For our special issue, we asked some of our photographers to explore the topic of the environment in Chicago through their own lenses. We initially assumed that young adults would feel discouraged when it comes to the environment, whether it be because of climate change, pollution or the depletion of natural resources.
What we found through our work is a contrast to the climate doomism we see everyday throughout social media and conversations. We discovered many communities working to conserve our natural spaces, both within our own DePaul neighborhood and throughout the city of Chicago. Whether it was an Earth Day cleanup or just another Monday testing soil in the lab, there are countless individuals dedicated to this cause.
Our photo essay is centered on groups that are making a change in today’s climate.
Montgomery prepares a soil sample from Oscar Meyer School in Lincoln Park for pollutant testing. (Erin Henze)Grace Gallant, DUG head of operations sorts through seeds in the greenhouse. (Kiersten Riedford)Environmental Science students worked to replace a faulty pump with a rainwater garden at a local church in Lawndale on April 14. (Quentin Blais)Freshman DUG member Ella Wheaton waters a bed of carrot seeds during Thursday’s community garden hours. (Erin Henze)Luis Cabrales is the Program and Event Facilitator at Ford Calumet Environmental. (Amber Stoutenborough)Groups of people relax in the grass and enjoy the warn weather at the Lincoln Park Farmer’s Market last Saturday. (Erin Henze)Andreas Harris (left) and Professor James Montgomery of the environmental science department pose with an XRF scanner. They use the device to test samples of soil sourced from across the city for pollutants such as lead. (Quentin Blais)DUG members shovel dirt from wheelbarrows into garden beds to cover the seeds. (Kiersten Riedford)
