Thursday, April 28, 2016

Solar energy education this spring and summer!


Power Your Home With the Sun, presentations will be held by an Illinois Solar energy Association "Solar Ambassador" on various dates at public libraries DuPage County.  Learn how solar energy works in Illinois and how it can be put to use at your home. Come and ask questions and get answers. Contact any of the  following libraries to reserve seats.



May 9 – Villa Park Public Library
May 24 – Winfield Public Library
June 7 – Elmhurst Public Library –  in cooperation with the Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition
July 14 – Glen Ellyn Public Library – see the newly refurbished solar house!
July 20 – Lombard Helen Plum Library
August 4 – Bartlett Public Library District

Clean Power, Clean JobsApril 28, 7-8 p.m. at Elmhurst Public Library. Elmhurst Cool Cities and the Elmhurst League of Women Voters partner to bring you Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council. Jen will discuss the federal Clean Power Plan aimed to reduce energy usage on the entire grid, and the Illinois Clean Jobs bill which is expected to bring environmental benefits, savings for consumers, and the creation of 32,000 new jobs in Illinois.

Illinois Solar Lobby Day, May 4.  Visit your legislators in Springfield wiht others.  A powerful lelalrnign expereince and an opportunity to inpact public policy n a positieve way.  Register through ISEA

Solar Social, June 22, 7 p.m. at The Conservation Foundation's McDonald Farm in Naperville. Come and see how solar energy is used for the benefit of McDonald Farm in a relaxed social setting.  If the skies are clear, we might even set up a telescope to see Mars.  This spring Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in 10 years.

Energy Palooza, July 13, 1-3 p.m. at Cantigny Park. The newly-refurbished solar house will be on display. More information pending for this family-oriented event. 

You can find more information for about solar energy educational events by periodically visiting the Illinois Solar Energy Association.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Earth Day Festival at Maryknoll Park a Chilly Success

Thanks to the Glen Ellyn Park District, The Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission, and the various volunteers, vendors, speakers, and volunteers that made this year's celebration a success.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Earth Month events and more

List updated May 28:

April 28 (Elmhurst) – Program, Clean Power, Clean Jobs, →Elmhurst Public Library

April 29 (Lisle) – Celebrate Arbor Day, →The Morton Arboretum

April 30 (Glen Ellyn) – Adopt-a-Trail cleanup and 2-mile hike, →Sierra Club RPG

April 30 (various communities) – Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail clean-ups,→IPP.org

April 30 (Wheaton) – Native Plant sale, →Wheaton Park District

May 7 (Glen Ellyn) – Pre-order your garden compost and pick it up at the annual Get Your Garden Growing Green event, →SCARCE

May 14 (Palatine) – Program, Climate Action;Making Solar Happen, →Interfaith Green Partners

May 21 (Argonne) – Argonne National Lab Open House, see video then register, →Argonne

May 21 (DuPage County) – 2016 DuPage River Sweep, →Conservation Foundation



Friday, April 8, 2016

James Hansen speaks at Benedictine University

Dr. James Hansen
James Hansen speaks at Benedictine University on Thursday, April 21, at 7 PM.  A free event, with open but limited seating. Offered by Benedictine University's Center for Civic Leadership.


Monday, April 4, 2016

Updated Earth Day Announcement from Glen Ellyn Park District


Come Celebrate Earth Day 2016

Age: All
The Glen Ellyn Park District will host its 2016 Earth Day Celebration at Maryknoll Park on Friday, April 22 from 6-8pm. The festival – which is free to attend – is themed “Sustainable Landscaping,” providing information on ways to incorporate sustainable practices at home, in our yards, and sharing ways to become involved in various community efforts related to the stewardship of our natural resources.

New this year, three 30-minute Q&A sessions will be featured:
6:30pm: Organic Gardening Basics by Sweet Home Organics
7:00pm: Rain Barrels & Rain Gardens by The Conservation Foundation
7:30pm: Native Plants for Your Yard by Greater DuPage Wild Ones

Other festival highlights include:
• Eco Expo Zone where attendees can connect with over 12 local, earth-friendly organizations
• Kid’s scavenger hunt and nature activities
• Storytelling and migration dances with “Mona the Monarch”
• Night sky viewing with the Naperville Astronomical Association
• Free milkweed seeds and oak saplings (while supplies last)
• Organic vegetable seedlings for sale
• Food available for purchase by World Fusion Cuisine
• Giveaways and raffles

NEW: Spring Rain Barrel Program
Order a rain barrel offered through Upcycle and The Conservation Foundation. Orders are taken on-line via credit card or checks can be mailed to Upcycle. Barrels can be picked up during the Earth Day event, from 6-8pm. Click here to order your rain barrel!

