The Chicago River is an essential pipeline to the health and wellness of not just the entire city but every community it touches, says Margaret Frisbie, executive director of the conservation nonprofit organization Friends of the Chicago River.
“There are over 70 species of fish and 100 species of birds that use the river,” Frisbie told the West Loop News. “By investing and making it safe for wildlife, we also make it good for people and make them healthier places for everyone.”
For the last four decades, the group has been leading a charge to build appreciation for and understanding about the city's unique asset, a 156-mile network of rivers and canals.
Friends of the Chicago River Executive Director Margaret Frisbie
| https://www.chicagoriver.org/
“What we do is a variety of programs that fall under the umbrella of education and outreach, policy and planning and on-the-ground projects,” Frisbie said. “What that boils down to is we work trying to get people excited and interested in the Chicago River. By improving and protecting the river, we’re providing an opportunity for public wellness and the improvement of public health.”
Both the organization and the river's image have come a long way since Friends of the Chicago River was born out of the fear that without someone advocating for it, the river could soon become a wasteland.
“We were founded as result of a Chicago Magazine article published in 1979 called 'Our Friendless River,'” Frisbie said. "The writer said then that an umbrella group was needed to look at the whole river as one. Before long, people were calling him up to be part of a friends group.”
Frisbie came on board in 2000 and loves the variety her job brings.
“It’s different every day,” she said. “Now, it’s strategizing how to work with the new mayor and all the different partner agencies. Overall, we’re a bipartisan group that works with every government official. Really, it’s about getting to know the elected officials and letting them know what our goals are.”
A big part of what Friends does revolves around improving the physical health of the river through landscaping, public policy and planning efforts that protect river banks and water quality. The organization works in partnership with other municipalities, businesses, community groups, schools, peer organizations, government agencies and individuals, all with the aim of keeping the river ecologically healthy and spearheading community revitalization.
“We’re getting people down and onto the water and it's improving the quality of life,” Frisbie said. “There are a lot of people at all levels of government that are interested in the river that didn’t use to be.”
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