McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum

99 Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, IL 60601

Admission is free

Eco Sensing Chicago River Works connects the experience of walking along the river with mobile technology; listening and recording data as citizen scientists map the health of the city’s water. As you walk along the path, the sights and sounds of the river system open new awareness to the anthrophonic, biophonic, and geophonic sounds around us. Using the Chicago River Data Worksheet, sonic discoveries combine with light and temperature readings and observations of biodiversity of life and periods of activity and non-activity along the river.  

Riverworks is an interdisciplinary collaboration of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Eco Design Students with Chicago Organizations that examines the creative possibilities of aquatic bioacoustics and the potential for new approaches to the data driven conservation of urban global river systems. River Works imagines immersive spaces of community engagement with listening labs, field recordings, soundmaps, performances and installations that raise understanding of river health and aquatic and human biodiversity and coexistence. Eco Sensing increases the critical value of water wisdom and elevates the importance of river systems to urban health. Explore the value of acoustics and technology in contributing towards environmental awareness and engagement and Chicago’s new Eco Cruise.