Young Filmmakers Contest Will Thank Local Teachers

Young Filmmakers Contest Will Thank Local Teachers

Local students took top prizes in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest at the elementary and middle school levels in both 2018 and 2017. Winning films premiered at the One Earth Film Festival in March at Columbia College along with top films from across the country at high school and college levels. At that time, students were fêted with monetary prizes, certificates, T-shirts, and a reception.

It's Time to Plan a Green Event for Your Block Party!

It's Time to Plan a Green Event for Your Block Party!

Spring has sprung, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming.

Host a green show & tell event at your block party to explore ways we can do our part to support Mother Nature. You can choose from one of the following topics offered by Green Community Connections and friends or design your own event.

Review: ‘The Genius of Birds’ by Jennifer Ackerman

Review: ‘The Genius of Birds’ by Jennifer Ackerman

If you’ve ever wondered about pigeons’ navigational abilities, parrots’ linguistic skills or the musical memory of mockingbirds – and even if you haven’t -- it might be time to pick up a copy of The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman.

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.

A Crash Course in Garden History

A Crash Course in Garden History

Landscape Historian Barbara Geiger, will teach "A Crash Course in Garden History" from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, at Dole Library, 225 Augusta in Oak Park.

In this lecture full of images Barbara will hit high points in the story of gardening through the ages. How the constraints of water, gravity, soil, and climate shaped design. How major design styles leapt national boundaries to take root in new environments.

Take Action for Clean Air, Public Transit, and Wildlife

Take Action for Clean Air, Public Transit, and Wildlife

Since 1975, Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) has promoted sound environmental laws and policies in Illinois. More than 80 affiliate organizations across the state collaborate through the IEC to create policies that protect Illinois’ air, water, and natural areas. IEC is the only organization that provides regular updates on the issues affecting the environment at the state level. We encourage Green Community Connections readers to sign up for the updates at the IEC website: https://ilenviro.org

Happy News! Together We are Making a Difference for Monarchs!

Happy News! Together We are Making a Difference for Monarchs!

Oak Park resident, Gina Orlando, recently shared the happy news that she saw at least 10 monarchs at the same time on a patch of the swamp/rose milkweed at Mills Park.

“Their playfulness and beauty are a joy,” Orlando said. “It was wonderful to see!  And it's hopeful. They are coming back.”

Youth Learn Leadership via Gardening

Youth Learn Leadership via Gardening

This summer a new youth leadership program gave a cohort of Chicago teens a safe and nurturing environment to learn lessons that enriched their lives, as well as the neighborhood where they live. During July, teens in the “I Can Fly” Youth Leadership Program focused on the richness of the soil, not the economic poverty around them; the sweet fruits of labor, not the bitterness of systemic discrimination.