What We're Up To

Go Green Winnetka proudly joins the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition (IFSCC), along with individuals and organizations around the world, to celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). ICAW is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the global compost community.

The IFSCC has a week full of fun and informative in-person and virtual events and programs. The lineup aims to feature the important role compost/composting plays, the myriad of benefits it offers, including a focus of this year’s theme: Sustainable Communities Begin With Compost!

Everyone is welcome. Please be sure to register for any programs requiring registration. We hope to see you there!

The Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition (May 6) and Go Green Illinois (May 14) are coordinating compost facility tours!

These 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. 

We are especially excited these tours will happen in connection with International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), a global educational campaign that works to raise awareness as to why we all should be composting our organics and using compost to create healthier soil.

Logistics

• Location: Patriot Acres, 9800 E Central Rd, Des Plaines
  • Entrance gate is directly across the street from Oakton Community College
  • A sign on the gate will direct participants to the Office/Scale area to park
• Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended
• Safety vests will be provided
• RSVP required
• The tour is limited to 25-30 people
• A wait list will be kept, if needed.

RSVP for the May 6 tour
RSVP for the May 14 tour

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! 

The theme of Sustainability Fest 2025 is Nature Heals. Join our friends at Go Green Des Plaines to learn how nature can heal by meeting experts, listening to panelists, and coming together with like-minded individuals! There will be activities for kids and boomwhackers for all! Event is FREE, but advance tickets are encouraged!

Go Green Wilmette is excited to hold its 11th annual Native Plant Sale again this year! Plants will be available first come, first served. The sale will be IN PERSON at the Gillson Beach House parking lot. There will be a large variety of plants and plenty of volunteers to help you make your selections. Look for signage to find the sale by the maintenance barn. 

The event will occur rain or shine. Cash and credit cards accepted.

Visit the Go Green Wilmette website for more information. Click HERE for a PDF list of plants expected to be available at the sale. See you there!

Join other environmental groups on May 13 to explore ways community groups can make a difference in land care, lawn care and native habitat areas. They'll talk about plants, trees, birds and insects, compare ways to partner with groups like Homegrown National Park and National Wildlife Federation, and explain ways to host plant sales, sustainable yard tours and volunteer work days. Speakers confirmed so far include: Candice Dalrymple of Habitat Highland Park, Arborists Leslie and Gilbert Smith, Amanda Nugent of Sweetgrass Gardens, KT Peterson of Go Green Des Plaines and Beth Drucker of Go Green Wilmette. We look forward to learning from these experts!

Please contact us in advance if your community has been doing anything to increase native habitat areas or reduce pesticide use that you want to share. Register here to receive the zoom link for the meeting. Please share this invitation with others who are interested in this topic.

Winnetka purchases our electric power through the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA). IMEA is asking Winnetka to sign a 20-year contract extension worth $200 Million 10 years before our current contract expires. The contract would end in 2055.

Our energy mix is 80% coal, because in 2007 IMEA convinced Winnetka to invest in a coal plant they claimed would be “clean” and cost half the actual costs. Now they say extend the contract early, and expect us to believe their “Net Zero Sustainability Plan” that lacks details.

Village Trustees have not invited other providers to compete for this business. There are 10+ companies who can offer power supply and services to Winnetka (e.g. Constellation, NRG Energy, NextEra, etc).

Other IMEA members Naperville and St. Charles have not signed the contract extension. The Chicago Tribune editorial board wrote that Winnetka should not be pressured to sign until it can study the options.

Please join us at the May 13 Village Council meeting to ask Trustees to take time and BID THE CONTRACT.

We need as many people as possible to attend. Our goal is to get 100 residents to the meeting and recruit 20 speakers. Let us know if you can help!

The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight, written and illustrated by Amy Tan, the best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club. Not surprisingly, the birds that inhabit Ms. Tan's backyard seem a lot like the characters in her novels. Ms. Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches.

In search of peace in an increasingly divided world, Ms. Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.
 

Please register below and email Go Green Reads with any questions.
 

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

*Note: You may find Go Green Reads book selections on the book club hold shelf behind the reference desk at the Winnetka branch of the Library.

Go Green Winnetka meets monthly to discuss current initiatives and sustainability efforts. This month we will meet on Wednesday, May 21 at 12 pm on Zoom. Join us to find out what's up for spring and summer 2025, add to the discussion, find opportunities to volunteer, or just listen in. All community members are welcome. Email us at gogreenwinnetka@gmail.com to receive a link.

Approximately 33% of landfill waste in the United States is organic. Organic waste in landfills emits dangerous methane into the atmosphere, takes up unnecessary space, and wastes valuable resources. Learn more about how and why to divert those organics!

Meet us at the Farmers Market to find out all about composting (the process) and compost (the product). Whether you've got questions about backyard composting, Winnetka's residential organics drop-off and pick-up services, or organics diversion options for businesses, we've got the answers! 

Go Green Winnetka is a Platinum Sponsor of and facilitates waste reduction, recycling, and composting at the beloved Winnetka Children's Fair. We need volunteers to join our Zero Waste Hero team to help us divert organics and recyclables from landfill. Email us at gogreenwinnetka@gmail.com to sign up for a shift. 

We'll be looking for Zero Waste Hero team members to help us divert organics and recyclables from landfill. Email us at gogreenwinnetka@gmail.com to sign up for a shift. Free general admission tickets are given to all volunteers.

Have you ever been curious about the trees in your yard or along your daily route? While we may know that trees absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and offer welcome shade during the summer, many of us are less familiar with the specific species we see every day—and the important ecological roles they play.

Different types of trees provide critical support for local wildlife and contribute uniquely to the health of our environment.

To help residents connect with and learn more about the trees in their neighborhoods, the Openlands Treekeepers Program is offering personalized tree walks from May through September.

If you and your neighbors are interested in organizing a walk, please contact Openlands Treekeeper Lynn Wolff-Zaransky for more information.

Did you know that it is illegal in Illinois to throw certain electronic devices into the trash?  Electronics contain hazardous materials that should be kept out of the environment, as well as valuable and precious metals that can be reused, such as gold, silver, copper, zinc, aluminum, platinum, cobalt, nickel, etc.

The Electronics Recycling Program in Winnetka operates on Thursdays from 1 – 3 pm at the Public Works Yards at 1390 Willow Road until November 20. Learn more about accepted items here.