Families wrote letters to Lake Michigan, took home plants in recycled newspaper and learned about the problems of plastic bag use at the Evanston Ecology Center’s Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration Saturday.
The annual event featured speakers, musicians and information stations focused on the theme of “reduce, reuse, recycle and recover.”
This year, the center brought in seven Girl Scout troops to help teach community members about environmental issues.
The Girl Scout troop from Pope John XXIII School, 1120 Washington St., told visitors about its battery recycling project. Proceeds from the steel in the batteries will be used to provide food and medical needs for animals at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St.
The 19 girls from the troop started working on the project in September by collecting batteries and raising funds. A love for animals encouraged them to pursue the project, said sixth-grader Elissa Fitch, 11.
The local chapter of Kiwanis Club, an international service organization, encouraged parents and children at the event to participate in their upcoming community projects.
“We’re open to ideas, and that’s the reason why we want to get input from other groups,” said Kiwanis volunteer Sarah Flax, 51. “Maybe one day we’ll be able to coordinate something with the Girl Scouts. It’s a way to bring resources together.”
Nearby, The Giving Tree Band, a group of eco-friendly musicians, performed a laid-back folk and bluegrass set. Their attire was made of almost entirely organic material, and guitar and banjo player Todd Fink said their instruments are made from naturally fallen trees.
Musicians especially are in a position to make a difference, Fink said.
“We all had a similar vision for the group,” Fink said. “We want to be environmentally responsible, and make inspirational music that people could enjoy.”
State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-18th) told the crowd about legislation she hopes to push forth this year, including the Energy Efficient Building Code and the Illinois Clean Car Act.
Hamos stressed, however, that the change “starts at a local level.”
The center tries to instigate change locally by giving families practical information they can take home and apply, said Karen Taira, environmental educator at the Ecology Center.
Evanston resident Donna Pareti said she takes her children, 2-year-old Ella and 4-year-old George, to the center regularly. They spent their visit on Saturday painting ladybugs onto egg cartons and playing “Reuse, Recycle or Dump?” by deciding which boxes took different items.
Other children quizzed Mark Younger, Evanston’s arborist, about the environment. Younger attended the event to educate residents on how to care for city trees and parkways. Greg Brewster and his son Ben tried to think of a tree question even Younger couldn’t answer.
Brewster said he enjoyed the community interaction in environmental efforts.
“People get together and meet other people,” he said. “It sort of supports the image of Evanston as an eco-friendly city.”
