Want to party? Tree planting and Summer Concert Recycling!
Remember back in October when we celebrated Glen Ellyn's beautiful oaks at OAKtoberfest? Participants at the fest — and at our bartending turn at Two Hound Red — donated money to add to our village canopy. We turned that money into a grant to purchase oaks for the GE Park District. This weekend, we get to plant them! Read on for how you can participate in planting your trees.
And so Big News! We are rolling out our recycling program at the Downtown GE Concert Events!
Plus, this week was also International Compost Awareness Week. So let's dig in!
Learn and Do
We love us some oaks! One of the many things that make Glen Ellyn beautiful is our tree canopy. The tall and elegant oak stand at Lake Ellyn is legendary! That's why preserving our tree canopy is in the Village's Comprehensive Plan. It requires active planning and management, and....more trees!
This weekend we (meaning anyone who can help dig) can plant the trees you helped fund. An oak restoration effort from the Glen Ellyn Park District will be held at Churchill Park from 9am to Noon. The registration is 'sold out' (yay!) but we may have some openings. If you would like to come and help, email jac@gogreenglenellyn.org and she'll let you know if we have space. Or just drop by to say hi and check on us — someone may need a break (like Jac!). Our goal is to plant 30 trees — some of which are Go Green GE's donation. Please park at the Churchill School and meet at the picnic tables to the east of the school (entrance to south side of Churchill park). Dress for the weather and wear closed-toed shoes and long pants.
Churchill Park is the Park District's largest natural area. If you have never been, it's worth a trip, with several ecosystems playing out over it's walkways and trails. Over 150 species of birds have been sighted! We will be planting three species of oak, shagbark hickory, pawpaw, and ironwood, among others!
A second planting party will be held at Bridge Communities on Pershing Ave. This area has few trees and needs our help so the residents of the community can reap the benefits of a native tree canopy.
Thanks too, to the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) for donating the remaining trees for GE's tree parties! They are doing great work to build and restore the area's tree canopy. And congrats to the Environmental Commission of GE (also a sponsor) on their 50th anniversary!
DuPage Forest Preserve Native Plant Sale
Friday, May 16 | 10 am– 7 pm
Saturday, May 17 | 9 am – 2 pm
Location: Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook, Tickets required.
HELP! We are putting together an lending library for Glen Ellyn residents to host parties and avoid using single-use plastic! We have wine and beverage glasses, table clothes, drink dispensers, etc., but need to shore up our stock of plates (dinner and dessert), mugs and silverware (silver toned only please). Plus we need serving dishes, platters and utensils. So if you are downsizing and looking for a place to donate your white ceramic dinner set and silverware, pick us! For more information, email us.
We are SO excited to roll out the first-ever recycling program for the Downtown GE's Friday Summer Concert Series! You will notice the sleek aluminum party cups right away! The cups are infinitely recyclable and keep your beverages icy cold. You can even re-use them as they hold up much better than plastic. Go Green is providing cups to all downtown businesses serving alcohol for these events. In addition to the cups, Go Green GE will bring recycling stations for aluminum cups and cans at the event, and have contracted with a metal recycler to process the aluminum.
This program is available due to a grant awarded to Go Green Glen Ellyn from the Glen Ellyn Fund, an initiative of the DuPage Foundation. And we could not have made this work without the amazing partnership with the Downtown Alliance.
We are so excited to see this roll out AND bop to the Taylor Swift songs from "Shake it Off" next Friday night, May 16. Come join us to dance, order dinner from a downtown restaurant and enjoy a cold beverage in a recyclable and reusable aluminum party cup!
A win for the advocates! SB1531—the bill to ban foam foodware—is headed to the house floor for a vote. Please continue to contact our elected officials regarding this legislation!