Greener Grove to Host Recycling Extravaganza on Oct 4, 2025

by Yvonne Malone

Greener Grove will host its first Recycling Extravaganza on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 9am to 12pm! Our Communications Team recently sat down with member and event organizer Sarah Karrow to learn more. 

Sarah has been leading green initiatives for many years at the elementary school she teaches at, including organizing their annual recycling event. So, when we floated the idea of hosting one ourselves, she quickly stepped in and began to organize. 

Recycling Extravaganza Partners

A key partner for this event is SCARCE. Based in Addison, SCARCE has assisted other communities and organizations in hosting recycling extravaganzas by connecting them with potential vendors. Thus far, the following vendors have committed to participating in GG’s recycling event: 

• Accurate Document Destruction - paper shredding (they will have a shredding truck on site)

• Capital Metals - electronics & scrap metal

• DuPage Sheriff’s Office - medicine, epipen, syringes and lancets (more information to come regarding how 

• Earthpaint - Latex, oil-based and aerosol paint. Please reference recycling fees on their website. 

• Project Cure - medical equipment, wheelchairs, walkers and crutches

• SCARCE - books, bread tags, keys, Christmas lights, and more

• Sharing Connections - furniture (more information to come) 

• Working Bikes - bicycles, tricycles, helmets, tools, parts and bike pumps

The West Suburban Community Food Pantry will also be collecting non-perishable food items (e.g., canned goods, pasta, cereal) at the event.

What You Can Do Now

October will be here before we know it! Here are some steps you can do to get organized - and to help us spread the word:

1. Share the date with your friends and neighbors in the area by forwarding a link to this article. 

2. Connect with us on social media and sign up for our newsletter if you haven’t already done so to keep up to date on event details, including additional vendors. 

3. Organize your stuff so that it is easy to add to in the months ahead - and grab and load into the car on the day of the event.  

4. If you have something that you need to get rid of sooner, check out SCARCE’s website to see the items they collect at their facility in Addison and their Events Calendar to learn about other area recycling events.

Walker Elementary School in Clarendon Hills will be hosting a recycling event on May 10th from 9am to 12pm. Learn more here: https://www.scarce.org/recycling-events/

Engaging Youth in Sustainability

by Michelle Weed

There’s a famous quote, attributed to Chief Seattle, who said, “We don’t inherit the Earth. We borrow it from our children.” This quote recognizes that our actions today have the most impact on future generations. It is with that spirit that Greener Grove set a goal for 2025 and beyond to get kids involved in sustainability. We want to not only educate kids in an engaging, fun, and hands-on way, but we also want to provide a platform where kids can express what matters to them, and we can help amplify their voices in settings where they wouldn’t normally be heard, such as in meetings of the School Board or Village Council.

The first step in kicking off our Youth Engagement goal was having a brainstorm with kids and teens ranging in age from elementary school to high school. The purpose of the brainstorm was to learn what types of topics and activities were of interest to the group. They came up with some great ideas that will inform our activities moving forward. They also came up with a fun name for our youth meet-up group: the Microgreens.

Youth Engagement Brainstorm January 20, 2025

Microgreens Meet-Ups will be scheduled monthly, and are for kids and their families. Our first official meet-up will be Saturday, March 8 from 3 - 5 PM at the Downers Grove Public Library, where we invite you to be an eco-influencer for the day! Kids will have the chance to pick out a book on a topic of their choice, take a video of themselves talking about the book, the topic, and why it’s important to them, then share the video with friends and family to spread the word.

Please RSVP to info@greenergrove.org so we can get an idea of how many people to expect. If you can’t make this meet-up, stay tuned for more dates and activities. We are excited to build a community of kids who want to be champions of the environment and enjoy the amazing things nature has to offer!

January Meeting Recap: All About Oaks with Andrew Hipp

written by Yvonne Malone

For a minute, sit back and think about your best teacher ever. A teacher so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a particular topic that it made you think about things differently and, maybe even want to learn more…

Dr. Andrew Hipp, Ph.D, educates Greener Grove members at Lincoln Center, January 23, 2025

Greener Grove kicked off the new year by welcoming Andrew Hipp, Ph.D., to speak at our January meeting. The topic, “All About Oaks,” is based on his recent book, Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life, and his work as Herbarium Director and Senior Scientist in Plant Systematics at The Morton Arboretum.

Dr. Hipp shared his vast knowledge of oaks by describing their fascinating evolutionary tale through millions of years to today. With approximately 425 species of oaks worldwide today, he explained how oaks in one geographic area are connected to those in another by taking us back in time - and describing how wind pollination works.

As each pollen grain makes its journey, weather and wind play a crucial role in determining whether a grain makes it to the female flower. For example, if a heavy rain storm falls just as the male catkins bloom on an oak tree, the pollen they carry may become too wet and clumpy to be carried by the wind to reach a female flower.

If pollination does occur, other factors will influence the number of acorns produced and whether one becomes a seedling. For example, in a mast year (when trees produce a lot of acorns), squirrels and jays will have plenty to eat and the chance an acorn becomes a seedling increases. A fun fact we learned: When we see a squirrel rotating and shaking an acorn in its front paws, it is assessing the acorn’s weight. A more weighty acorn means it contains more nutrients and is less likely to be infested with weevil larvae. 

Stepping back from how a single pollen grain can eventually lead to a tree whose life can span decades, even centuries, Dr. Hipp described how the story of oaks is woven through “The Tree of Life”, one that connects all organisms who have inhabited Earth, from oak’s last common ancestor to humans today.

Dr. Hipp concluded his presentation by taking questions, including one about the future of this keystone species. Of the 425 species of oaks worldwide, approximately 31% are at risk of extinction. A sobering fact to be sure. 

As we move into spring here in Downers Grove, be sure to clear away any invasive plants like buckthorn and honeysuckle. This makes room for acorns (and other native plants) to emerge and get the nutrients and light they need to grow. You can also volunteer to do the same in DuPage County Forest Preserves. Check out their upcoming Restoration Workdays here. Or consider volunteering in Downers Grove's Lyman Woods or Belmont Prairie through the DG Park District here. 

To purchase a copy of Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life, visit Anderson’s Bookshop, The Morton Arboretum gift shop, or your local independent bookstore.