Projects Roster
Expanding and Stewarding Regional Forest Canopy via a Tree Planting Consortium in Northwest Indiana

Expanding and Stewarding Regional Forest Canopy via a Tree Planting Consortium in Northwest Indiana

Delta Institute is working with municipal, business, and community partners in Lake County, Indiana to expand regional forest canopy acreage via an innovative multi-community approach to comprehensive canopy mapping; forest planning, installing 2,240+ trees, and expanding maintenance and capacity building. These efforts will be achieved via a collaborative tree planting consortium structure with foundational inclusive community engagement throughout the entire process.

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County – Developing a Clean Energy, Resiliency, and Sustainability Plan

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County – Developing a Clean Energy, Resiliency, and Sustainability Plan

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has partnered with Delta Institute and ECT to develop a plan to advance sustainability, climate action, and resiliency. We are developing a plan that will be comprehensive, equitable, partnership-driven, actionable, fundable, and measurable. Ultimately, we believe this plan will position the District as a regional leader in advancing sustainability.

Expanding Grass-Fed Beef Market Drivers in the Greater Chicago Foodshed

Expanding Grass-Fed Beef Market Drivers in the Greater Chicago Foodshed

Understanding conservation behavior is one of the key factors in designing effective programs. To assess this factor, Delta Institute and Environmental Working Group identified conservation hotspots and evaluated the impact of relevant factors. The analysis suggests that strategies focused on conservation adoption should be modified to focus on local conditions and concerns, avoiding a state-wide or uniform program design that fails to consider local factors.

Generating Critical Data and Methods to Support Nature-Based Green Infrastructure in Chicago Communities

Generating Critical Data and Methods to Support Nature-Based Green Infrastructure in Chicago Communities

Delta is working with community partners to install and monitor the impacts of four nature-based Green Infrastructure projects in the Chicago neighborhoods of Washington Park, Woodlawn, and South Shore in concert with Emerald South’s Terra Firma project and with the Metropolitan Planning Council. We will offer learnings, best practices, and results with other stakeholders and practitioners to inform Green Infrastructure installation in other Chicago neighborhoods and throughout the broader Midwest.

Overcoming Barriers to Municipal Green Infrastructure Implementation

Overcoming Barriers to Municipal Green Infrastructure Implementation

The Delta Institute, with funding from the Great Lakes Protection Fund, is partnering with the Water Finance Exchange, the Resilience Innovation Network, the cities of Hobart, Michigan City, and Merrillville, Indiana, and many other municipal partners, to investigate the barriers to implementing GI in Great Lakes communities.

Conservation Hotspot Analysis in Illinois

Conservation Hotspot Analysis in Illinois

Understanding conservation behavior is one of the key factors in designing effective programs. To assess this factor, Delta Institute and Environmental Working Group identified conservation hotspots and evaluated the impact of relevant factors. The analysis suggests that strategies focused on conservation adoption should be modified to focus on local conditions and concerns, avoiding a state-wide or uniform program design that fails to consider local factors.

2021 City of Chicago Waste Strategy

2021 City of Chicago Waste Strategy

The City of Chicago has the opportunity to implement strategies to tackle waste and materials management that impact our economy, environment, and citizens every day. These strategies offer opportunities to reduce waste; increase diversion through reuse, recycling,...

Land Stewardship in Southeast Michigan

Land Stewardship in Southeast Michigan

To better understand the socioeconomic, environmental, and political dynamics that impact the success of agricultural conservation programs in Southeast Michigan, Delta Institute compiled and summarized data on producer demographics, land use, cropping area, tenure status, conservation practices, and conservation program participation and outcomes.

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