Seeking Oak Park/River Forest Native Plant Gardens for Upcoming Tour

Green Community Connections and West Cook Wild Ones are collaborating on a local native plant garden tour on Sunday, September 7, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.(tentatively), and we are seeking Oak Park and River Forest home and public (libraries, churches, schools) landscapes to be included on our tour.

The tour’s focus will be on landscapes using native plants (i.e., plants indigenous to Illinois, pre-settlement). This tour is meant for a wide audience of people, from those who currently have no native plants in their yards to people who are very knowledgeable about natives and are looking for more ideas. We would like to feature established native plant gardens as well as those that are “in progress” or are transitioning from non-natives to natives.

Below are some types of gardens we aim to include on the tour; if you think you (or your neighbor or friend’s or business or church’s) garden fits one--or more--of these categories (loosely or partially is ok), please complete the form below or send an email with your garden address and type, along with your phone number to: christiane@greencommunityconnections.org by Monday, August 4.

• Starter Garden: yards where homeowners are just beginning to add native plants to landscapes that may include traditional lawns, evergreens and annuals

• Fixer Uppers: gardens that are transitioning--they’ve gone beyond adding a few natives and are following a more robust plan of replacing non-natives with natives

• Pretty as Petunias (but without the work): these can be colorful, low maintenance and less resource-intensive

• Formal Attire: native plants in traditional, formal garden design

• Kids in the Garden: gardens that have children as co-caretakers

• What’s Blooming Now:  featuring fall blooming natives

• Food for All:  includes native edible plants for humans

• Mixed Company: established gardens that show off attractive mixes of non-natives and natives

• Purely Prairie & Woodland Wonders:  yards that try to recreate native ecosystems, the major ones being prairies (full sun), savannah (part sun), and woodland (shade), although an ecosystem is not defined strictly by light requirements

• Block Party: whole block or stretch of a block that features natives

• We Care about Carex:  sedge lawns

• Living Lawn Free:  yards with no turf grass

• Plants with Wet Feet:  rain gardens and bioswales

• Not Just a Pretty Face:  habitat gardens that provide for wildlife; can also be focused on attracting particular animals such as butterflies, birds, bats, pollinators

• Wild Card: Is there something we’ve missed? Do you have a fabulous native garden that has some other special feature? Please contact us!

If your garden is included in the tour, there will be several options for your participation. We realize that some people may enjoy guiding visitors through their garden; others would prefer less involvement. There will be a member of Wild Ones and possibly a Master Gardener at each site helping with logistics for your site (except at gardens under option 3, below).  The choice is yours, and we’ll provide you with tour-preparation guidelines in any case. Please consider whether:

1. You’d like to lead people through your garden;

2. You would prefer that a Wild Ones volunteer or Master Gardener lead people through your garden; or

3. You would like your garden to be included as a  “bike by” or “drive by” site only.  Guests would only view from the sidewalk or street.

Because time is of the essence--the tour date is just six weeks away!--we need to know if you are interested in being included in the tour by Monday, August 4.  Please complete the form below indicating your interest in participating (or send an email to christiane@greencommunityconnections.org with garden address and type, along with your phone number). Someone will be in contact with you about next steps shortly after we hear from you.  Also, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have about participating in the tour (you may phone Sally Stovall at 773-315-1109).

Thank you very much for considering being included in what we hope will be an annual event for learning about native gardening and expansion of our local wildlife corridor!  For more information about Green Community Connections or Wild Ones, please visit our websites/Facebook pages:

http://www.greencommunityconnections.org/ ; https://www.facebook.com/GreenCommunityConnections

http://westcook.wildones.org/ ; https://www.facebook.com/wildoneswestcook [contact-form-7 id="12358" title="2014 Native Plant Tour Contact Form"]

Beyond Hostas: Native Plants for Shade

(Oak Park, IL) West Cook Wild Ones will host a program titled "Beyond Hostas: Native Plants for Shade" presented by Patricia Hill, author of Design Your Natural Midwest Garden on Sunday, July 20, from 2:30 to 4:30p.m. The program takes place in Lewis Hall at Dominican University (7900 W. Division, in River Forest). This program is free and open to the public.

In this program, award-winning garden designer and author Patricia Hill tackles the difficult, dark and dry conditions often found in shady areas of a home landscape. These are the spaces underneath dense maple trees, on the north side of homes and other hard to plant places where grass, most annuals and other sun- and moisture-loving plants can't thrive. Out of desperation, many people turn to dependable hostas, those ubiquitous, variegated-leaved, purple flowering summer staples. But Hill has other tricks up her sleeve...beautiful, hardy, native plants that are uniquely suited to shade.

Gardening with native species is low-maintenance, good for the environment, and yields stunning results. Hill shows you how to combine varieties that are perfect for the soils and climates of the upper Midwest into beautiful combinations for every space around your home.

