Tip of the Month:

Let your garden sleep in until we have at least one week of temperatures in or above 50 degrees. By removing the leaves and "tidying up," you are not only removing the natural mulch and fertilizer that the leaves provide, you are also killing all of the beneficial insects and native pollinators that are nesting in that leaf litter.

$1.2B Great Lakes Invasive Carp Mitigation Project Delay

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has postponed a $1.2 billion initiative designed to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, citing concerns that the federal government under President Donald Trump may not fulfill its financial obligations. The project, planned since 2020 in collaboration with Michigan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, aims to install deterrent technologies in the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois. While federal funding was allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Water Resources Development Act, a recent freeze on federal grants and loans by the Trump administration has created uncertainty. Consequently, Pritzker has delayed property transfer for the project until at least May, seeking written assurances of federal support. This postponement could impact efforts to protect the Great Lakes’ $7 billion fishing industry from the ecological threat posed by invasive carp. You can find more details in the full article here.

Community Spotlight Series:

The Children's Community Closet in

La Grange Park has been a wonderful partner. Together we have worked to divert thousands of pairs of shoes and over a ton of clothing from our local landfill. For three years they have been a dependable organization participating in our community Clothing and Textile Take Backs and Community Shoe Share events. 

Pictured here is Linda Marsmaker, Rita Cardenas, and Hayley Cunningham (left to right).

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:

-Spring Clothing and Textile Take-Back: March 16th, 2025 (St. Michael's Lutheran Church)

-3rd Annual Seed Exchange: April 12th, 2025 (La Grange Public Library)

-Electronic Recycling Drive: May 10th, 2025 (La Grange Park Public Works)

-Annual Fundraiser: May 17th, 2025 (Milk Money Brewing Company)

-Sandal and Shoe Share: May 24th, 2025 (La Grange Public Library)

-Summer Educational Speaker: (TBD)

-2nd Annual Sustainable Summer Expo: August 2nd, 2025 (Plymouth Place Senior Living)

-Fall Native Plant Sale: (September)

-Fall Clothing and Textile Take-Back: (October)

-Boot and Shoe Share: (November)

-Winter Educational Speaker: (TBD)

Crafters for Climate:

Let's "make-it" happen!

Join us during our Spring Clothing and Textile collection for this hands on workshop:

-Rag Rug Making: 11:00-2:00 (St. Michaels Lutheran)

*Materials will be provided*

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.

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!

How to Donate

1. Donate cash or checks at our in-person events.
2. Mail checks to:

Go Green LaGrange,

PO Box 11

La Grange, IL 60525