As the lemony leaves of local trees blossom into a robust, dark green, we enjoy the aesthetic and spiritual benefits of ambling under this canopy.
But there are also scientific advantages to this glorious arbor. Morton Arboretum encourages Tree Tagging in order to understand the quantifiable benefits for each and every tree, both environmentally and monetarily.
A free sustainable food class for high school students will run throughout the summer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays from June 8 to July 27, at Triton College in River Grove. Faculty and community gardeners from Triton's Horticulture/Sustainable Agriculture department will teach the class by utilizing a new greenhouse and garden on the east side of 5th Avenue.
This summer, Openlands will offer The TreeKeepers Program, a series of classes, at Austin Gardens Environmental Center, 167 Forest Ave., in Oak Park. Classes will be taught by world-renowned experts covering topics such as physiology, soils, pruning, planting, and mulching and will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. throughout the month of June.
The Oak Park Comprehensive Plan recommends finding more open space. The Park District of Oak Park Master Plan states that opportunities should be sought to increase park space. The Oak Park-River Forest Sustainability Plan includes the goal of increasing green space and green infrastructure in the villages.
“North American monarch butterflies are in trouble. Threats, including climate change, pesticide use and habitat loss are having a devastating impact on their populations. Unless we act now to help the Monarch, this amazing animal could disappear in our lifetime.” -- US Fish & Wildlife Service
Kids in grades 3 to 8 went to the moon, the beach, and a New Year’s Eve party via green screen animation during this year’s One Earth Young Filmmakers Workshops. Held in early December, three workshops taught kids filmmaking skills just for fun and to encourage them enter the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest.