Eco Expo Zone Groups:
• The Conservation Foundation
• DuPage Monarch Project
• Faith in Place
• League of Women Voters
• Morton Arboretum
• Naperville Astronomical Association
• Prairie Food Co-Op
• River Prairie Group/Sierra Club
• SCARCE
• School District 41
• Sustain DuPage
• Sweet Home Organics
• Wild Ones - Greater DuPage
The 2016 Earth Day Celebration is presented in partnership with the Glen Ellyn Sustainability Group and Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission.

Date: Friday, April 22, 2016

Time: 6pm

Location: Maryknoll Park, 845 Pershing Avenue in Glen Ellyn

Fee: FREE to Attend

Friday, April 1, 2016

Raffle drawing for a solar energy installation

Is there sunshine falling on your roof?  Consider this news release from the Illinois Solar Energy Association.


ILLINOIS, March 23, 2016: The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is offering an opportunity to win a solar installation! The raffle for a 4 kW home solar electric installation is open to Illinois residents only. Tickets are just $40 each or three for $100. Net drawing proceeds will benefit ISEA’s work in advancing clean energy development. Enter to win at store.illinoissolar.org. Only 1,200 tickets will be sold, and the drawing will be held the week of Earth Day, April 22, 2016!

Raffle Details
This raffle is made possible with the generous support of Werner Electric Supply, who has been supplying quality electrical products and services in the Upper Midwest since 1948. The system will be professionally installed by The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW #134 Chicago. IBEW #134 has been training solar photovoltaic installers since 2001 on how to complete site assessments, design, install, commission and maintain these solar photovoltaics systems. Find the full contest rules here.

About ISEA
The Illinois Solar Energy Association is non-profit organization that represents over 400 clean energy advocates. As its mission is to educate and advocate for the widespread application of solar in Illinois; ISEA advocates for strong renewable energy policies at both the state and federal levels.

Your ticket purchase will help ISEA Grow Solar Jobs in Illinois!
The US solar industry has shown tremendous growth over the past several years, currently employing more workers than oil, gas and pipeline jobs! Solar is one of the fastest growing job sectors and has tremendous potential to ensure our country’s energy security.

Unfortunately, Illinois has begun to lose some of its 3,400 clean energy jobs due to non functioning renewable energy policies! To turn this around, Illinois needs to update its the renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The bipartisan Illinois Clean Jobs Bill will fix the RPS and expand it to 35% renewable energy by 2030 (up from the current target of 25% by 2025). The bill also calls for a boost in energy efficiency. This bill has the potential to create 32,000 jobs and save consumers $1.6 billion!

ISEA will be discussing the Clean Jobs Bill at 
a Chicago screening of Catching the Sun. Join ISEA April 13th from 7-9pm for a documentary that follows the hope and the heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the solar industry.  Mark Ruffalo calls it a “..must-see film. An eye-opening look at workers and entrepreneurs on the forefront of the clean energy movement that will transform, and enliven the way you see the future.” Purchase tickets here.


To learn more about solar in Illinois, you can visit the ISEA website, keep updated with their Policy Blog or follow ISEA on Facebook.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Spring Eco Calendar


Find more details by following links () to the sponsoring organizations.  See also Glen Ellyn Sustainability Group’s Facebook page.

Event Listing:

April 2 (Elgin) – Meet lawmakers in an informal setting, Legislative Solar Social, ISEA

April 5 (Wheaton) – 10th Annual Sustainable Design Challenge for High School Students, SCARCE

April 5 (Wheaton) – Learn about residential solar energy, registration suggested Wheaton Public Library

April 7 (Glen Ellyn)  Earth Friendly Yards
Glen Ellyn Park District

April 7 (Carol Stream)  Program about sustainable butterfly gardening, DuPage Organic Garden Club

April 9 (Naperville)  Solar energy class, PV 101: Introduction to PhotovoltaicsIllinois Solar Energy Association

April 13 (Chicago)  showing of the highly-regarded film Catching the Sun→ ISEA

 April 20 (Wheaton) – Succession Planning and Body Smart Gardening, →Sweet Home Organics