Patricia Hill is a professional landscape designer who specializes in designs featuring only native species. Her work has been featured in a variety of regional and national gardening and landscaping publications. She won "Best of Show" for an exhibit garden she designed for the 2000 Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

In her book, Design Your Natural Midwest Garden, Patricia Hill draws on more than 25 years of experience to present readers with an easy-to-follow and beautifully illustrated instructional guide to gardening with native species. The results are gardens that are low-maintenance and good for the environment while simply lovely in appearance and perfect for upper Midwestern soils and climates.

The designs are organized around Entrance Gardens; Patios and Terraces; Specialty Gardens (including the very popular Butterfly Garden); Borders; Hillsides; Woodlands; and Water Gardens. The concluding chapter provides advice on planning a Prairie Garden.

Contact: Pam Todd, pamtodd5@me.com  or  Debby Preiser, dpreiser@oppl.org or (708) 366-1475

Wild Ones is a national organization with its roots in the Midwest.

For more information about West Cook Wild Ones or this presentation, please contact Pam Todd, President, (pamtodd5@me.com) or Stephanie Walquist, Program Director, (swalquist@gmail.com).

https://www.facebook.com/wildoneswestcook http://westcook.wildones.org/

Film Screening: Resistance -- Not All Germs are Created Equal

Author Jeanne Nolan is coming to Oak Park Library

Jeanne Nolan, the founder of The Organic Gardener Ltd., has designed and cultivated more than 650 farms and food gardens in and around Chicago—in downtown parks, public school yards and inner-city shelters, on restaurant rooftops, townhouse terraces and suburban estates, even in the mayor’s back yard. Nolan, also the designer of and project manager for The Edible Gardens at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo—is part of a nationwide initiative urging us to change the way we think about our food. Jeanne Nolan will come to the Oak Park Public Library on Wednesday, April 2, at 7 p.m. to talk about her book, FROM THE GROUND UP: A Food Grower's Education in Life, Love and the Movement That's Changing the Nation. An engaging blend of how-to, manifesto and memoir, Nolan shows us that it has never been easier to grow the vegetables we eat, regardless of whether we make our home on a rural farm, in a city, or in the suburbs. At a time when more Americans than ever before are cooking healthy food from scratch, Nolan is taking the movement to the next level and teaching and inspiring us to grow healthy food. The program is free and open to the public. The Book Table will have books for sale and signing.

Green Living: Deepening our Resolve in 2014

Going green, developing a sustainable lifestyle and a resilient community is a journey. Following are green New Year’s resolutions from a few Green Community Connections members. Let’s help each other and hold each other accountable! Pam:  Welcoming life back to this little outpost on the earth we share with all beings by planting more natives, eliminating lawn, and educating myself on how the choices I make impact the health of the soil, water, and ecosystem.

Laurie:  To get out more in the evenings with my family. I hope we will attend a few school concerts or plays, explore the library or simply enjoy a walk under the stars.

Dick: Take out our lawn and put in a native garden...why grow a lawn when one could have native habitat with deep roots protecting our soil and water. I would also like to get to zero carbon - I need to drastically reduce with my energy use - by putting solar on my roof, my congregation's roof, and push Oak Park solar.

Continue reading this article to see more resolutions - and to add your own!

Sally:  I'd like to spend more time in nature – to care for myself and learn from and about natural systems. I also want to reduce my use of fossil fuel-based energy: increase our home energy efficiency, seriously consider solar, bicycle more, and drive less. (Become fossil-fuel free in 10 years!) Additionally, I want to develop my political voice (and not just through signing online petitions) – get out, demonstrate, lobby, get arrested?!

Katie:  I'm trying to live by example at work. Our office recently switched from brewed coffee to Keurig, wasting hundreds of pieces of plastic, probably every day.  They also insist on plastic cutlery, and styrofoam in the kitchen. I've brought my own french press, as well as utensils and dishes to use during the day. It may seem like a small move, but someone asks me about it in the kitchen, and have the opportunity to explain why I made the choice. I've also made an intention to put my health first.  Might not seem related to environmentalism, but the way I see it, the only way I'll be able to make changes, and be a voice for change, is to be my best, healthiest self.

Ana:  Get outside! Everyday if possible, get out to walk to dog, breath the air, clear my mind, observe wildlife, bring my kids -- even if for just a few minutes a day. To get me "unstuck," or to get me inspired. What a difference it can make!  Also, to get further down my list of urban homesteading skill-building: get better at canning & preserving, build a solar oven, try more permaculture projects like planting a fruit tree guild & learning more about how to build food forests.

Add Your Resolutions

Whether you’re a believer in small steps or one who likes to dream big, we invite you to share your green New Year’s resolution(s). We can root for one another and perhaps make some connections to provide practical support for one another!  Add a comment to this post and/or on our Facebook page to let us know your plans for the new year - and the new you.

Consider attending the Active Hope workshop we are holding beginning Monday, January 13! it is a chance to gain strength from others with similar commitments.

