Shedd Aquarium hosts Actions Days to clean Chicagoland waterways, beaches, forest preserves

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Shedd Aquarium seeks volunteers to help beautify waterways and other ecosystems in the Chicago area.

Chicago's forest preserves, beaches and waterways are home to a wide variety of mammals, birds, fish, plant-life and more. Volunteers can help preserve the city's ecosystems through Shedd Aquarium's Action Days.

"Our Action Days are our series of volunteer programs where people can come out in their local communities throughout the Chicagoland area. In the summer time that focuses on beach cleanups here in the city itself, and in the winter time, we bring it out the forest preserves in our surrounding suburbs," said Maggie Cooper, conservation stewardship coordinator at Shedd Aquarium.

Part of the cleanup includes removing invasive plants that prevent native wildlife from growing.

"They come in to the area. They're not from here, and they come in and totally outcompete all of our native plants, and they don't make a good home for our native wildlife either," Cooper said.

The signup is limited and first-come, first-served basis due to COVID-19 restrictions. Registration is required to volunteer.

Email GreatLakesActionDays@sheddaquarium.org to sign up and visit their website to learn more about Action Days.