Alternative Yard Tour
Sunday, 9am - 1pm
Bike the Alternative Yard Tour at your own pace with this map
and route guide.
Get your own sign at Summerfest with a
$10 donation to GGW.
Planning on home improvements? Don't miss this tour Sat. & Sun.!
See monarch butterfly habitat at the Centennial Park Prairie Tour on July 29
Just say "No, thanks!" to plastic straws!
Help our Great Lakes - Refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.
Help reduce the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.
BikeWilmette Meeting August 15th
Help your parents or older neighbors change to LED bulbs now - don't wait until bulbs burn out!
Don't miss the
Alternative Yard Tour
July 23
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How can I find out the addresses and yard descriptions for this Sunday's Alternative Yard Tour?
You can find garden descriptions, addresses and a map on our
website. See details below.
See all the Dear Robin questions and answers
here
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FEATURED EVENTS
(See also many "Additional Events" below.)
Alternative Yard Tour THIS Sunday!
The
Alternative Yard Tour
is this Sunday, July 23rd from 9am - 1pm. There are nine exciting and inspiring gardens featured on this free tour. Yard descriptions, addresses and a suggested bike route are now posted.
See bird habitat, vegetable gardens, rain gardens, composting techniques, soil care methods and drip irrigation systems. Learn how to get certified as a wildlife habitat garden. Get inspired to transform your yard one step at a time or all at once.
We encourage people to bike the tour on their own using this
map and
route guide. There will not be guided rides this year. You can go at your own pace and linger at your favorite gardens. July 23, 9am - 1pm.
Long Range Planning Workshop
Mark your calendars for a long-range planning meeting on Tuesday, August 1st at 7pm in the Village Hall Council Chambers with CMAP - the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. The workshop is part of CMAP's ON TO 2050 project and is co-hosted by the Wilmette Environmental and Energy Commission and the Wilmette Transportation Commission. Aug. 1, 7pm.
GGW Booth at Summerfest
Stop by or volunteer with us at our booth at Summerfest on July 22 & 23. Be sure to walk or bike into town for the celebration. Find complete Summerfest information here. 9am - 5pm.
GreenBuilt Home Tour THIS Weekend
The GreenBuilt Home Tour features inspiring homes throughout the greater Chicago Metropolitan Area, including Evanston's First LEED Home at 1426 Mulford Street. The tour showcases innovations in home design, materials, and operations that can be applied to both new homes and renovations. July 22 and 23, 10am - 4pm. Cost $5 - $20 for two people. Children free.
Richard Louv Speaks Sunday
Richard Louv raised the red flag about the growing disconnect between people and nature. Don't miss the chance to hear him share research that confirms the importance of nature in our lives for physical and emotional health. Louv is a journalist and author of nine books, including New York Times best-seller "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder." Free. Registration required.
Lake Geneva, July 23, 4pm
Centennial Park Prairie Tour
Visit Wilmette's 2 acre Centennial Park Prairie and learn about native plants and the butterflies, bees, nesting birds, and fireflies that live there. Charlotte Adelman, a Wilmette resident who helped establish the prairie in 2010, will lead the tour. She is the co-author of two authoritative books on native plants - The Midwestern Native Garden and Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees. Daniel Suarez of the National Audubon Society will also discuss native plants and their importance to our community.
The tour is sponsored by Audubon Great Lakes and the Little Garden Club of Wilmette. July 29th, 10am
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FEATURED PROJECT
Reducing Single-Use Plastic Straws
Go Green Wilmette is participating in Shedd Aquarium's "Shedd the Straw" campaign to reduce Chicagoland's use of plastic straws. You can help by not purchasing straws for home use and by telling your server that you do not want a str
aw
whenever you order a drink. Ask your favorite restaurant to join Shedd Aquarium's "Shedd the Straw" campaign. Learn more
here.
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Funding Approved for Great Lakes
The House Appropriations Committee approved full $300 million funding for the important Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that has supported more than 3,000 sensible projects since 2010 to protect and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem and improve infrastructure. The bipartisan House Appropriations Committee votes are in line with the public's overwhelming support of Great Lakes protections. Learn more here.
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You Can Help Curb Leaf Blowers
Gas-powered leaf blowers create serious air and noise pollution. Learn more
here. Rakes and brooms are the best alternative but cleaner, quieter electric blowers are also an option. You can help Wilmette enforce the gas-powered leaf blower restrictions by:
- Reminding crews you see using them that they are not allowed
- Taking a photo of the truck including company name and license and emailing the photo with date and time to [email protected]
- Calling 847/853-7521 to report the infraction with the street address
- Making sure your own yard crew never uses them
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BikeWilmette News
Be part of the effort to make Wilmette a better place to walk and bike. Join fellow cyclists at monthly BikeWilmette meetings on the third Tuesday of each month -
Aug, 15, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19 at the Community Recreation Center. 6pm - 7:30pm
Contact us to get involved. Visit the website here.
Sign the Petition to IDOT
Urge IDOT to make active transportation a planning priority by adding your name to this
petition.
Stay up to date on walk and bike issues. Sign up for our BikeWilmette newsletter and notices here.
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Get Involved - Stay Involved
Environmental groups from local to global are working hard to protect the planet. Sign up for newsletters and action alerts and try to do one thing every day to be part of the solution. Let your elected officials know that environmental issues matter to you and that you expect them to support policies and practices that will ensure a healthy planet.
Support Go Green Wilmette!
Want to support GGW's efforts to bring educational events to our community free of charge? Please consider a tax deductible donation. Learn more and donate
here
. Or mail a check made out to Go Green Wilmette to P.O. Box 954, Wilmette, IL 60091.
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Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
Follow Us!
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Check out the frequently updated features on our
website.
Find easy tips for living more sustainably in our
What Can You Do section.
Learn about upcoming environmental events on our
Calendar.
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