People traveled by bike, bus, train, feet and even by car to join the Just Space / Transit to Trail tour of Montrose Harbor. We walked from the historic lake shore (now ½ mile inland) out to the concrete pier where land now meets water—and back into Uptown.
The Chicago skyline peeks over native prairie plantings at Montrose Harbor– a treat on the transit to trail tour. photo: joe mazza / brave lux
Melanie, of Friends of Cuneo, shares stories about how the lakefront has changed in the past hundred years. photo: joe mazza / brave lux
Throughout the walk, we discovered how people have shaped this area over the past hundred years—literally creating the landscape by filling in the edge of the lake. What a history this space has!
Over time, the area has provided space for tourists to party on the lakefront, for mothers to give birth in a state-of-the-art facility, for migrating birds to rest & feast every spring and fall, for gardeners to grow flowers and vegetables, for the city to pump drinking water and for child laborers to bathe at night.
Quite a history, yes. And what a future!
Getting a closer view of Purple Martins in their lakeside condos (nesting boxes). photo: joe mazza / brave lux
A community garden, full of brightly colored flowers, butterflies and vegetables, in a lakeside park in Uptown. photo: joe mazza / brave lux
Montrose Point, Uptown, the Bird Sanctuary– they’ve all been shaped by the priorities of people.
This unique tour drew on the knowledge of collaborating CSLN members Friends of Cuneo, Audubon Chicago Region, ICA and animalia project– on July 29, 2015.
Join us for our next tour!
Sometimes natural wonders are discovered on unexpected paths. photo: joe mazza / brave lux
A bit of nature, culture and community in Chicago. photo: joe mazza / brave lux