Dear Waters Gardener Friends, 
Join us tomorrow for a Garden Solidarity Gathering and Stewardship day, 9-12:00 noon. We’ll be weeding and watering, tying and harvesting, chipping and chopping. We’ll end with ice cream cones and cold, sparkling water. We will spend some time looking at the latest blooming native wildflowers, and take some moments to update everyone about the threats to the garden and its stewardship. 
If you would like, I would invite you to take a bag of frozen tomatoes for your enjoyment.
Many thanks to school families that are organizing and communicating to protect the garden and restore the ecology program. Tho things look bleak, don’t lose hope, and don’t leave. We need you and we love and appreciate you. I still am at a loss to know for sure why the ecology program and garden were attacked so ruthlessly, without thought about the thousands that worked so hard to create them.  It could be retaliation for years of activism, it could be a new more privileged group wanting to take over the beauty and wealth created by others, and re-cast it in their own image. There is a long history of that happening. But, I don’t know because I have not been told. Have you??  
I have asked the Alderman to make another attempt to mediate some kind of plan for going forward that doesn’t poison the community with division.  We will know in the next few days if this is something worth pursuing.
I realized, as I was biking to the Lake today, to try to rid my mind of anxiety and my heart of pain, that I was looking at each tree that I passed. I was looking for seeds to share with the 1st graders that I would be doing tree study with: locust pods, and ash seed clusters, and new bur oak acorns, and fresh catalpa pods. I have done this every one of the past 20 years. And I realized that I didn’t have to do it anymore. That I no longer worked for Waters School, and would not teach the songs, and leaves and bark and flowers to these little ones. 
I got to the Lake and the prairie there was abloom with compass plant and monarda, and yellow coneflower and big blue stem, and I remembered that I would not be showing these plants to our 7th graders. We won’t comb the beaches for signs of what lives in the depths, won’t share lunch on the harbor and songs about water.
I stopped by Uptown Bikes on Broadway and Wilson to get a part, and the owner asked me if I was ready to go back to school. I said, “Did you know I was a teacher?” She said “everyone knows you, and knows about Waters School. It’s famous.” I told her I had been fired and she cried. She went in and asked her staff to sign the petition. 
I went to the Library and ran into a Waters Teacher that greeted me with joy, until I told her I had been fired. And she cried and asked what she could do. She came to Waters because of Ecology and the Garden, She said she would talk to all her teacher friends to act.
Please sign the petition at watersecology.org, and ask friends to sign and comment. These next few weeks will be critical.
With much Love, 
Pete Leki

Dear Gardeners and wider community,

Please join me in the garden tomorrow, Wednesday, from 5 until whenever, for stewardship, flowers tours, harvest, friendship and hope. 

Before that are two links.  One is a slide show of a portion of the diverse plants that are thriving in our native gardens. We will see some of them on our walk-around tomorrow.

The other is an impassioned beautiful short film by photographer, and former Waters School parent Alan Shorthall.

Below that is a portion of a message sent to our Alderman Matt Martin today. Please the main page of our website if you need background about what happened this month.

Gratitude to all.

Beautiful video about the Ecology program by Alan Shortall (thank you, Alan!)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/061zax4yfkfkbic/Alan%20Shortall%202022-07-12%20Waters%20Lettuce.mp4?dl=0

Phenology https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IOVJHR8Cjta1HgM8wrbf8D-3oS9pwFQsfxrQsnVHe48/edit?usp=sharing

Cooling off period for the garden.

Dear Ald Martin,

Thank you for your agreement to attempt to reopen negotiations.

This was written by Pete with the input of supporters in the community.

History shows that Waters Garden needs independent stewardship. It has always had that.  This arrangement needs to continue to protect it.  Pete will be seeking an agreement for stewardship and protection of the garden.

But first, most urgently, Pete and the garden community ask you please to reach out urgently to the principal to confirm that there will be no new construction of any size including fencing in the garden this year.

The reasoning behind this request is this: The gardeners suspect the community garden will be ripped out or that some new project will turn the garden into a construction site, betraying their trust in the safety of the garden they create and tend. The community remembers the last two times cps broke promises, lied to us, destroyed trees dedicated to students who had died, etc. We have film of it.  People were crying in the garden today with worry and stress. The community needs relief.  It’s sacred space to them. It’s where they raised their kids, tending the garden together… In our experience any crew in the garden needs close supervision or they destroy what was carefully built and betray the trust of volunteers.

