Earth angels

BEN HELPHAND
Job The Oregon transplant runs NeighborSpace, an independent nonprofit that helps communities preserve land for recreational use in Chicago. He’s helped secure more than 65 lots in 26 Chicago wards, which include classic allotment gardens, native prairie areas, butterfly gardens and even a section of the Chicago River. “When I tell people about my job, they imagine me out there in hip boots defending moose—but in reality I do a lot of work organizing resources in communities,” Helphand says.
On the side Helphand’s heading up Friends of Bloomingdale Trail, a group working to make the abandoned Bloomingdale railroad—which runs between Armitage and North Avenues in Bucktown and Logan Square—into an elevated, linear park.
Favorite green buys Veggies at Armitage Produce (3334 W Armitage Ave, 773-486-8133); the vegetarian, gluten-free menu at Atlas Café (3028 W Armitage Ave, 773-227-0022); honey from Chicago Honey Co-op, which is available at Logan Square Farmers’ Market (Logan Blvd and Milwaukee Ave, opens on Jun 7). “For me, the greenest thing is to shop locally,” notes Helphand.
Eco-tip “If you want a garden, go to neighbor-space.org. It’s a lot of work, but I have 65 success stories—we even have a group trying to put together an antique apple farm,” Helphand says.

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