The Wetlands Initiative

Big waves, big wind, big skies and bigger ideas w/ The Wetlands Initiative! For the 2nd year in row SUM loved the chance to get a team whose job is the outdoors to have a wholly different kind of experience #outside. In a time of #organizationalgrowth and lots of hiring, it was great to have some time to foster connections and brainstorm future work. Throw in a fire, some warm cider and lunch from D&AJ Soul Food in Gary and it made for a great day! Thanks TWI! #getoutside #sumoutside #staffretreat #teamculture #employeeexperience Ketzel Feasley Carly Friedman Josh Ellis Paul Botts Abby Mattson

🌍 Earth’s natural carbon sinks play a crucial role in mitigating #ClimateChange. Did you know that soil holds more carbon than you might think? Understanding how much carbon is stored in different ecosystems is essential for advancing climate action and conservation efforts. Via Visual Capitalist

What a feel-good Friday we had last week! A small, but mighty and muddy group of HESNI Volunteers joined a few others on the southside of Chicago to plant shrubs, sedges, native trees and swamp rosemallow at Indian Ridge Marsh. This area was once an old industrial site, but is now part of the Chicago Park District and is under development with the help of The Wetlands Initiative, Calumet Division. While we started in the rain, we finished with a productive and sunny day. According to our TWI Coordinator, Marwah Saleh, we planted 800 plants that day to improve the shoreline of the Marsh. A special thank you to my fellow volunteers, Libby Ashworth, Vince Shanahan, and Matthew Kohut. We all worked together to make a difference to the development of the Marsh and we can't wait to see our efforts blooming in the Spring. And thank you to Michuda Construction for always supporting my efforts to assist our local communities. #letsgettoworkplanting #chicagoparkdistrict #chicagosouthside #thewetlandsinitiative To learn more about this area, please visit: https://lnkd.in/gr2mqajV

Join C2ST, The Geographic Society of Chicago, Chicago Park District, The Wetlands Initiative, and many other community science organizations for a day of fun at Big Marsh Park, one of Chicago’s largest outdoor spaces! Participate in arts and science-based activities with Calumet region scientists and attend guided walks to record nature observations! Big Marsh Park features walking, running, and biking trails that attract outdoor recreation enthusiasts of all skill levels. It is also home to a wide variety of wildlife including amphibians, reptiles, insects, mammals, and birds. The Geographic Society of Chicago Chicago Park District The Wetlands Initiative #chicago #stem #fun #c2st #outdoor #parks #

Fostering #board and staff connections can advance the work, energize people and reveal pathways to tap expertise, connections and resources… but those connections often don’t just create themselves. Thanks The Wetlands Initiative for the chance to lead a fun morning outside with your #board and staff to do just that. Plus, it was a fun challenge to simultaneously run a walking discussion, a kayaking trip and a forest therapy session! #getoutside #sumoutside #boardengagement #employeeexperience #teamculture #wellness Abby Mattson Paul Botts Jill Kostel Josh Ellis Sarah Abu-Absi Carly Friedman Ketzel Feasley

Earlier this week, a group of us from NIPSCO and NiSource spent the morning with The Wetlands Initiative and Lake County Parks and Rec to clean up trash along the Little Calumet River in Gary, IN. The wetlands around the Little Calumet River are critical to maintaining biodiversity within our region and mitigating the impacts of flooding. Unfortunately, trash and other refuse are routinely dumped in the area which could cause harmful chemicals to leech in to river and disrupt the sensitive ecosystem within the wetlands. The area we worked meets all the definitions of a Disadvantaged Community (DACs), characterized by low income households, legacy pollution and poor health outcomes. While this effort is a small step, it represents part of our long term vision for advancing Environmental Equity and Justice(EEJ) within our footprint. EEJ at NiSource is focused on meaningful engagement with our communities particularly DACs, minimizing environmental impacts of our operations and maximizing environmental and socioeconomic benefits to DACs. #Wetlands #EEJ #Sustainabilty Brian Kortum, MBA Aerielle Kackos Alexius D. Barber Jeff Loewe, Nancy Wolf Johnnie C Long

Recently, NiSource and NIPSCO team members partnered with volunteers from The Wetlands Initiative, The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, LAKE COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, Indiana University Northwest and Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative to sow thousands of wetland plants across two acres at the MLK South Wetland in Gary, IN. This event is part of a larger vision to revitalize and restore the Little Calumet River floodplain including the Chase Street Complex. The Complex is an 800-acre natural space along an urban flood control corridor in the Calumet region of Northwest Indiana. The NiSource Charitable Foundation is also providing important financial support for these efforts. We appreciate the enthusiasm and hard work of our team members, partners and the community in conserving our natural spaces and enhancing environmental resilience.