People are on pins and needles watching the garden, expecting the principal to encroach on it with new “improvements” that destroy what was built by generations before, by students and parents who still live nearby.  There are rare plants there. In the future, after the cooling off period, to avoid destruction and to avoid upsetting and angering the volunteers, crews should never be sent in without supervision from Pete or one of the other trusted, skilled gardeners, who work in conjunction with Pete. While people unfamiliar with Waters Garden may not understand, the history is that there have been countless problems over the years. For example, a crew trying to dig a 5 foot trench unannounced or test drilling for a new building where people turned out in protest on a moment’s notice. There needs to be a cooling off period before anything happens so things can calm down.  We are worried both about the actual damage to the garden and about the gardeners themselves. There are so many stressors on people. They need to know the garden is safe.

Thank you,

Pete Leki (with input from community members)

———

Dear Gardeners and Ecology Volunteers,

Tomorrow will be the last workday for which I will be a paid staff member at Waters. After that I will be a volunteer, just like you. But, just like you, I am dedicated to the continuation of this decades-long, generational restoration of a healthy, diverse and beautiful oak savanna ecosystem. 

The community, (newcomers welcome) will join together, tomorrow, to work, to learn, and after, to share food and to share music. 

We will gather up our joy and energy, and hear new ideas and initiatives being planned to take us to a new and better place. We need you, your family, your ideas and hope, your fun and energy. Bring it.

I keep running into people in the garden and neighborhood who ask “How are you doing?”, and didn’t know that the ecology program and my job no longer exist. It’s all been eliminated and replaced with something else and that the garden’s future is uncertain. Why did this happen? What can people do about it? Who will protect the garden from the continual onslaught of threats? Many people have raised their voice! Their voices are getting louder as the truth comes out. So, spread the word! Please go to watersecology.org. to sign the petition (read the comments first and maybe leave your own when you sign too! and hear the latest news and ideas from the community in coming days.

Hope comes from the place of a heartache.

So, please, come ready to help us supervise kids, prep fire and food, play music during the whole morning(!), weed, chip. tie, water, and join the tour to learn how to ID some of our native plants. 

And please share these links widely on social media. Some Waters families aren’t getting the news.

https://www.watersecology.org/list/

Dear Gardeners, 
Surveyor’s are at the school! I stopped and talked to them and asked if they were surveying for the polling place access project (the one responsible for the raspberry scare). They said, “No. We’re here to survey the whole property. They want us to pinpoint the location of the big oaks, everything.”
Please take photos of the surveyors and post to social media. This is similar to the last time surveyors were in the garden to drill boreholes for the footprint for a new Annex. 
One would think that I, as Director of Ecology Programs (still), would have been notified. 
But I wasn’t, and in the current atmosphere of threats to ecology and the garden, I should have been made aware.
It just notches up the anxiety level for the whole community.
I asked them not to step on plants. They said they would be careful.
Just a couple months ago I encountered two workers gathered around the bur oak by the tool shed, and they explained they had been asked to give an estimate for tree removal. No one had notified me.  I went to the Principal and filled him in on the history of these oaks, and organized environmental organizations to help us stop the destruction of this 300 year old tree.  When the BOE person came to do his personal observations, he agreed with the professionals that the tree was sound, healthy, biologically significant, and culturally invaluable, and should be cared for, protected, and presented to the community as a treasure. I only engaged with this delegation by luck. I was not told of their visit by the Principal. I was being excluded.
We have to be vigilant. Think Meigs Field. We have to be ready to come out and speak up.

If anyone has a list of media contacts that they could send to me, please do. 
and here are links to two articles covering what’s happened.

Green fight at North Side school

Lincoln Square Parents Furious Over Ousting Of Longtime Waters Ecology Director

The LSC has been made aware that I had accepted the terms before the last LSC mtg by one of their board members who was present for negotiations. 

Much Love and appreciation to you Garden Guardians,
Pete Leki

anonymous comment from longtime friend D. R.

