We have many trees and shrubs that are hard to find. Most nurseries and garden centers do not carry these plants. Order online by end of day on Sunday, Sep 24th at wild-ones-west-cook.myshopify.com
Pick-up is September 30th at Euclid Methodist Church's parking lot, 405 S Euclid Ave, Oak Park, 9am-1pm.
Green Community Connections was pleased to partner with so many incredible partners for its inaugural I Can Fly Youth Leadership Program this summer. Learn about I Can Fly! See photos from the program, review the program backgrounder, and meet the wonderful partners and supporters who made it all possible.
Take a peek at our new video encouraging students from grade 3 to college age to enter the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest. In addition to winning cash prizes, all winning films will premiere at the One Earth Film Festival in March 2018. More details here.
Video animation by 2013 contest winner Léa Kichler. Music by Abby Lyons.
Trees and shrubs provide butterflies, moths, birds, and bees many different resources. Planting trees and shrubs is also a great way to help out the environment, since they produce oxygen, sequester carbon, clean the air and water, and provide numerous other benefits. You can even forest bathe right in your own yard!
“Visitors loved seeing the goldfinches on the anise hyssop and cup plants, the monarchs landing on the swamp milkweed and bumblebees everywhere. There were literally ‘oohs and ahs,’” says garden host Adrian Fisher. With Mother Nature’s cooperation, the Interfaith Green Network, Green Community Connections and West Cook Wild Ones hosted a successful “Birds, Bees & Butterflies: A Native Garden Tour” in Oak Park and River Forest on August 6.
It’s easy to get discouraged by anti-environment action happening on the federal level…but our state government is actually making a lot of progress in growing our Illinois clean energy industry, protecting our state wildlife, shaping our expanding local food industry and much more. Here in Illinois, there’s actually a lot to feel hopeful about. You can get a snapshot of legislative action in a newly published 2017 Environmental Scorecard, which evaluates individual Illinois state legislators on their environmental voting records. The Scorecard is created by the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), a non-partisan organization promoting sound policies and environmental laws in Springfield.
Bike Walk Oak Park is a new, informal group that encourages and advocates biking, walking, and transit in Oak Park.
Guest Bill McKenna, Oak Park Village Engineer, will discuss progress and challenges identified by the group at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at Oak Park Public Library, Main Branch, 834 Lake St., 1st Floor Community Room, in Oak Park.
The Village of Oak Park has unanimously passed an ordinance requiring stores over 5000 square feet to charge 10¢ a single-use bag. The new rule goes into effect on January 1, 2018, and will apply to both paper and plastic bags. The new 10¢ fee will be evenly split between the retailer and the Village, with the Village’s share earmarked for “environmental sustainability initiatives” which have yet to be named.
The rumors are true: a developer is proposing to build an 18-story building on the south side of Austin Gardens, at 1000 Lake Street. In order to move forward, the builder – Albion - is asking the Oak Park Plan Commission to change the zoning on the lot, which allows only 8 stories. We need all hands on deck to understand the issues and get involved. Will you? Read more for a quick summary and 4 easy actions you can take.
You may want to skip work Monday, August 21. Or at least the afternoon. On that day, the moon will pass in front of the sun, creating an 87% partial solar eclipse at about 1:20 p.m. in the Chicagoland area. In the ensuing darkness, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Mars may all be visible.
Those interested in seeing the full, 100% total eclipse are welcome to drive to the “path of totality” in southern Illinois or any other state along the diagonal swath that starts in Oregon in the morning and finishes in South Carolina by afternoon.
