Wetlands Exhibit At O'Hare Highlights CDA Restoration Efforts

 

Ticketed passengers and airport employees can check out the exhibit in Terminal 2, past security checkpoints near the "Kids on the Fly" play area.

 

The exhibit demonstrates how the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) is partnering with Openlands; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Forest Preserve districts of Cook, Will, and DuPage counties; Land and Water Resources, Inc.; the U.S. Forest Service; the National Forest Foundation; the Wetlands Initiative and other partners to restore and enhance wetland areas at eight locations in the Chicago region.

 

The wetlands areas undergoing restoration are nearly three times the size of wetlands at O'Hare that needed to be replaced as part of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP). The O'Hare wetlands were small, isolated and of poor ecological value. These new wetlands sites connect to existing wetlands and will enhance their size, quality, and ecological function, multiplying the benefits of the wetlands restoration program several times over. These improvements will enhance local water quality, absorb carbon dioxide, provide valuable habitat for wildlife, and connect people with nature.

 

To learn more about the wetlands program please click here.