CALENDAR

THE ILLINOIS EPA HAS ANNOUNCED A FOUR-MONTH EXTENSION TO ITS ELECTRIC VEHICLE REBATE PROGRAM to the end of May. The Illinois General Assembly appropriated $14 million for the program to the Illinois EPA for fiscal year 2026, which ends on June 30, 2026. Actual funding amounts will be determined by the amount of money available in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund. 

For more information and program requirements, visit the Illinois EPA's EV Rebate Program website.

Go Green Winnetka is excited to announce that the VILLAGE OF WINNETKA IS EXPANDING ITS CLEAN ENERGY AND ENERGY SAVING REBATE PROGRAM for utility customers. Take advantage of the savings when you make qualifying upgrades to your home. New rebates starting in 2026 include the following:

• Up to $3,000 for solar energy systems
• $500 for Level 2 and 3 EV charging
• Up to $600 for efficient replacement air conditioners
• $100 to $500 for efficient electric appliances

Find out more on the Village's website.

Go Green Winnetka will take a break from our regular monthly meeting in February. We'll be back in person in March with lots of plans for spring, summer, and fall 2026.

THE VILLAGE OF WINNETKA'S ENVIRONMENTAL, FORESTRY & SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION INVITES RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS GREEN AWARDS PROGRAM. The purpose of the program is to recognize properties and households within Winnetka that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices. The Commission encourages residents to nominate homes or properties for any project that promotes sustainability and has been completed within the past five years. Project categories include:

• Energy/Building efficiency
• Land/Habitat
• Mobility/Transportation
• Waste/Recycling
• Water/Stormwater

Applying for the Award: If a recent project has helped make Winnetka a more environmentally-friendly or sustainable community, the Commission asks that you consider applying. Submit nominations by completing this form between February 1 and  March 11. 

Winners will be announced at the Village Council Meeting in April.

After completing the Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Winnetka, interviewing key stakeholders, and holding the community open house, the Environmental, Forestry & Sustainability Commission (EFSC) are developing a long-term emission reduction target and identifying feasible actions to help achieve it. THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN CONTAINING THIS ANALYSIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE VILLAGE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION ON MARCH 3. Any feedback from that meeting will be addressed and incorporated into the final report.

Also at the March 3 meeting, the EFSC will lay out its plans/priorities for 2026 and give an update on ground-mount solar panels.

Weaving decades of field observations with exciting new discoveries about the brain, Carl Safina's landmark book offers an intimate view of animal behavior that challenges the fixed boundary between humans and nonhuman animals.

In Beyond Words, readers travel to Kenya and witness struggling elephant families work out how to survive poaching and drought, to Yellowstone National Park to observe wolves deal with the aftermath of one pack's personal tragedy, and finally plunge into the astonishingly peaceful society of killer whales living in the crystalline waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Go Green Reads is offered through a collaboration between Go Green Winnetka and Go Green Wilmette in partnership with The Book Stall and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District.

Please register below and email gogreenreads@gmail.com with questions.

Thank you to The Book Stall and the Winnetka - Northfield Public Library District for their generous support of our communities and these discussions!

Feel free to join us, whether or not you've read the book.

Join the Kenilworth Union Church Green Team on Tuesday, March 17 in the Culbertson Room for a lively ST. PATRICK'S DAY SPEAKERS SERIES. Whether you’re a seasoned recycler or just curious, you’ll uncover the real dos and don’ts of recycling—and follow the fascinating journey your items take after they land in the bin. Discover how yesterday’s bottles, cans, and paper can be transformed into brand-new products, saving energy and giving our everyday items a meaningful “next life.” Not sure how to recycle something?  Bring it in and we can help!

You’ll hear insider insights from three leaders in the recycling world:
Theresa Greinig, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), Education Coordinator
Shea Spence, Flood Brothers Disposal, Marketing Specialist
Liz Kunkle, Recycle Coach, Customer Success Manager

EVER WONDER WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO YOUR RECYCLING AFTER IT LEAVES THE CURB? Join Go Green Winnetka and LRS (Lakeshore Recycling Systems) for a behind-the-scenes tour of the LRS Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Northbrook—where the magic of modern recycling happens! 

MRFs sort and divert recyclables in the Chicagoland area. On the tour of this state-of-the-art facility, LRS will explore the technology and people power that makes recycling possible, identify recycling rules, and show how recycling is important to protecting our natural resources, combating climate change, and building a circular economy. 

Spots are limited—email Go Green Winnetka to register and with questions. Don’t miss this rare peek into the world of waste reduction!

JOIN US FOR A WASTE-RELATED PRESENTATION highlighting programming changes in Winnetka, including the introduction of the Recycle Coach app and the Hefty ReNew curbside collection for hard-to-recycle soft plastics, as well the sunsetting of the polystyrene drop-off collection at Winnetka Public Works.

Presenters will be:
Christina Seibert, Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County
Elyse Steiner, Sustainability Coordinator for the Village of Winnetka
Liz Kunkle, Customer Success Manager of Recycle Coach and President of Go Green Winnetka

This program is sponsored Go Green Winnetka and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District. Watch this space, and the library's newsletter and website, for registration information.