In June and July, Austin Grown, a collaborative initiative between One Earth Collective and BUILD Chicago, embarked on a transformative six-week journey of planting, nurturing, and learning. Participants went into the realms of environmental stewardship, racial and social justice, and personal well-being through engaging activities, including hands-on gardening, cooking, and educational excursions.
During the past year, One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest received 400 submissions from 55 countries and 36 states. Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, and United Kingdom will be represented among top winners, along with the U.S. states of California, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia. The Global Awards Celebration will take place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago, or online virtually anywhere in the world. A special online screening for those in Asia/ Pacific is also available.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to compete in our Summer Bingo Campaign. Without all of your dedication to not only our contest but the quality of the environment around you we would not have had such a successful month! Now we at One Earth Collective are pleased to announce the winners of all our fabulous prizes!
This is Part 4 of my series Electrifying Our Old Oak Park Home. Read all 4 parts here.
A little over a year ago in April of 2023, we completed the electrification of our house. Since then, I’ve received a lot of interest in this project, was awarded a Green Award by the Village of Oak Park, and was even featured in the Chicago Tribune!
On Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 5 p.m., West Cook Wild Ones will host its annual native garden tour of 9 colorful, life-filled gardens in Oak Park and Berwyn, Illinois. You can find more information about the tour here.
But while you’re waiting, here are three of the native-plant-loving people who have created gardens (or shall we call them habitats?) that are on the tour: : Laura Derks, Monica Cecero, and Beth Fioritto.
Since Unity Temple’s latest renovation in 2017, led by Harboe Architects, a plethora of modern features, many cleverly hidden from view in columns or ductwork, have coexisted with historic elements. Moreover, a lot of the newfangled improvements—a geothermal heating/cooling system, energy-saving LED lights, upgraded skylights, motion sensors—might even qualify the Temple as a certifiable green structure. Thanks to the geothermal apparatus' connection with the moderate temperatures of the earth, the building is air-conditioned for the first time in its history.
