Monday, March 21, 2011

Earth Hour - Candle Power

Earth Hour - Candle Power
March 26, 2011
8:30 - 9:30pm

Northcenter Neighborhood Association  invites all households and businesses to turn off their nonessential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.

During Earth Hour - Candle Power
  • Light a candle and place it in your front window so all can see your commitment to a healthy environment.
  • Sit out on your front porch with family and friends and share in the fun with your neighbors.
  • Let us know if you participate and we will compile the total power saved in Northcenter greenblog@northcenterneighborhood.org
  • Create your own unique Candle Power event.



For the official Earth Hour website, please visit http://www.earthhour.org


19th Annual Chicago River Day

URBAN RIVER CHALLENGE

The Chicago River vs. The Los Angeles River. The competition is ON!
The Windy City is taking on the City of Angels - but with an ecological twist. For decades, our two cities have hosted some of the largest volunteer-driven river clean-ups in the country - and this year, we’re competing to be the best.
The Urban River Challenge is a three-month competition between our two organizations to see who can 
(1) get the largest number of volunteers out to our large watershed workday/cleanup events Saturday, May 14, 2011, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 
(2) add the most new Facebook fans leading up to their cleanup. The prize for this competition is the fame, acclaim and the knowledge that both of our rivers will be better off than they were before the challenge began. And, just so you know, we are in this it win it Chicago!!!!!
The competition is from March 1 through May 20, 2011. Help the Chicago River win the Urban River Challenge. Follow this link for more information! http://www.chicagoriver.org/events/chicago_river_day/

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Take the Green Lawn Challenge

A beautiful, green lawn has long symbolized America’s commitment to their homes and community.  The race for a perfect, weed-free, green lawn has spawned many lawn products that promise a perfect lawn, and their use has become commonplace across our country.  Over time, however, we have realized that the perfect green grass that quickly follows an application of pesticide or weed killers is masking environmental damage that occurs beyond.  The soil and water supply harbor and move those contaminants, and eventually, our food and water supplies are contaminated. 

Fortunately, there are numerous green alternatives to these harmful products that deliver the same results without causing harm to the environment.  In North Center, we realize that each of us can make responsible choices within our own yards, but without the commitment of our neighbors, our efforts won’t have the impact to protect our soil and water supplies. 

We are therefore starting the GREEN LAWNS initiative.  Neighbor – by – neighbor, we are signing up North Center residents to build a coalition of people committed to obtaining a beautiful, green lawn without resorting to harmful pesticides and pollutants.  By signing up, you promise to do one thing:


ensure that only eco-friendly- pesticide and weed killer products enter your yard.



As a coalition, we can use our strength to
  • obtain eco-friendly lawn services at a discount;
  •  affect the products and techniques used in North Center’s parks and public spaces; and
  • ensure a clean soil and water supply for our health.  
Join by emailing us at greenlawns@northcenter.org.   

Monday, March 14, 2011

Useful Links

Local Outdoor Websites
Chicagoland Outdoor Nature Knowledge (CLONK) http://www.outdoors.chicago.il.us/
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors http://www.birdmonitors.net/intro.html
Chicago River Paddling/Fishing http://pages.ripco.net/~jwn/chicago.html
Chicago River Rowing & Paddling Center http://www.chicagorowing.org/
Map of the Chicago Area Waterway System MAP
Illinois Mycological Association http://www.illinoismyco.org/
City of Chicago - Natural Landscaping http://www.cityofchicago.org
Friends of the Chicago River http://www.chicagoriver.org
Chicago Wilderness Magazine http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/

Garden Clubs
Wicker Park Garden Club http://www.wpgarden.org/

Local Recycling Services
City of Chicago Recycling & Waste Management http://www.cityofchicago.org

Local Transportation
Active Transportation Alliance http://www.activetrans.org
The Chainlink a Chicago Bicycling Online Community http://www.thechainlink.org

Local News & Services
NorthCenter Neighborhood Association http://www.northcenterneighborhood.org/
NorthCenter Chamber of Commerce http://www.northcenterchamber.com/

Great Green Movies, Books & Magazines

Great Environmental Movies

Queen of the Sun (2010)   An uplifting film about bees.
Fresh (2009)  An inspiration view of sustainable food and organic growing practices.
One Man, One Cow, One Planet (2007)  Compost & Biodynamics.  One man's impact on India's farmers.
The Real Dirt of Farmer John (2007)  The story of an Illinois farmer & his CSA, which serves NorthCenter.
Dirt! The Movie (2010) A light-hearted movie about soil and our need for it.
FLOW – For Love of Water  (2008) Informative.
Winged Migration (2001)  Beautifully filmed birds & their migratory patterns.
Planet Earth (2007) Will make you fall in love with all the animals, even the ugly ones!
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) This will answer questions about global warming.
Earth Days (2009) Non preachy documentary on the history of Earth Day, 1970.
The 11th Hour (2007) Visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planets ecosystems.



Great Environmental Books & Magazines

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Stolen Harvest, The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva
The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters by Rose George
Hidden Nature, The Startling Insights of Viktor Schauberger by Alick Bartholomew
YES! Magazine
Orion Magazine