Earth Week 2024

WasteNot Compost at Lake Forest Library

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 12:00-2:00 PM

WasteNot, Chicagoland's #1 Curbside Compost Service, will be at the Lake Forest Library with information about how curbside composting works and why residents would want to participate.

Beach CleanUp

Join us for a beach cleanup of Forest Park Beach in Lake Forest on Sunday, May 5, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

We will have parking passes for non-resident volunteers. Please register below and indicate if you need a parking pass. Parking will be in the South lot.

Act for Earth Intentions 2024: This I Will Do

The Ask

Choose an earth-helpful action you can realistically take on a regular basis, be it daily, weekly, or monthly.

The Action

Document your Act for Earth Intention in one of three ways:

Take a photo
Create artwork
Write a sentence or short description of your intention

The Submission

Share your intention with us, and with your permission, GreenMinds will post entries on our social media. But most important, put your intention into practice all year long, and encourage your family and friends to Act for Earth in 2024!

Send Us Your Intention

Suggestions for Annual Act for Earth Intentions

For Individuals

- Walk or ride a bicycle instead of driving a car for errands and visits (saves harmful emissions)

- Use reusable bags, cups and utensils (uses less plastic)

For Families

- Make rags out of old worn out clothing, consider using as 'paper towels' or shop rags

- Have fun learning about the trees and shrubs growing on your property or near where you live. What other species depend upon them? What role do they play in the local ecosystem?

For Organizations

- Build a Little Free Library book exchange and stock it with books your group members have read and want to pass on to others.

- Set up a collection box for oral care products that are used daily but are not accepted in curbside recycling (toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes and dental floss packages). When the box is full, contact greenmindslflb@gmail.com to arrange a pick up and these items will be sent to TerraCycle where they CAN be recycled

Past Earth Day Events

2021—Poem Competition

We're thrilled to say we've worked with local students to have an original poem written for our 2021 Earth Day celebratory video! Our winning poem, ”Miracles of the World”, was written by Emma LeGrand of Lake Bluff Middle School.

Special thanks to our 3 judges; Alderwoman Rummel, Lake Bluff Library Children's Department Chair Eliza Jarvi and Lake Forest High School English Department Chair Kristen Carlson. We are fortunate and appreciative to have the support of so many community members within the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff area who helped us create of this Earth Day celebratory video.

2020—Community Reflections

It took a special effort this year to celebrate Earth Day — due to our shelter-in-place guidelines. What happened instead was a virtual gathering of community, sharing thanks for what each of us appreciates about sustainability and our environment here in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.