| |
Go Green Greater La Grange Monthly Update:
June 2025
"Recycle the present, save the future." ~Anonymous
| | |
| |
Tip of the Month:
Look around your property and see if you have room to plant a small pollinator garden. It doesn’t have to be very large. You will be amazed at how much you can help pollinators with a small 4’x6′ garden. It would also be a fun and educational project to do with your kids. Don’t know how to get started? Try one of the garden designs created by Wild World Gardens.
| | | | |
President's Note:
The votes are in! Thank you to everyone who participated in voting on our new logo at last month's fundraiser. We had a great time celebrating with all of you as our organization continues to grow. Keep an eye out as we slowly transition to our new name and logo, Go Green Greater La Grange. We may have a new name but we will continue to carry out our mission with the same core values rooted in environmental stewardship throughout our combined communities.
Last month offered many hands on opportunities for members within our community to participate in some of our core collection events the Spring Shoe Share as well as our first Electronics Recycling Event! Both events hosted an incredible turn out. Please consider reaching out and signing up to volunteer so that we can continue to bring these events to our neighborhoods.
Again, thank you to everyone who showed up and supported us at our Annual Fundraiser (pictures below). Thank you to all of the community businesses who shared donations for our silent auction and raffle. Also, a big thank you to our sponsors Milk Money Brewing Company and Plymouth Place Senior Living. All of your continued support to our organization's mission is a beautiful thing to be a part of.
Warmest Regards,
Alexandria Zuck
Board President
Go Green Greater LaGrange
| | |
MION Artisan Soap
Honey Bee Gardens Farm Swell Labs
The Urban Canopy
Chicago Tomato Man
La Grange Public Library Illinois Bee Rescue
Closest Closet
Trader Joe's La Grange
Kind Cafe and Catering
Dig Right In Landscaping L.L.Bean Oakbrook
Veni Vidi Val
Half Price Books
SCARCE
Galaxy Theater Company Jo's Footwork Studio
Gemini Gymnastics Academy La Grange
Max Aquatics
RoboThink Chicagoland Petite Vie
Who Gives A Crap Souls4Soles
Whole Foods Market
Plymouth Place
The Morton Arboretum
| | |
Blackberry Market
Wheelys Coffee Lounge
I.E. Fitness
Kohler Waters Spa
Carla Thomas Med Spa LaGrange Art League Gallery & Studio
Learning Express of Clarendon Hills
Impact Dance Studio
Ella's Italian Pub Western Springs
Bonita Bowls
Just Lift Fitness
Vagabond Botanical
Club Pilates
Nonna's Pizza
JAYNE
Theatre of Western Springs Galloping Ghost Arcade Clarity Physical Therapy and Wellness Center
Lou Malnati's
Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants
Plaine Products
LTHS Sustainability Club
Milk Money Brewing
| | |
Hortons Ace Hardware Happier Now Cafe and Market
Alyssa Dorothy Styling
BIG Gymnastics
Flying High Gym
Mathnasium of La Grange Pet Supplies Plus La Grange
Smallcakes Western Springs The La Grange Area Historical Society
Jaci McCarty Method
The DiMonte Family
The Liva Family
The Lee Family
The Carlson Family
The Chabria/Naseef Family The Klein Family
Paul and Crissy Lilek, Photography by Liva
Raising Lifelong Learners Kristin Sullivan Photography Fantasy Hair Studio
The Daly Bagel Oak Park Western Springs Fruit Store Jeff Lee Art + Games
Target
| | Thank you to our sponsors! | |
The Village of Western Springs moves forward in promoting expanded pollinator habitats throughout their community.
The Village and the Green Team of the First Congregational Church are partnering to promote Pollinator Pockets, a simple yet impactful way to support local wildlife. These small, carefully cultivated spaces help attract pollinators like butterflies, bees, moths, and birds, providing essential food and shelter for both native and migratory species. Pollinator Pockets offer pollinators the nectar, pollen, and refuge they need reducing the distance they must travel to find sustenance. With pollinators facing increasing challenges in finding adequate food sources, these pockets play a crucial role in their survival.
