This summer has been busy as the Conservancy plans for the upcoming restoration of North Pond. All of our background studies necessary to help us understand the Pond and the best approaches to restoring it have been completed. In July we hosted a feedback session with our key North Pond partners, including the Chicago Ornithological Society, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, North Pond Restaurant, and the several volunteer groups that utilize the historic casting pier. Following that meeting and the incorporation of key ideas from it, the Conservancy, its project consultants, and the Chicago Park District hosted a collaborative design charrette to share key findings from the studies and to discuss desired restoration outcomes and related strategies to achieve them. All of this input is currently being assimilated into concept designs that will be shared with our constituents and the public later this fall. We plan on offering several public information and input meetings this fall, either in person or via Zoom or related interactive technologies. Stay tuned to our next e-newsletter for more or, even better, use the linked icons in the page footer below to follow the Conservancy on social media. Regular project updates can also be found on the North Pond restoration project page.
Last week we also welcomed over 15 persons to our first ever North Pond Champion training, held socially distanced at the historic pavilion at North Pond. Our Champions will be key advocates for North Pond and help others learn more about this historic and natural icon and the importance of its restoration in ensuring its future for us all! Look for our socially distanced Champions in the Park this fall or online sharing North Pond’s story via social media. We will also launch a signage campaign around the Pond before Labor Day. Signs will provide key information and messages about the Pond and its restoration and provide QR codes to the Conservancy’s web site to learn more. Look for signs in the coming weeks. If you have questions about the North Pond Restoration Project or would like to learn more, contact the Conservancy’s Executive Director at: dwidener@lincolnparkconservancy.org (773) 883-PARK x. 206. #DigDeepForNorthPond
