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1 Sunday 12-2 by the river

2 Friend and community in need, 2 flat for sale, potential displacement of another longtime neighbor

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1 This weekend, Sunday 12-2 we’ll meet at Berteau, as usual, on the east side of the riverbank. If you don’t see us, just walk the path and you’ll find us. We’ll be weeding, planting, watering, and probably some other fun stuff too that we didn’t figure out quite yet. There’s usually quite a few kids and families and more are welcome. The kids have great fun. (so do the rest of us) So this is a beautiful lovely invitation.

Bring a friend and spend time in nature. You can swing by and say hello, join in a little or just watch, we are gentle folk and welcoming. You don’t need to be strong or know what to do. Just come say hello and opt in to meeting some nice people who love nature and care about environmental and social justice and enjoy learning and stewarding this very high quality and rare garden of fantastic Chicago Native flowers.

2 Friend and community in need, 2 flat for sale, potential displacement of another longtime neighbor

There’s a particular situation right now in the neighborhood where a building is for sale that’s likely to cause yet more loss of rental housing, losing a longtime dear friend and riverbank neighbor. If you might be able to help and would like to learn more, please email back. There already is enough resources available for half the cost. Email for more details. Thank you.

Dear Riverbank Friends,

Please join us for a Riverbank Stewardship Day Sunday, May 21, from noon until….

We have a mountain of wood chips to spread, weeds to pull and fences to mend, flowers to admire and we will keep our eyes open for migrating birds and turtles and butterflies. Please Join Us!

This Saturday is Chicago River Day, our community group, Riverbank Neighbors, will join dozens of other sites around the city to give some loving care and attention to our river and bank. We start at 9:00 and end at 12:00 sharing food at Berteau and the River. This is a great day for neighbors new and old to join together to enjoy the beauty of nature and learn how to care for our earth. (meet at Berteau and the east side of the river…)

We will be woodchipping the paths; weeding; and going for a wildflower walk.

Please bring: a waterbottle for yourself or food or healthy drinks to share after the workday or a little optional donation for the pizza money. thanks! Riverbank Stewards

PS. Seeking Riverbank Waterers: At Waters Garden, there are the Waters Waterers who, for many years, each keep the garden watered one day of the week. These are peaceful folk, some of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet. They keep the garden alive through dry times. We also have Riverbank Waterers, but need to get a bit more organized and need more good people to join in the watering. We installed a whole number of new plants this Spring, hoping for cool weather and rain to get them started. We got the cool weather, but not the rain. Is anyone available to “adopt” a section of the riverbank, to monitor and water as needed? Please let us know so that no one person has to do too much, and that we don’t lose these plants. Replies to this email go to multiple stewards who maintain the email list, or, alternatively, come to the riverbank and find us Saturday or other times and we can show you how to water. Waterers tell us that watering is a mediation in nature, that people thank them, that they meet the nicest people while watering. Thank you! and please thank them!

PSS To that end, a reminder that if you can afford to support Riverbank Neighbors with a donation to our work. Here’s the info about how to donate. Our gratitude to all who’ve donated over the years and to those who organized fundraisers and, of course, to our neighbors who support the work, protect the rare native ecosystem that we restored, who walk the path, keeping it tidy and protected, the community of Riverbank Neighbors, and the network of individuals in partner organizations, NeighborSpace, Friends of the Chicago River, Openlands, The Green Council, The North Branch Restoration Project, and Waters Garden/Ecology and many many kind neighbors far and wide.