Click here to learn more!
| | | |
Community Spotlight Series: | |
Pollinator club is a LTHS organization that is focused on empowering students as well as the local environment. This is done by educating students, while providing them opportunities to utilize their knowledge in the garden at school and the local community. The club brings both environmental and aesthetic benefits to our school by maintaining a fully native garden. Fully run by students, Pollinator Club also teachers environmental leadership when it is needed the most. Make sure to stop by LTHS North Campus to see all the student installed native plants.
| | The Pollinator Garden Club is a student run native pollinator garden at Lyons Township High School North Campus! Check out our garden on the West side of Brainard Avenue. | | | | |
Please feel free to email directly at gogreenlagrange1@gmail.com if you have any additional questions.
| |
|
2025 Upcoming Meeting Dates:
-Board Meeting: Thursday July 17th, 2025 7:00PM (La Grange Public Library)
-Board Meeting: Thursday October 16th, 2025 7:00PM (La Grange Park Public Library)
2025 Collection and Program Dates:
-Pocket Pollinator Presentation: June 5th, 2025 (Western Springs Library)
-2nd Annual Sustainable Summer Expo: August 2nd, 2025 (Plymouth Place Senior Living)
-Fall Native Plant Sale: (September)
-Fall Clothing and Textile Take-Back: October 19th, 2025 (St. Michael's Lutheran)
-Boot and Shoe Share: (November)
| | | |
| |
Crafters for Climate:
Let's "make-it" happen!
Makers, we are looking for ideas about what our next workshop should be.
If you are a maker and would like to share your craft please reach out to us directly at GoGreenLaGrange1@gmail.com.
| | | | Are you interested in learning more? | |
Know your impact:
Use this interactive calculator to
learn your carbon footprint and actions you can take to reduce it.
| | | |
|
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act Democrats in Congress passed last year, there are new energy cost-saving benefits available right now, including:
-
30% back for the cost of many clean energy upgrades to your home, including solar panels, water heaters, and battery storage, no matter the price.
-
Up to $1,200 to add insulation, install new exterior windows and doors, or other improvements that increase the energy efficiency of your home.
-
Up to $2,000 for a new heat pump (which can provide efficient air conditioning and heating) as well as a heat-pump water heater.
-
30% off the cost of installing a new electric vehicle charger if you live in a rural or underserved community.
| | | | |
Go Green LaGrange had the pleasure of listening to this Webinar hosted by the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability on Recycling guidelines in Cook County. We hope to share it with any interested participants. Click here if you are interested in hearing more!
| | |
Looking to continue cleaning out your home or business in an environmentally conscious manner? Consider this:
Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
Cook County has partnered with South Suburban College to create the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center). This is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems. More information about materials accepted at the CHaRM Center can be found below.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ALN 21.027 awarded to Cook County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Location
15800 State St., South Holland, IL 60473. The drop-off site is located on north side of campus in the overflow parking lot. Enter at traffic signal on State Street.
Hours
- Every Tuesday: 7 a.m. - noon
- Every Thursday: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- 2nd Saturday every month: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (TVs accepted during Saturday hours only)
Click here for a more comprehensive list of accepted materials!
| | | | |
Interested in how to turn your parkway into a gardening opportunity!
Two experienced native plant gardeners will give you a virtual guided tour of their stunning parkway gardens and share tips, challenges and successes in turning this challenging area into habitat.Go Green LaGrange had the pleasure of listening to this Webinar hosted by the West Cook Wild Ones. We hope to share it with any interested participants. Click here if you are interested in hearing more!
| | | | | |
Green Infrastructure and Flood Mitigation
“We will have a bigger impact if we think systemically,” Frisbie explains in her one-on-one interview with WBEZ’s Sasha-Ann Simons this week. Spearheading the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance, Friends and Watershed Alliance members, are pushing for substantial shifts in watershed governance and infrastructural development and maintenance.
The use of nature-based green infrastructure leverages the inherent intelligence and resiliency of nature to develop future-focused strategies for just and sustainable living. Developing tactics for educating local leaders, planning and policy experts, and the public, the Watershed Alliance urges that we think with nature, rather than against it.
Click here to learn more!
| |
Interested in learning more about Composting?
Don't worry if you missed it you can still click here to learn more!
Join Mark Teegen, owner of IFSCC member organization Teegen Compost, and learn about his community garden and backyard compost services. Mark takes trimmings from gardens and shreds them to return the material to an available bin onsite which completes the composting process locally. Mark will highlight the benefits and circularity of a typical compost season for residents and community gardeners, Teegen Compost Style!
| | |
Save the Monarchs, Heres How:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has added migratory monarch butterflies to their list of Threatened Species. This means Monarch butterflies are now in danger of extinction. In fact, 99.9% of the Western monarch butterfly population has disappeared since 1980.
We all can help by planting milkweed which is the monarch caterpillar's only source of food. And since Fall is the best time to plant milkweed, hurry and visit mwrd.org/save-monarchs to take the pledge to receive free milkweed seeds to help save monarchs.
| | |
| |
How to Donate
-
Donate cash or checks at our in-person events.
- Mail checks to:
Go Green LaGrange,
PO Box 11
La Grange, IL 60525
| | | | |
If you are interested in volunteering with us please check out our sign-up genius here or on our webpage at GoGreenLaGrange.org or email us directly at gogreenlagrange1@gmail.com
| | | | |
