Category Archives: Field Trips

Snow on the Ground, Water on the Mind

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Michael Bryson

Last Saturday, Feb. 23, my SUST 220 Water students (both past and present) joined me at a wonderful annual event here in the Windy City: the Chicago River Student Congress, convened by the environmental conservation organization Friends of the Chicago … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Classes, Education, Events, Faculty, Field Trips, Pollution, Rivers, Roosevelt, Students, Sustainability, Urban ecology, Water | Comments Off

Congratulations to Fall 2012 SUST Graduates!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Michael Bryson

Last Friday marked the graduation of several Sustainability Studies majors at Roosevelt: Alexandra Bishay, Jessie Crow Mermel, Kenton Franklin, Keith Nawls, Jeff Wasil, and Joe Zambuto. These former undergraduates walked across the famed Auditorium Theater stage in downtown Chicago to … Continue reading →

Posted in Classes, Events, Field Trips, Schaumburg, Science, Students, Sustainability | Comments Off

Canoeing the Upper North Branch of the Chicago River

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Michael Bryson

This past Saturday, students in my SUST 220 Water and PLS 391 Natural Science seminars at Roosevelt University joined me for an urban ecology adventure on the Upper North Branch of the Chicago River. We convened mid-morning at Linné Woods, … Continue reading →

Posted in Classes, Field Trips, Parklands, Rivers, Roosevelt, Students, Sustainability, Urban ecology, Urban nature, Water | Comments Off

Assessing Water Quality on the Chicago River’s North Branch at West River Park

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Michael Bryson

Saturday, Sept. 8th, was the first day of class for my Sustainability Studies 220 Water seminar at Roosevelt University. Instead of staying inside our classroom all day, though, we took advantage of excellent late-summer weather here in Chicago to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Classes, Field Trips, Parklands, Pollution, Rivers, Science, Students, Urban ecology, Urban nature, Water | Comments Off

Urban Farms in Silicon Valley

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Michael Bryson

The key litmus test of a good professional conference for me is this: are there cool field trips planned? If the answer is yes, the gathering is likely to be an enjoyable and fruitful occasion. That was definitely the case … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Biodiversity, Conferences, Faculty, Field Trips, Food, Land use, Wildlife | Comments Off

From the Chicago Portage to the Iron Street Farm: An Urban Landscape Exploration

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Michael Bryson

Last Saturday was the first field trip opportunity of the summer for my PLS 392 Seminar in Humanities class at Roosevelt, the focus of which is “Representing the Urban Landscape.” After last summer’s trip to Canal Origins and Stearns Quarry … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Chicago, Field Trips, History, Land use, Rivers, Urban nature, Water | Comments Off

Nature and Culture Explorations in Chicago and Joliet

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Michael Bryson

This weekend I’m schlepping my two children around the Chicago region from one interesting bit of landscape to another. I’m testing their patience, as Lily and Esmé are only ten and five years old, respectively; but the beautiful weather and … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Family, Field Trips, Joliet, Land use, Urban nature | Comments Off

City Creatures Retreat at the Indiana Dunes (Pictures and Random Thoughts)

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Michael Bryson

I’ve never been invited to a writer’s retreat before (not to mention a writers and artists retreat), and despite long anticipation and careful planning for this one, I almost didn’t get to go to this one when my spouse took … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Chicago, Community, Events, Field Trips, Literature, Parklands, Research, Urban ecology, Urban nature, Wetlands, Wildlife | Comments Off

Paddling Bubbly Creek: Water, Food, and Urban Ecology

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Michael Bryson

This past Sunday, 29 April 2012, students from my SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class joined staff and student interns from Growing Power‘s Chicago Lights Urban Farm for a canoe trip on Bubbly Creek, aka the South Fork of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Chicago, Classes, Field Trips, Food, Pollution, Rivers, Students, Urban ecology, Urban nature, Water | 3 Comments

Growing Power’s Urban Farm in Milwaukee

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Michael Bryson

For its first field trip experience this spring, my SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class on urban agriculture, social justice, and community development ventured up Lake Michigan’s western shoreline to the great city of Milwaukee. Our destination was the flagship … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Chicago, Classes, Community, Field Trips, Roosevelt, Social justice, Students, Sustainability | 2 Comments