Students Create Monarch Garden at Morton Freshman Center

Students Create Monarch Garden at Morton Freshman Center

Students at Morton High School worked to solve the real-world problem of the declining monarch population by building a 5,000-square-foot monarch habitat and native garden at the Freshman Center in late April.

Volunteers Needed for Monarch Habitat Construction

Volunteers Needed for Monarch Habitat Construction

Join the workday for the Student Citizen Science Monarch Ecological Engineering Project beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 28, and continuing throughout the day at the Morton Freshman Center, 1801 South 55th Ave., in Cicero. Stay for just the morning, the afternoon, or all day.

Oak Park Earth Fest 2018

Oak Park Earth Fest 2018

Fun for the whole family awaits at the 2018 Earth Fest, including a wide range of activities for kids from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at the Village of Oak Park Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd. Engage with more than 50 vendors and organizations who will provide hands-on activities, environmental services information, free samples and green goods for sale. Take a tour of the LEED Gold-certified Public Works facility, and check out the beehives on the building’s green roof.

1,000 Bikers Wanted to Ride on Earth Day Weekend

1,000 Bikers Wanted to Ride on Earth Day Weekend

In celebration of Earth Day Weekend on April 21-22, Interfaith Green Network Congregations are encouraging residents to leave the cars home and to bike or walk from place to place. The goal is to get 1,000 people to participate in biking and walking around town to raise awareness of efforts we can all take to improve the environment in our community.  Residents can indicate their intent to walk or ride here: tinyurl.com/y7ytr8tz

Resilient Communities Forum Offers Climate Action Options

Resilient Communities Forum Offers Climate Action Options

The Resilient Communities Forum on Jan. 31 at the Nineteenth Century Club drew 175 residents from Oak Park and River Forest. They heard from municipal and environmental leaders on ways nations and communities are addressing the challenges of climate change.

Oak Park/River Forest Resilient Communities Forum

Oak Park/River Forest Resilient Communities Forum

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, the Oak Park and River Forest area residents are invited to participate in the Resilient Communities Forum. We will hear first-hand how nations and communities are addressing the challenges of climate change, and explore practical ways in which we can make a real impact locally. The event takes place from 6:30-8:30 pm, at the 19th Century Club, 178 Forest Ave in Oak Park, IL.

At Chicago Community Climate Forum, Participants Connect Around Solutions

At Chicago Community Climate Forum, Participants Connect Around Solutions

Dallas Goldtooth, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network who helped stop the Keystone XL pipeline, is still advocating for sustained demonstrations and non-violent actions.

“We need a story of change…of resistance,” he told a gathering of close to 1500 civic leaders, community members, and representatives from 70 civic and environmental organizations that attended the Chicago Community Climate Forum, held Dec. 3 at The Field Museum.

Meet Mindy Agnew: Oak Park's New Sustainability Coordinator

Meet Mindy Agnew: Oak Park's New Sustainability Coordinator

In mid-November, Mindy Agnew took on the role as Oak Park’s new sustainability coordinator, stepping into a post that had been vacant for more than three and a half years.

Mindy’s sustainability pedigree is already well established in Oak Park. She was a member of the team that guided District 97 to incorporate zero waste programs in the schools, beginning in 2008. Since that time, composting, recycling, and zero waste lunches have become commonplace throughout the Oak Park educational system.

Young Filmmakers Workshops Expand

Young Filmmakers Workshops Expand

This year, the One Earth Film Festival expanded its Young Filmmakers Workshops, reaching out to new communities and groups, collaborating with a variety of teachers and organizations. Students learned about live-action as well as animation from filmmaking professionals and technical experts.

12 Months of Sustainability

12 Months of Sustainability

Consider these gifts to Planet Earth for each month of 2018.

January - Take your reusable bags to the market (donate extra reusable bags to the Give a Bag / Take a Bag program).

February - Plan your native and/or edible garden.