Celebrate Earth Month in Lake Forest

Join the City of Lake Forest and local organizations as we celebrate Earth Day 2023 in a series of events throughout the entire month of April 2023.

Earth Day is about celebrating environmental progress, educating each other about stewardship and advocating for sustainable practices that can be adopted in your everyday life. Residents and businesses are encouraged to join in a variety of Earth Month activities including weekly challenges hosted by the City and additional community events and programming throughout April.  

  • View our Event Calendar
  • Participate in Weekly Challenges!
    • Week 1: Reduce Your Waste
    • Week 2: Protect our Water Resources
    • Week 3: Earth Week Photo Challenge
    • Week 4: Reduce Your Impact
  • Snap a photo of your family celebrating Earth Month and tag @CityofLakeForestIL on Facebook or Instagram!

Weekly Earth Month Challenges and Activities

Week 1:  Reduce Waste Challenge (April 2 - 8)

In 2022, the City of Lake Forest collected over 6,500 tons of household garbage of which food waste, paper/cardboard, and plastic accounted for 60% of the materials collected. That's nearly 3,900 tons of materials that could have been diverted from the landfill through recycling or composting. 

Earth-friendly Challenges for this week: 

  • Consider ordering an Earth Machine at a discount from The City of Lake Forest to start composting at home! Home composting can save 700 pounds of organic waste and 171 pounds of food waste per household per year from going into landfills! 
  • Download and use the Lake Forest Now mobile app to get all your Refuse and Recycling information including details on our award winning Bart the Cart Campaign.
  • Cleaning out your closets? You can take gently used and worn textiles to the City’s Compost Center or local drop-off location.
  • Have any old batteries? The City’s new battery recycling program has already collected more than 50lbs of batteries from residents after just starting just two months ago.
  • On-Demand Learning: Watch “Solutions to Food Waste in Lake County” Presentation hosted by Lake Forest Library and Green Minds of LF/LB  
  • Make this a plastic-free trash week! Come up with alternatives to plastics this week, however and wherever you can. Find ways to repurpose plastic items you already have on hand instead of throwing them in the wastebasket
  • Upcycle/repurpose those t-shirts you are no longer wearing. Turn those shirts into reusable bags.
Earth-friendly Activities for this week:
 
  • 4/1/23 – Eco Crew: Assist staff at LFOLA in volunteer restoration activities such as burn prep and invasive species control at the Derwen Mawr Nature Preserve.
  • 4/2/23 – Join the 17th Annual Fly-Fishing Film Tour at the Gorton Community Center.
  • Ongoing - In advance of Arbor Day, ComEd announces that customers can now apply to receive one of more than 3,000 free trees or shrubs. Customers interested in receiving a free tree or shrub should visit ArborDay.org/ComEd through Sunday, April 9, 2023, while supplies last, to select a ready-to-plant saplings!
Week 2:  Protect Our Water Resources (April 9 - 15)

Protecting our water resources involves much more than just using less water. Repeated use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides contributes to worsening water quality. Choose a phosphorus free, slow-release fertilizer. Apply compost instead of bagged granular fertilizers as much as possible. Replacing areas of short-grass lawns with native plants will improve water quality, reduce flooding and increase biodiversity. The City has also invested millions of dollars in green infrastructure and stormwater and sewer projects to protect our water quality in capital improvement projects the past several years, as well as taking a proactive approach on ravine management and restoration.

Earth-friendly Challenges for this week:

  • Consider installing a rain barrel and/or planting a rain garden to ease the strain on our sewer systems. Put that water to good use in your own garden. Learn about rain barrel and rain garden opportunities. 
  • Take unused pharmaceuticals to the safe disposal bin in the lobby of the Lake Forest Police Station on Deerpath Road (255 W. Deerpath). Do not flush down the toilet.

Green Activities this Week:

  • 4/13/23 – Green Minds Environmental Social Governance Webinar, find more information on Green Minds Website
  • 4/14/23 – Conservation Cocktails: Woodcock Walk at Melody Farm Nature Preserve.
  • 4/14/23 – U.S. National Gardening Day on April 14 is a day of encouragement, a day created to give gardeners a shove and a shovel so that they can begin their gardening journey. Be on the lookout for an announcement on a potential new Community Garden in Lake Forest in the coming months!
Week 3:  Earth Week Photo Challenge (April 16 - 22)
All residents are invited to participate in our Earth Week Photo Challenge to celebrate nature and our beautiful landscapes! Post a photo and tag Lake Forest on Facebook or Instagram (@cityoflakeforestil) by Sunday, April 23. Winning photographs will be selected and highlighted on the City of Lake Forest’s Instagram page – for photo ideas visit our Earth Month Website Page!

Ideas for consideration:

  • Celebrating Earth Day – Capture your family celebrating Earth Day 
  • Lake Forest Wildlife - Capture local Lake Forest wildlife in action 
  • Local Landscapes – Capture a photo of Lake Forest’s natural landscapes through your lens  
  • Hidden Gems – Capture a new look on a familiar scene 
Green Activities this Week:

  • 4/22/23 – Celebrate Earth Day! Free event at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve with LFOLA that has a variety of activities for all ages.
  • 4/22/23 – Free Paper Shredding Event hosted at Municipal Services by Sanitation. Will promote recycling and Bart the Cart materials.
Week 4:  Reduce Your Impact (April 23 - April 29)

During this week, you are challenged to make a change in your life that will have a positive impact on the environment. One small impact you can make is to limit your vehicle idling. Did you know The City of Lake Forest has officially passed a Resolution to be an “Idle-Free Community”? The voluntary act encourages residents, guests, visitors, and other individuals within the City limits not to exceed a three minute idling time in their gas-powered vehicles (pending some exceptions). The Resolution was passed in coordination with City-wide art contest calling for creative “No Idling” signs from local students. Winning drawings will be placed on temporary signs around town!

Here are some suggestions to get you started: 

Earth-friendly Challenges for this week: 

  • Support renewable energy and save money on your electricity supply through a community solar subscription! 
  • Explore energy efficiency savings opportunities, including rebates, through ComEd and North Shore Gas. 
  • Plan your errands to use less fuel this week, save gas and money by turning off your engine when waiting to pick up children from school or for a freight train to pass, remember not to idle!
  • Walk or ride your bike instead of driving your car when possible this week.

Green Activities this Week:

  • 4/22/23 - Stop by Mellody Farm Nature Preserve on Saturday, April 22nd from 10am-noon and explore all the natural world has to offer through a variety of activities designed for all ages and abilities. Guided hikes will depart from the main gates every ½ hour starting at 10:30 a.m. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

  • 4/24/23 – On Monday, the 24th, in Celebration of Arbor Day later in the week, the City will be handing out Norway Spruce and White spruce seedlings at: 
    • City Hall Parking Lot (North Side)
    • West Park Parking Lot (North Side)
    • South Park Parking Lot (South Side)
    • Northcroft Park Parking Lot (West Side)
    • Everett School Parking Lot (West Side)

  • 4/29/23 - Join the LFOLA Associate Board for Cattails & Kiddies! Your kids will enjoy a fun activity-filled spring morning at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve on Saturday, April 29 from 9-10:30 am or 11-12:30 pm! Participants will hike through the preserve, make spring centerpieces and create one-of-a-kind art pieces for Lake Forest Open Lands’ annual fundraiser Cattails & Cocktails, hosted by the Associate Board of Lake Forest Open Lands. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER.
Stay Informed!

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