In this newsletter:
I. Earth Fest on May 21 — Sponsored by the Village of Oak Park
II. Seeking Earthday panelists for “Speed dating” with green building professionals
– round robin with a builder, architect, and energy auditor.
III. Conservatory events in May
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I. EARTH FEST ON MAY 21
Earth Fest 2011, a gathering of eco-friendly vendors, groups, children’s activities and live entertainment, is set for 10 a.m. – 3
p.m., Sat., May 21 at the Oak Park Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd.
In its inaugural year, Earth Fest drew more than 250 people and event organizers hope to double that number in 2011. More than 40 vendors
have already signed-on for the event. Some of the day’s scheduled highlights include:
“Speed dating” with green building professionals — round robin with a builder, architect, and energy auditor Urban chicken farming
Adoptable animals from the Oak Park Animal Care League Wellness screenings Eco-themed children’s books Bike sales and service from Dan’s Bike Shop , A green limousine service, Solar energy contractors, Landscape information from Morton Arboretum, Wind turbines,
Garden designers
Earth Fest 2011 also will coincide with a celebration of Public Works Day, which will feature an open house to give the public an inside look at the LEED-certified Public Works Center including an up-close look at the building and equipment, snacks and activities.
For more information on Earth Fest call 708.660.1443 or e-mail maria@ghexperts.com.
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II. SEEKING EARTH DAY PANELISTS FOR ““Speed dating” with green
building professionals — round robin with a builder, architect, and
energy auditor.”
From: Rose Marie Reed <rosemariereed@yahoo.com>
Subject: Need Panelists for Speed Green at Oak Park Earth Fest
To: “Energy Rose” <energyrose@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, April 28, 2011, 10:44 PM
Hello Everyone,
We are seeking professionals interested in participating on our
Inaugural Speed Green panel of experts at the Oak Park Village Green
Fair on May 21st.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, a Speed Green
panel of experts will be available at the fair allowing visitors to
sit down and talk with an expert for 3 to 5 minute rounds about a
residential project they need help with. Based on the principles of
speed dating, each visitor will have a brief period of time to talk
with the expert, then at the end of each round, information can be
exchanged between the expert and the visitor for future contact.
Speed Green is the current brainchild of the Existing Homes
Subcommittee (EHS) part of the Residential Green Building Committee
(RGB) and was designed to create interest and increase awareness of
residential remodeling projects for existing homeowners at large,
contractors, architects, engineers, realtors, energy raters, and
anyone who is interested in greening a project on an existing home.
We are planning to have two panels, one at 11am and another at 1pm for
an hour or so.
We hope to generate enough ‘traffic’ to form a wait line to sit down
with an expert. We welcome family and friends to come with their
“green project” requests and sit down with our experts for an
informative discussion.
If you, or someone you know who is a USGBC member, are interested in
sitting on the panel May 21st in Oak Park, please let me know. We are
looking for contractors of all trades, architects, engineers, energy
raters, realtors, and USGBC advocacy team members to round out the
panel.
We are currently working to duplicate this event at the upcoming Green
Festival in Aurora on June 11th. If anyone is interested in sitting
on the expert panel in Aurora, please let me know.
Hope you can join us!
Cheers!
Rose Marie
630-513-5783
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III. CONSERVATORY EVENTS IN MAY
Composting 101
Learn the basics of how composting works: gathering the right
materials, properly preparing a compost pile, managing the ongoing
process and using the gardener’s gold that is the end product. Bring
gloves for the work portions of the class.
Instructor: Don Nekrosius, Master Gardener
Location: Oak Park Conservatory
Sat. May 14
9:30-11:30am
Class #241080-06 $20 Residents/$30 Non-Residents
Spring Perennial & Seedling Exchange
Sat. May 14
Join other gardeners and share your favorite perennials at the Friends
of the Oak Park Conservatory sponsored annual plant exchange. Drop
off material from 9:30-11:30am at the Conservatory. Come back to pick
up plants from Noon- 12:30pm.
NEW! The Care & Maintenance of Trees
The most valuable assets in any landscape are the trees. Learn from a
certified tree arborist, the best practices to use when caring for
your trees. Tree choice, location, planting, pruning, and long-term
maintenance will be covered. Gain the confidence to provide all the
care your trees need to thrive for generations.
Instructor: Dan Krug, Certified Arborist
Location: Oak Park Conservatory
Thurs. May 19
7pm-9pm
Class #241080-07 $15 Residents/$22 Non-Residents
NEW! City Chicken Farming (Ages 10 & up)
Yes, there are chickens in Oak Park. If you support the “buy local”
practice then here is the next step. Raise your own chickens and
taste the difference of a freshly laid egg from chickens living in a
clean, healthy environment. Urban chicken farmer, Deb Jensen, will
provide all the information needed to start from scratch. Learn about
food requirements, shelter needs, and the fun of having your own
backyard pest control. You too can have healthy chickens and a
healthier diet.
Instructor: Urban Farmer, Deb Jensen
Location: Oak Park Conservatory
Sat. May 28
10am-Noon
Class #341124-01 $20 Residents/$30 Non-Residents