April 20 (Wheaton) – Spring Kickoff Volunteer Meeting, The Gardenworks Project

April 21 (Springfield)  Sign up for Environmental Lobby Day, Illinois Environmental Council

April 21 (Wheaton)  Stormwater From the Ground Up, a presentation by Krista Grimm, League of Women Voters of Wheaton

April 22 (Glen Ellyn) – Our Earth Day Festival returns! This annual event is co-sponsored by the Glen Ellyn Park District, the Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission, and Glen Ellyn Sustainability Group.  New location -Maryknoll Park!  The theme this year is Sustainable Landscaping, Glen Ellyn Park District

April 23 (Glen Ellyn)  First of a series of workdays at Glacial Ridge Forest Preserve, Sierra Club Outings

April 28 (Elmhurst)  Program, Clean Power, Clean JobsElmhurst Public Library

April 30 (Glen Ellyn) – Adopt-a-Trail cleanup and 2-mile hike, Sierra Club RPG

April 30 (various communities) – Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail clean-ups, IPP.org

May 7 (Glen Ellyn)  Pre-order your garden compost and pick it up at the annual Get Your Garden Growing Green event, SCARCE

May 21 (Argonne)  Argonne National Lab Open House, see video then register, Argonne

May 21 (DuPage County) – 2016 DuPage River Sweep, Conservation Foundation


Learn more about solar energy,  Illinois Solar Energy Association calendar

Sierra Club service projects and outings, Sierra Club Illinois Chapter

Spring gardening and horticulture classes (Lisle), The Morton Arboretum

Permaculture classes (Naperville), The Resiliency Institute

Outdoor preservation activities, Churchill Woods Protectors

Organic gardening classes (various locations), Sweet Home Organics

County-wide event listing, Cool DuPage

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Community Trees Program

Do you have historic, notable, BIG trees in your community?
Do you know about the Illinois Big Tree Registry?
Do you want to recognize and protect these living legends?

 

Every community has large, special trees hidden away - or right in the parkway! These trees should to be celebrated. This FREE workshop gives an overview of the Illinois Big Tree Registry program, the nomination process, and certification process. In addition, we will share information about protecting and preserving trees in your community. This workshop has been approved for 3.5 ISA CEU's.

February 24, at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 8:30 a.m. to noon
or
February 25, at McHenry Municipal Center, McHenry, IL, 8:30 a.m. to noon


Bring a sack lunch and stay until 2:00 p.m. to learn and practice measurement techniques. This information is provided by Beth Corrigan of the Morton Arboretum. Register for this FREE workshop by email to Beth Corrigan at bcorrigan@mortonarb.org.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Updated eco events listing

Eco Events Calendar:

February 17 (Naperville) - Lecture, Climate Disruption: Science Based Evidence of What You Need to KnowLWV of Naperville.  The speaker will be Doug Sisterson, of Argonne; see a video of him speaking at TedxNaperville.

Featured event - Plight of the Pollinator | Feb. 23 at 7pm
Learn more about the simple, easy things that can be done to help pollinators at an upcoming free program sponsored by the DuPage Monarch Project, River Prairie Group of the Sierra Club and Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission. "Plight of the Pollinator" will be presented by Andre Copeland, Interpretative Programs Manager of the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo on Tuesday, February 23 at 7pm.  Location: Glen Ellyn Public Library. Registration is not required

February 25 (Downers Grove) - Green Watershed Workshop for the East Branch DuPage River Watershed, DuPage County

February  27 (Wheaton) - DuPage Engineers Week at IIT's Rice Campus

March 3 (Lombard) - Winter Membership & Awards Luncheon, topic: Regional Sustainable Food Systems, The Conservation Foundation

March 4-6 (various locations) - One Earth Film Fest 

March 5 - Square Foot Gardening program, Sweet Home Organics

March 6 (Elmhurst) - One Earth Film Fest showing of The Human Experiment, sponsored by Elmhurst Cool Cities

March 19 (Batavia) - Earth Hour observance and activities, Batavia Park District 

April 5 (Wheaton) - 10th Annual Sustainable Design Challenge for High School Students, SCARCE

April 5 (Wheaton) - Solar Energy 101, Wheaton Public Library

April 22 (Glen Ellyn) - Earth Day festival, Glen Ellyn Park District 
This annual event is co-sponsored by the Park District, the Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission, and Glen Ellyn Sustainability Group - details coming soon!