks and Beaches as Nature-Based Solutions, July 19, 2023
We welcomed representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation's Redefine the Drive team, who presented on their current modeling for a reimagined North Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive that better withstands the effects of erosion and flooding. See the recording here.

July Walk with FOTP in 2023: McKinley Park
Our July walk brought us to McKinley Park, where we were joined by Alfredo Romo, Executive Director of Neighbors for Environmental Justice. Through the lenses of neighbors on the ground, we learned about the MAT Asphalt plant lurking in the parks background and the on-going battle to fight for a healthy McKinley Park in the face of environmental injustice.

CDF Lawsuit! March 13, 2023
Together with Alliance of the Southeast and with the legal expertise of Environmental Law and Policy Center, we have filed a long-planned lawsuit to stop the US Army Corps of Engineers' plan to vertically expand a toxic dredge disposal facility, known as a “confined disposal facility” (“CDF”), on the shore of Lake Michigan at the Calumet River. Read more here.