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Solar Garage Featured in Illinois Solar Tour

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Solar Garage Featured in Illinois Solar Tour

Ana Garcia Doyle and Jim Doyle’s garage was falling apart, the slab was cracked, and they had received citations. They knew they wanted to add solar panels to a new garage they planned on building behind their Oak Park home. In order for Ana and Jim to fit enough solar panels to provide 100 percent of their home’s electricity and for the garage to be at an optimal pitch to capture the sun’s rays, the structure would have to be much taller than a typical garage. Therefore, Ana and Jim decided to build a large, two-story garage with a greenhouse attached and a top floor that could be used as an office or a room for community meetings.

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Invest 1 Hour to Save Money & Energy All Year Long

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Invest 1 Hour to Save Money & Energy All Year Long

What if someone told you they would give you over $100 worth of LED light bulbs, install them without charge, each bulb would last 22 years, and this would save you over $100 annually on your electric bill, as well as 900 kilowatt hours of electricity each year?

You would say, “I’ll take it.” Right?

Help Build a Better World for Birds!

Help Build a Better World for Birds!

2018 is the Year of the Bird, designated by the National Audubon Society, National Geographic, and other bird-loving organizations. They are inviting bird-lovers to “help build a better world for birds by taking a simple but meaningful action each month.”

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Park District Will Get $100,000 IF 1,000 Residents Take Sustainability Pledge

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Park District Will Get $100,000 IF 1,000 Residents Take Sustainability Pledge

Green Mountain Energy (GME) Sun Club is partnering with the Park District of Oak Park to provide $100,000 for solar panels, rain harvesting, tea composting and bees at the Oak Park Conservatory.

To secure these funds, the Park District needs your help. Click on the link below to identify actions you and your family will take to help make our community more sustainable and contribute to the overall health of Mother Earth.

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Momentum Grows to Eliminate Plastic Straws & Single-Use Plastics

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Momentum Grows to Eliminate Plastic Straws & Single-Use Plastics

My husband and I were at a restaurant recently and we noticed that there was a handful of paper-wrapped straws on the table. When we looked at one of these packages, we were pleasantly surprised to see that these straws were made from plants (not plastic) and that they were 100% compostable! Since there are 500 million plastic straws used and discarded every day in the United States alone, that’s very good news to see a restaurant that has made the choice to go in a different direction!

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Add a Green-Themed Activity to Your Block Party

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Add a Green-Themed Activity to Your Block Party

Planning a block party in Oak Park for July, Aug or Sept? Check out these green-themed “show & tell” activities offered by Green Community Connections and partners.

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Chasing Windmills in Garfield Park

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Chasing Windmills in Garfield Park

In 2010, Annette Britton was walking through Green Fest Chicago, hoping to meet the writer John Perkins. His book “The World is as You Dream It” had inspired her, and she wanted a signed copy.

But something else caught her eye. It was a model of a wind turbine, about her height, displayed by the company Earth Wind and Solar.

“I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m supposed to have that,’” she said.

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Explore the Magical World of Native Plants

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Explore the Magical World of Native Plants

Have you ever walked by a beautiful garden brimming with blooms and butterflies and thought, I wonder how they did this? The upcoming Birds, Bees & Butterflies Native Garden Tour in Oak Park and River Forest will give you a chance to satisfy your curiosity and talk to the people behind their own gardens. Passionate native plant enthusiasts, master gardeners, professional designers and experienced naturalists will guide you through 12 enchanting gardens that creatively incorporate native plants.

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Green Built Home Tour 2018

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Green Built Home Tour 2018

Two Oak Park buildings will be featured among 16 Illinois residences in the Green Built Home Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29: the District House condominiums at 702 Lake St. and the Modular Prefab Modern Farmhouse at 634 N. Taylor St.