Urban Prairie Gardening with Cheney Mansion's Charlie Reudebusch

Deb Quantock McCarey went to the 2013 Green Living & Learning Tour stop sponsored by West Cook County Chapter of Wild Ones at Cheney Mansion and talked extensively with Head Gardener Charlie Reudebusch. Deb was one of over 30 people who visited the Cheney Mansion stop and/or went on the bike tour of native gardens afterward. Those who attended came away inspired by Charlie's wide-ranging knowledge of the joys and benefits of native plants and his dedication to tending this beautiful landmark. Deb was also able to walk away with "a few new ideas...and a few free seeds they said I could scatter in my evolving 'little patch of Illinois prairie'  now for next year."

Read more about Deb's Big Backyard.

October Wild Ones Chapter Meeting

Wild Ones is pleased to announce that Dr. Neafsey from Save the Praire Society in Westchester, IL will present to us at our next meeting on October 13, 2013 at 2:30 pm in Room 259 in the Priory on Dominican University’s campus (7900 W Division St, River Forest, IL).  There will be signs to direct us to correct building. Dr. Neafsey will speak about the history of Wolf Road Prairie, its restoration, and its plant and wildlife communities.  We are sure to be inspired to “bring nature home” after hearing about this important preserve.

If you were not able to make our meeting at the Green Community Connection’s event and would like to participate in a seed swap, please feel free to bring some seeds for exchange (bring pens and suitable material to hold seeds). For more information contact Pam Todd at 708-420-0170 or e-mail: pamtodd5@me.com.

Food & Water Watch Sponsors Showing of "Gasland Part II" in Oak Park

Saturday October 19th 2013 – 2:00pm  - 4:30pm

Oak Park Library - Maze Branch 845 Gunderson Ave, Oak ParkIn this explosive follow-up to his oscar-nominated film, Gasland, filmmaker Josh Fox uses his trademark humor to take a deeper, broader look at the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method of extracting oil and natural gas, now occuring on a global scale. Ready to see for your self?  Plan to be there on Saturday afternoon at the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library.

If you thought the fight against Fracking was over in Illinois, it's time to think again.  The debate is hotter than ever and groups across the state are igniting in a global day of action on October 19th.  In Oak Park, Food & Water Watch is screening Gasland Part II, a documentary that will show you what all of the fuss is about.

Gasland Part II, which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, shows how the stakes have been raised on all sides in one of the most important environmental issues facing our nation, and especially Illinois, today.

RSVP HERE to let us know you're coming! We look forward to seeing you there!

A Celebration of Chef Edna Lewis & Sugar Beet Co-op

The culinary team at Inspiration Kitchen is preparing a 4-course menu inspired by the work of Chef Edna Lewis and wine and beer will be served, as well. Edna Lewis was born in a small settlement called Freetown in 1916, one of eight children. The farm had been granted to her grandfather, a freed slave. Growing, gathering and preparing food was more than just sustenance for the family; it was a form of entertainment. In her cookbook, "The Taste of Country Cooking" Edna recalls her childhood memories of seasonal celebrations with her family through recipes, which read like love letters. The proceeds of this unique event will benefit The Sugar Beet Co-op.

Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 6:00pm until 10:00pm Get Tickets Online Here

Chef Kocoa Scott-Winbush and 4 guest performers will read excerpts of Chef Edna's writings from two of her highly acclaimed cookbooks, "The Taste of Country Cooking" and "In Pursuit of Flavor." Readings will be paired with the violin virtuosity of Samuel "Savoirfaire" Williams, a local, classically trained jazz violinist.

The proceeds of this unique event will benefit The Sugar Beet Co-op, a volunteer organization that provides educational experiences that celebrate local food. From canning classes to The Edible Garden Tour, The Sugar Beet Co-op has reached over 3000 people in 18 months with positive and practical information about sustainable food choices that support local farmers, strengthens our community and feeds our bodies and souls.

Inspiration Kitchens (right by the Garfield Park Conservatory) 3504 W. Lake St  Chicago, IL 60624

Interfaith Green Network Kick-off Event

“Faith and Green”

What green values are important to you and your congregation? What activity are you most proud of toward meeting those values? What is your vision for future green activities? World Café small-group discussions will give you and others from the community an opportunity to share and dialogue around these questions, in a facilitated and focused “deliberative democracy” setting.

Wednesday, September 18, 7:00-8:30pm, Oak Park Library, Veterans Room

The evening will be introduced by Clare Butterfield, founder of Faith in Place, an organization that helps 900 congregations of all faiths to better integrate their religious values and teachings with effective actions aimed at healing the earth.

Also, an original skit, on the problem of climate change, will be presented by the Fair Oaks ACTS Drama Ministry.

Wednesday, September 18

7:00-8:30pm

Oak Park Library, Veterans Room

For more information, or to RSVP, contact:

Jim Babcock

Interfaith Green Network

First United Church of Oak Park, Environmental Stewardship Team

jlbabck@sbcglobal.net

630-740-0638