(taking a cue from the LSC anonymous letters and the retribution for these emails)

“Just read the latest. I did feel like, in the LSC meeting, one thing that stuck out was that Mr. R was setting the narrative to expand his control over what is currently community plots. He gave the #s — I forgot what they were — but it would be very easy for him to couch it as “expanding” the program for students by upping the percent of their plots v. community members. He also pointed out there’s not enough recess space for the kids, setting the scene for less garden. This drives the explanation more into him just wanting control of the property, in my opinion. And it definitely shows he has been focused on a goal he is not revealing this whole time. “

Wednesday Garden Night tonight 5-sunset New school families are especially invited to visit the garden and see  what garden night is like.  Many school families participate every week, though  some are on vacation now.   We’ll have the usual task list. There are many pleasant gardening opportunities for parents and children to do together.  We’ll have a PlantID walk especially to learn the flowers in bloom in this time of the summer. And musicians are invited to serenade us while we garden or at the end! I hope they do! —- More thoughts from Mr. Leki: The days are passing and each passing day makes it less likely that the ecology program will return to Waters as we all have known it. I am still spending hours each day in the garden, with the help of neighbors and parents, caring for the vegetable beds and native plants. Our Saturday work mornings have been warm and wonderful, with a trace of sadness always nearby. I would like to recommence Wednesday evening workdays to engage more of our community and to get the garden in tip top shape.  I will take time during each workday to lead plant ID tours with some of our other native plant experts. Many of our plants are very beautiful and many are very rare. It is good to get to know them, their curious ways, and needs. The mobile phone plantID apps are great for beginners, but most seem to enjoy learning our local Chicago native flowers with people and books.  The garden community includes quite a few native plant experts (environmental science and biology professors, a former native landscaping crew training and management leader, and quite a few others with decades of experience.)  We’ve been talking about how to tend the garden in the short term, with such uncertainty.  They understand how rare and special Waters garden is and can share that knowledge with you, so more people understand why we protect it and how it’s important to the ecology program at Waters.  We hope more people will want to learn how to care for this incredible garden.  We will also try to have more music during the workdays, as we have in the past, to lift our spirits and keep us strong.  People have asked how they can help, what they can do.   Please  keep reading the news as updates come. Other news articles are likely soon.  Please spread this link so that people can get this newsletter or share our newsletters on social media and block clubs.  I want to let people have time to learn what happened and have time to sort out the truth and notice where statements were misleading or worse, notice what incorrect assumptions have been made and reflect.  Perhaps some will be unmoved by the new information, but they will need to think heavily about their reasons because others will question them deeply. Lets let them have a little time. The news is still coming out.  Stay tuned.  Meanwhile, see you in the garden. There’s lots of work to do!

New neighbors can join this email list here.   Please share the link with them and in places where they will find it.

Jul 25, 2022 – original link here

Green fight at North Side school

• Monica Eng

Last week, Waters Elementary principal Peter Rutkowski announced the departure of Pete Leki, the man who led the school’s famous ecology program for 30 years.

• Leki says he was “fired” and suspects it could be for his activism around his program. Many community members are furious.

Why it matters: Leki transformed the North Center school’s asphalt yard into an ecological classroom that inspired generations of students and became a model for other schools.

• It includes community and teaching gardens, composting, recycling, and a water diversion area that, by one class estimate, sequesters 120,000 gallons of floodwater a year.

Context: For years, Leki’s position as director of the Waters ecology program was privately funded by community group WatersToday and was not an official Chicago Public Schools staff job.

• After Rutkowski proposed new terms, Leki says he “accepted the 30% wage cut and agreed to become a CPS ‘miscellaneous employee.'”
• Still, Leki tells Axios he learned in Rutkowski’s Wednesday announcement that he was “fired,” and says he was “sickened” by it.

The other side: According to CPS officials, Leki declined the school’s offer to become a CPS employee and take a 23% pay cut.

Between the lines: Leki has led many protests to save aspects of the garden, which he communicates through an email group.

• In his announcement, Rutkowski called these a “major barrier in coming to an arrangement.”
• So Leki says he interprets his “firing” as a possible “reprisal for my public activism.”

What’s next: Rutkowski said in his announcement that some aspects of the ecology program will continue in the coming school year.

• But Leki supporters, who have submitted dozens of letters and gathered nearly 500 petition signatures, say they are “heartbroken” and “angry” and still have many questions for CPS.

Dear Friends,  Thanks for the great work done Saturday 16 and all week. Good News! I will be meeting with the Principal tomorrow, Monday 18 to try to resolve the impasse for the ecology and gardening program. Stay tuned. And, we are missing two wheelbarrows: the big double wheel one, and a smaller red one. I assume this has something to do with the rowdy gathering of youth on the sports field on Saturday night. Please keep an eye open in the neighborhood in case the barrows turn up. Be well, stay strong,  Mr. Leki

It’s been quite a week. We’ve shared a petition and need to get back to gardening.

