CALENDAR

On Saturday, October 3, from 9 am — 12 pm the parking lot at Indian Hill Train Station becomes a hub of generosity, where local nonprofits gather in one place to collect gently used items.

Instead of driving across the North Shore to multiple donation sites, simply pull into the lot and volunteers will direct your donations to the organizations that need them most.

Join The Volunteer Center on Saturday, October 3, from 9 am – 12 pm at the Indian Hill Train Station parking lot, and help make a difference — one carload at a time.

As part of Go Green Wilmette's autumn work day, they will gather the seeds from native plants in the habitat and spread them in other spots. A fun task for children ages 3-8 but everyone is welcome.

Help out, and stay for a tree walk! All activities are drop-in. No Experience Needed!

Join them for seed collecting from 9 – 11:00 am and a tree walk from 10 - 11:30 am. 

Location: Gillson Park Bird Habitat, Wilmette

Join Go Green Illinois Schools as they tour Prairie Crossing Charter School (PCCS) in Grayslake. PCCS teaches students to be natural leaders through incorporating Education for Sustainability into curriculum, which features project- and problem-based learning, rooted in place. This tour will feature LEED-certified classroom buildings, including their new net zero fine arts building, as well as gardens and outdoor learning spaces. PCCS will discuss their unique teaching and learning experiences, as well. Invite a teacher, bring a colleague. All are welcome.

EVER WONDER HOW ORGANICS GET TURNED INTO COMPOST? Join Go Green Winnetka and the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Council (IFSCC) for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Patriot Acres Compost Facility in Des Plaines—where the magic of modern recycling happens! 

These compost facility tours educate and show first-hand how organics diversion and composting improve human and environmental health in Illinois while reducing methane emissions and waste and creating a more circular and equitable economy for all. 

Special thanks to John Lardner—IFSCC Board Chair, Member, and Patriot Acres Co-Founder—for hosting this tour and all his work and tenacity to advance the compost industry in Illinois! 

Spots are limited - Register below and don’t miss this rare peek into the world of organics!

Mark your calendars for Wed, Oct 21 at 5:30 pm for our next monthly meeting. Everyone in the community is welcome—we’d love to see you there! Please email Go Green Winnetka for the address, with questions, and to RSVP.  

Come discover what's on the horizon for Go Green Winnetka, share your ideas, learn about volunteer opportunities, and connect with fellow environmentally-minded neighbors.

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!

In this foot-stomping new musical, Grace accidentally knocks down the fence between her dad’s well-manicured backyard and Mr. Hertz’s wildflower garden, where she discovers three monarch butterfly eggs on a broken milkweed plant. To make amends, she vows to raise them. Unfortunately, the caterpillars are eating machines, and finding more milkweed for them to eat is hard in the suburbs. Follow Grace as she learns all about these miraculous animals and the preservation they need to thrive.

Approximate run time: 65 minutes, no intermission
Suggested ages: 5+

Location: Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston 

Purchase tickets and find out more through the link below.

Did you know Oscar the Grouch was orange in the first season of Sesame Street? True story! (And a fun piece of seasonal trivia to share as we head into Halloween month.)

Want to know another true story? Our next Go Green Reads book is a tale about another character that knows a thing or two about garbage cans. Trash! A Garbageman's Story is a memoir by a Montreal garbageman, Simon Paré-Poupart, who started working on a truck to pay for school — and is still there 20 years later — even after earning graduate degrees and working in more "respectable" fields.

The author's sociology background informs his inquiry into our collective wastefulness and individual failure to confront the trash we produce. Every abstract observation comes with hilarious and hair-raising stories from the collection route to his days off spent hunting down furniture and toys for family and friends, as a committed 'Freegan.' Trash! will change how you think about the materials you throw away and the people who handle it.

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!

Go Green Reads is a collaboration between Go Green Winnetka, Go Green Wilmette, and The Book Stall, with support from the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District.