Across the nation, extreme rainfall events are becoming increasingly unpredictable. The Fight the Flood community action pop-up is an interactive initiative designed to provide County residents with mitigation & preparedness resources to alleviate future flooding.

Thanks to all who joined me for both of my Environmental Town Halls. You can now watch the full sessions on my YouTube channel. Links in thread below.

Thank you to everyone that joined me today for my annual Environmental Town Hall. Two important resources down thread. A special thank you to my distinguished panel: Dr. Catherine O'Connor of MWRD; Vanessa Mendoza of Cook County Department of Public Health; and Vanessa Mendoza of Elevate.

We're kicking off the year strong with an Environmental Town Hall on Jan 21. Make sure you're registered for this important discussion. Register today at: bit.ly/Lead-Flood-Resilience

In these final days of 2025, I'm reflecting on the work I've done throughout the year to advocate for our waterways, advance responses to climate change, and to steward the land for the next generation. I hope that if you're also doing this important work, you'll join me at an event in 2026.

🏈Last week the MWRD Board of Commissioners presented a resolution to Fenwick High School President Otto J. Rutt to celebrate the Class 6A State Champions! 🎉Congrats to the Fenwick Friars, and Coach Matt Battaglia, on winning the state championship.

Now that the weather is wintery...I want to remind you to go easy on the salt! These five small tips will help you make the most of that salt all season long, and keep the excess out of the waterway.

A while back, I participated in an interview for Chicago Health Online, to help de-mystify the way the MWRD manages our waterways, and the effects of climate change on our work, as well as public health. It's still timely, and I encourage you to give it a review!

🎄Tis' the season! Hosting a big meal? Midnight countdown? Prepping for holiday visitors? 💧These #WaterConservationTips can help you conserve water during the holidays! 🗓️ More tips to come throughout the month.

Have you checked out our virtual tour of the Deep Tunnel yet? Recently, MWRD was recognized for this engineering marvel by the Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) as the Outstanding Environmental and Engineering Geologic Project for 2025. Register for the Dec 9 virtual tour to discover why!

Did you know that milkweed plants can be a big help when it comes to absorbing rainwater? I'm chatting with Broadview mayor, Katrina Thompson, about how these plants can help residents in the area keep the rainwater from seeping into their homes.

#MWRD’s 13th Annual #Sustainability Summit highlights collaboration & #stormwater innovation. Congrats to the awardees! Town of Cicero Blue Island Public Library The Village of Oak Park Morton Freshman Center Salt Creek Watershed Network Learn more & watch the video: mwrd.org/news/mwrds-1...

When Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson calls for milkweed seeds, I deliver! Check out our chat on the importance of planting the seeds THIS fall. 🎥 Don’t miss our full conversation with Mayor Thompson—link in the comments!

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson is a true environmental champion. With fall planting season in full swing, she reached out for milkweed seeds to help residents support monarch butterflies—and we’ve stocked the municipal center while supplies last!

Last Thursday, your MWRD commissioners passed the following resolutions during the board meeting. We recognized Leo Catholic High School for its incredible choir's recent appearance on the hit television show "America's Got Talent," and acknowledged the accomplishments of our retiring staffers.

Today is National GIS Day! Geographic Information Systems (GIS) refers to mapping tools that visualize data. These tools have helped researchers, planners, and community members worldwide in sustainability and environmental efforts. Our own GIS portal can be viewed here: geohub.mwrd.org

Introducing Fight the Flood Community Action Pop-Up! Austin community, please join me on Monday at 6pm, at the Chicago Public Library, Austin Branch, for an interactive event focused on flood mitigation. #floodmitigation #fighttheflood

❄️ Winter weather has arrived! Salt enhances safety & helps with icy conditions, but excessive salt use can also harm our local water environment, fish, wildlife, insects, bodies of water, soil, & the paws of our four-legged friends. 🐕 🐈 🐢🐟 🦅🦝🐾 Learn to #SaltSmart this winter! mwrd.org/salt

During this #NationalRecyclingWeek, we are reminded of the importance of recycling and how we can work toward a more sustainable future. Here at the District, we work to positively impact our environment through our: ♻️ Resource Recovery Program ♻️ Medication Disposal Program ♻️ Rain Barrel Program

At MWRD, we're committed to protecting our waterways & managing stormwater to keep our communities safe & sustainable. So...how many gallons of water do you think MWRD treats DAILY to improve the health of our rivers and Lake Michigan? youtube.com/shorts/K99oL...

Today, I am uplifting Native American Heritage Month. Chicago is the traditional homeland of the Council of the Three Fires: The Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi Nations, as well as many other tribes, such as Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox.

The 5th annual Latino Stewardship Day brought together @fpdcc.com, @latinooutdoors.bsky.social & #MWRD in partnership to celebrate nature & community! Thanks to MWRD.org/BOC‘s Marcelino Garcia & @eirah2o.bsky.social for their support of this event. Great to meet you @projectdragonfly.bsky.social!

Wishing you a Diwali filled with love, light, and laughter!

Today, I am celebrating and uplifting Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Celebrating #HispanicHeritage with community, culture & stewardship! Join the #MWRD for our #LatinoHeritage Month Business Roundtable and Latino Stewardship Day. Learn, connect & give back. RSVP links below 🔗 mwrd.org/events/latin... 🔗 mwrd.org/events/latin... 🎥 @eirah2o.bsky.social

The MWRD will hold its Board of Commissioners meeting in person at 10:30 on Thurs, Oct 2. Public comment may be made at the main office, 100 E Erie St, during the Public Comment period. Unable to attend meetings in-person? View the live stream: mwrd.legistar.com/calendar.aspx.

