Go & Show: Urban Stream Research Center, backwards river, mushrooms, trout, bowhunting

A rare chance for the public to tour the Urban Stream Research Center leads this Go & Show; plus a weekend gathering on the backwards river, along with several activities of the season.

SHARE Go & Show: Urban Stream Research Center, backwards river, mushrooms, trout, bowhunting
A file photo of an earlier chance to visit the Urban Stream Research Center in Warrenvlle, which has rare public tours on Saturday and Sunday. Credit: Dale Bowman

A file photo of an earlier chance to visit the Urban Stream Research Center, which has a rare public tour on Saturday.

Dale Bowman

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is holding a rare public tour of its Urban Stream Research Center at Blackwell Forest Preserve on Saturday, Oct. 16. As somebody who has had a couple chances to the center up close, I highly recommend it for a look at key scientific work on mussels and other aquatic life.

Tours leave every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are for all ages (under 18 with an adult). Tours are $5 per person. Register at apm.activecommunities.com/fpddc/Activity_Search/15302 or (630) 933-7248.

CHICAGO RIVER, DEEP THOUGHTS: The Backward River Festival: Reclaiming the Chicago River is this weekend. It really sounds like the kind of thing I should attend, but can’t. The two-day outdoor event, presented by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Freshwater LabThe festival, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It features water-related activities, music, panel discussions, art, food and a community expo outside of the Eleanor Street Boathouse at Park 571, 2828 S. Eleanor St. It’s free.

Here are details:

From new parks and riverwalks to large warehouses and residential developments, many changes are taking place along the Chicago River. What do these transformations mean for Chicago’s communities? Who bears the burden and who benefits? In Chicago, a resident’s experience with the river can often depend on where they live. The Backward River Festival: Reclaiming the Chicago River, a two-day outdoor event presented by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Freshwater Lab, will bring together artists, environmental justice advocates, local residents and community organizers to examine these questions and reflect on the river’s current condition and future. a two-day outdoor event presented by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Freshwater LabThe festival, scheduled Oct. 16-17 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., will feature water-related activities, music, panel discussions, art, food and a community expo outside of the Eleanor Street Boathouse at Park 571, 2828 S. Eleanor St. Admission is free and open to the public. Family-friendly festival activities include canoeing with Friends of the Chicago River; catch and release fishing, aquatic ecosystem and urban river education with Shedd Aquarium; making seed bombs, which are native plant seeds and mushroom compost packed in clay, with Urban Rivers; a participatory mapping workshop; and panel discussions and live performances on the mainstage hosted by Ricardo Gamboa of The Hoodoisie, an online news program focused on Chicago community activism. More information and the full schedule of festival events are available online. The festival is an opportunity for the public, particularly residents in communities surrounding the South Branch and the Sanitary and Ship Canal, to connect to the river and each other through curated activities and engaging art installations, according to Rachel Havrelock, founder and director of The Freshwater Lab, a humanities and social science initiative focused on environmental justice and water issues in the Great Lakes region. Chicago waterfronts are key sites of change. For the most part, decisions on investment and development are being made outside the community, but the impacts are significant. We’re convening this festival for people to engage in these changes and have it reflect what they want in their river and their city in the future, Havrelock said. The festival’s name is inspired by The Backward River, the lab’s multimedia project featuring UIC student-created narratives, visuals, podcasts and audio vignettes that examine the history, issues, and future of the Chicago River. Many of these contributions can be experienced at the festival. Like the festival, Havrelock said, the The Backward River project amplifies local social and environmental issues in creative and accessible ways. All Chicagoans are impacted by climate change and water issues, so the festival, in tandem with the project, is an excellent opportunity and fun approach to present and engage in culture and environmental matters with the general public. They also help to amplify the local voices that aren’t always heard from, particularly as it relates to the environment, she said. Support for the festival is provided by a University of Illinois Presidential Initiative Grant in the Arts and Humanities.

TROUT: Regular fall trout season opens Saturday, Oct. 16. Daily bag is five; those 16 and older need a fishing license and an inland trout stamp. Nearby sites include in Cook County (Axehead, Belleau, Busse North, Green, Horsetail, Sag Quarry East, Wolf), DuPage (Grove, Pickerel, Silver); Kankakee (Bird Park Quarry, Rock Creek); Kendall (Big Lake at Silver Springs SFWA); Lake (Sand Lake at Illinois Beach SP); McHenry (Spring Grove Hatchery Pond); Will (Lake Strini, Van Horn Woods).

Click herefor the statewide release.

FALL MUSHROOMS: I plan to get out for an excursion for fall mushrooms in the Rock River area this weekend. I might be spending the night outside beforehand, we’ll see.

This is a chance for me to learn much more about mushrooms. Unlike morels in the spring, which I am confident people can ID on their own, I truly seek out advice from those with expert knowledge when it comes to fall mushrooms and strongly advice others to do the same. In the fall, I either check with people who know or literally go with people in the know.

Very good help is available from the Illinois Mycological Association on their Facebook page.

ARCHERY SEASON: Archery season is open for deer (well, and turkey, too) in Illinois. I need to get out before the rut is in full swing.

SNAGGING: Snagging for Chinook and coho—allowed only at the Lincoln Park Lagoon south of Fullerton, Waukegan North Harbor, Winnetka Power Plant or Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer Harbors)—appears to be going relatively successfully.

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