10-12 Saturday, July 16th, please join us for the usual garden tasks and to share music and food at the end.

While surely, there will be some discussion about current ecology program status, lets try to save discussion for a short Q&A around 11.. Its been an exhausting week. Last week over 70 people gathered and were so worried about the garden and ecology classes, they barely got any gardening done! The garden needs us! Lets not waste another garden day worrying. Instead, enjoy the garden, and be good and kind to one another. and please come at the beginning if you can.

more news soon. Hold Fast! The universe is large and many things are possible.

July 15, 2022 Ecology director, Mr. Leki, and Waters parents ask for your voice of support,

Petition Link

https://www.change.org/p/save-waters-ecology?recruiter=76896802&recruited_by_id=e57a6596-58ab-4625-9959-68d48a37152a

It’s urgent. Thank you.  Please leave “display my name publicly” if you feel ok about that. it helps. I know some waters parents and staff want to remain anonymous and that’s fine, but it doesn’t help nearly as much and things are in the balance.

Dear Friends, 
The attack on Waters Garden and Ecology are not about Mr. Leki, it is an attack on a locally grown, generations-long effort to heal our world and build our community.
The relentless demand to follow the rules is what has given us barren asphalt school grounds, traffic choked streets, bad air, filthy rivers, and disaster.  And always, just behind the demand to conform, is the quiet letting of contracts, the influence of powerful entities that take our wealth and use it to make it theirs. 
Please speak up to Save the Ecology Program and Save the Garden.

This Is What We Will Lose
https://www.watersecology.org/film_project/
Mr. Leki

Letters of Support

Dear Waters school,  my name is Vladimir Von Klan and I was a student of Pete Leki at Waters. The program is an amazing way for young kids to learn about nature and the nature around us. Kids these days seem bound by technology and things that aren’t healthy for them. Learning about nature will help these kids. By destroying the garden and the program itself won’t be the smartest idea at all. You will be stripping these student from learning amazing things about our world. It sickens me that the human race takes away the beautiful things in nature to put in something man made. Let these students learn about nature. Let nature thrive. I beg of the school board and whom ever is in charge to not make this decision. I work for the California conservation corps and I fight to keep nature thriving. The things I have learned from Pete’s program has lead me to my work that I do now.

Vladimir Von Klan

---

Well heck. This information is equally unsettling and untrue. 
I can’t assume the hours you spend “doing your job,” but what I know is that your regular school hours and irregular gardening maintenance schedule makes you a trusting and consistently present grown up acting as a mentor and supervisor in the misc hours where kids of all ages are most vulnerable. Not to mention the commitment you show to the Waters improvement project, the children it is intended to nurture and the community at large. 

I also know that the knowledge and camaraderie you facilitate on your trips to sauganash is LITERALLY a cathartic camp-like experience. One that many families can’t begin to afford, and one that enhances the learning environment, through all areas of study. You take privilege out of the equation of being a steward to nature, something I have never seen before. I simple detail critical for the natural and emotional resurgence in communities everywhere. 

I have no idea of a constructive way to support your efforts (money is insanely tight these days). But if there is any action I can take to assist in bringing light to this misstep, please do let me know. 
Allison Pelsoci
 

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I have known Mr. Leki since long before we even had children.  There is no doubt that he has poured his entire heart and soul into the work that he does.  He cares deeply about his work and your children.  If you don’t believe this you don’t know him.  His efforts, vision, and leadership have defined Waters Elementary.  I have said this for many years.  His work, with many others, has significantly changed the reputation of Waters for the better. 

 Perhaps we are taking a short term view to a long term issue.  Investing in Mr. Leki and his ecology program focuses our children to consider broad issues.  We need broad thinkers in our future and we need to start children down this path early.  This is not just an ecology issue.  Previous generations failed at this and we have an obligation to do better.  A textbook version of ecology will fail to achieve this broad view.

 It’s a matter of trust; I trust Mr. Leki to run the ecology program as he sees fit. I trust him to allocate his time as appropriate. I trust him to educate our children for the future.  I trust that we are spending our money wisely with Mr. Leki.  You simply cannot replace the impact that Mr. Leki has had today and long into the future.  Trust him and fund him.

 Robert Zacks