Welcome to Chicago, WEFTEC! The Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference is the largest annual water quality exhibition in North America & offers water quality professionals the best water quality education and training available. I'm excited to participate again this year.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, it's only fitting to recognize our state insect and *the icon* in my culture. Today, I wish to share again my op-ed from the Sun-Times, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts and policy advocacy in my role as an MWRD commissioner.

A pumpkin spiced PSA for y'all on the first day of fall: LEAVE YOUR LEAVES! Leaves create a natural mulch that helps to suppress weeds while fertilizing the soil as it breaks down. They also serve as a habitat for wildlife including lizards, birds, turtles, frogs & insects.

My upcoming North Shore Environmental Town Hall will take place this Wednesday! Lucy Mellen, Sustainability Director for the Village of Wilmette and a McKinney Climate Fellow, will offer so much perspective on how climate change will influence planning across the MWRD.

My upcoming North Shore Environmental Town Hall will take place this Wednesday! Lucy Mellen, the Sustainability Director for the Village of Wilmette and a McKinney Climate Fellow, will offer so much perspective on how climate change will influence planning across the MWRD.

Join me at my upcoming North Shore Environmental Town Hall! We will be joined by New Trier Township Supervisor Gail Eisenberg, an accomplished civil rights attorney with deep ties to the community. Her perspective will shed a new light on traditional urban planning practices.

It's been a very rainy summer, and MWRD is working harder than ever to implement green infrastructure throughout the district to help mitigate flooding. Here's a quick look at how green infrastructure helps hold back water during a sudden downpour, to alleviate pressure on your local sewer system.

Check out my op-ed in the @chicagosuntimes! "Join Monarch Butterfly Conservation Efforts to Keep Ecosystems Thriving" is timely, given that it's nearing the end of migration season for the official insect of the State of Illinois. chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-t... Thanks for reading! 🦋

Join us at the @mwrdgc.bsky.social Small Business Expo on September 9th! If you're a business owner looking to connect with MWRD on contracting opportunities, this is a must-attend event. Registration is required to secure your spot: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mwrds-...

Help! We need volunteers for our upcoming Monarch Fest on Saturday, September 13 in North Riverside. If you're local and love the monarch as much as I do, let's meet up at Commons Park. Reserve a volunteer slot here: forms.gle/frhAj3CAUPHe...

It's a busy season and we're out and about in the district. If you'd like to connect, please stop by and say hello at these upcoming community events in a neighborhood near you!

Check out my Op-Ed in @chicago.suntimes.com - "Join Monarch Butterfly Conservation Efforts to Keep Ecosystems Thriving" is timely, given that it's nearing the end of migration season for the official insect of the state of Illinois. Read here: chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-t...

Had a great time celebrating the start of the new school year with my MWRD colleagues and @speakerwelchil.bsky.social - hope everyone has a good year!

Did you miss my Hanover Park Monarch Fest? Please join me at my North Riverside Monarch Festival on September 13th, 10am to 1pm, at Commons Park.

Looking to meet up with me out in the community? Come see me at the Village of Oak Park, Illinois Farmers Market this Saturday from 8:30-12:30 or at the School District 89 Back to School event (details below).

Did you miss my Monarch Fest last week in Hanover Park? No problem, come join us in North Riverside on Sept 13 for one more chance to celebrate the story of the monarch butterfly migration! 🦋 The event will take place on Saturday, September 13, 10am to 1pm, at Commons Park, 2401 Des Plaines Ave.

Last night's butterfly release unlocked a core memory for so many kids - they named them, guessed genders, and helped me wish them farewell as they flew away. Thanks to Schaumburg Monarch Initiative for carefully tending to the monarchs and helping with release, and to our partners as well.

Tens of thousands of cornflowers in a field in Wicken. Research shows that the sight of them will help you recover from sources of stress more quickly & boost dopamine release in your brain, lifting your mood…in case you need it just now:

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, 6001 W. Pershing Rd., Cicero will host an open house and offer tours this Saturday, August 2, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Learn how MWRD is recovering resources and transforming water. All ages are welcome. Parking is free. Please wear closed-toe shoes.

Conserve water today! The MWRD has issued an Overflow Action Alert. Want to receive these alerts to your phone or email? Sign up here: mwrd.org/community-ac...

Congrats to the Village of Willow Springs on an upgrade to the Town Center grounds! @mwrdgc.bsky.social partnered with the Village to install 62,000+ square feet of permeable brick pavers designed to store 1 million+ gallons of stormwater! Given this weekend's rain fall, the timing is perfect.

A short list of places to connect with me and my office this summer/fall. Please do check out the @mwrdgc.bsky.social Small Business Summit at Malcolm X College on Sept 9, and hit the thread for live text of all the event dates, times and addresses.

🦋 It's almost time for my annual Hanover Park Monarch Festival! Learn about the important work that MWRD does to save the monarchs, and find resources like milkweed seeds to help keep them safe. Please join me and many wonderful environmental and wellness partners at Liberty Park on August 6. 🦋

We had a great time with our partners at Maine Township on Sat. My annual Water & Wellness event was filled with fun activities for the whole family. Thanks to our partners, as well as our dedicated volunteers, and Supervisor Jones for going above and beyond! youtube.com/shorts/8S2re...