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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING THE FIELD MUSEUM AND THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY FOR RECEIVING THE BEST OF THE BEST PARTNERSHIP AWARD FROM THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS
WHEREAS, on October 12, 2018, the Field Museum and the Forest Preserves of Cook County were honored with a Best of the Best award for Partnership from the Illinois Association of Park Districts; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum and the Forest Preserves have been working together since the early 1990’s to conserve and restore the Chicago Wilderness region’s natural communities and provide programs and resources to connect people to nature; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum partners with the Forest Preserves in a variety of ways including environmental education programs, stewardship activities, community outreach and special events; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum and the Forest Preserves have a robust history of sharing expertise on a wide variety of issues including restoration and stewardship, science based education standards, community outreach, and the preservation and protection of the region’s natural and cultural assets and heritage; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum administers the Mighty Acorns program that involves more than 20 partners, including the Forest Preserves and is one of the Midwest region’s largest and longest running environmental education programs, reaching more than 350 educators and 12,000 middle school students to date; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum also coordinates CIMBY, the Calumet is My Backyard program, which annually engages over 700 high school students from the South Side of Chicago in educational activities and experiences that connect classroom learning to stewardship opportunities, with much of the programming taking place at Forest Preserves’ sites; and
WHEREAS, in addition to environmental education and stewardship the Field Museum was a key partner in the creation of the Next Century Conservation Plan and is now actively involved in implementing the Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum is a stalwart supporter of the Forest Preserves’ outreach efforts including the successful Bird the Preserves initiative where Field Museum ornithology staff served on the planning committee, participated in the Big Year Competition, led bird walks for the public, and participated in workshops and events; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum also partnered with the Forest Preserves to host the 2016 Cultural History Forum that highlighted the area’s prehistory, early history, and contemporary Native American communities, and reached a new audience interested in the human history of the Forest Preserves; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum is a key partner in “Better Beaubien”, a 10-year action and vision plan for Beaubien Woods and the Little Calumet River, that is being developed through a rigorous community engagement process to enhance publics access, encourage nature-based recreation, restore the site’s natural habitat, and foster economic development; and
WHEREAS, the Field Museum partners with the Forest Preserves in many other ways including serving as stewards of several natural areas in the Calumet region, leading botany classes and hikes for volunteers, providing expertise in the development of the ambitious “Conservation Action Plan for Critical Wetlands in the Millennium Reserve”, and much more; and
WHEREAS, this partnership is deserving of an award as the Field Museum is a long standing and invaluable partner to the Forest Preserves pursuing the common vision of people and nature thriving together.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President, and the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners thank and congratulate the Field Museum for receiving the Best of the Best Partnership Award from the Illinois Association of Park Districts; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented to the Field Museum as a token of appreciation for their service to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the residents of Cook County.
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