In his presentation at Greener Grove’s March meeting, Adam Schwartz, Community Engagement Coordinator for The Urban Canopy’s Compost Club, invited us to learn about local food systems, the circular economy, and how the simple act of composting can put you back in touch with the natural cycles we are all a part of.

Data centers are dominating our news headlines as AI use grows and communities across the country grapple with the potential impact to the local environment, energy demand and water use. From left to right: Jacquelyn Casazza (Go Green Glen Ellyn) Chloe Pooler (Greener Grove) and Panelists meet at DG Public Library on February 24, 2026 for our Monthly Meeting. In a panel discussion co-hosted by local environmental advocacy groups Greener Grove, Go Green Glen Ellyn, and Go Gree

Whether traveling for vacation or work, the choices we make along the way can help reduce our carbon footprint throughout our trip. Leslie Kane, founder of Inclusive Escapes Travel, spoke about these choices, shared eye-opening statistics, and provided actionable tips in her presentation on Sustainable Travel at our January meeting.

On December 4th, 2025, the Greener Grove community came together to connect, celebrate, and support a greener future. And, by all measurements, it was a Wow night to remember!  Like all that we do here, this event started with a vision: Could we organize a really awesome, successful fundraiser while keeping sustainability front and center with every decision? 

In their presentation “Waste-Less Holidays” Michelle and Louise highlighted some sobering stats about how wasteful holidays have become: During the holidays, the amount of trash the average American produces rises from 5 pounds to 6.25 pounds per person per day. 

In her presentation at Greener Grove’s September meeting, environmental educator Kristin Smith discussed the types of local wildlife that live here in the suburbs, resources to tap into when you have questions or need assistance, and how to make yards more wildlife friendly.

At our August meeting, DG Sustainability Coordinator, Jason Michnick, and Greener Grove member, Steve Ruffolo, teamed up to discuss “A Greener Way Pledge,” a key element of the Village’s Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP) that is focused on key actions we as individuals can take today to support broader sustainability efforts in our community.

So what makes for an environmentally friendly yard? That is the question Beth Peluse of The Conservation Foundation (TCF) posed to the audience at Greener Grove’s July meeting. Shout outs from the audience included minimal to zero turf grass, use of native plants throughout, no chemicals, and good water conservation practices like using rain barrels and planting drought-resistant plants - all good answers!

Greener Grove hosted a panel discussion on sustainable food at its June meeting. Moderated by GG member Ryan Coughlin, panelists included: Jerry Nash, Connie Kollmeyer, and Crystal Echevarria.

Birding expert and DuPage Birding Club Member, John Cebula, spoke about the fascinating world of birding, including how to identify birds, at Greener Grove’s May meeting

written by Yvonne Malone With temps forecast to hit 70 degrees for the last week of March, Greener Grove (GG) timed its meeting, “Get...

Greener Grove welcomed guest speaker and former Downers Grove resident Zoe Huspen to our monthly meeting on February 25th when she spoke on

written by Yvonne Malone For a minute, sit back and think about your best teacher ever. A teacher so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about...

Many groups and entities around DuPage County and the greater Chicagoland area are working to advance sustainability goals in their local...

Julie Ruffolo delivers an engaging presentation at September Greener Grove Meeting Conversations around green DIY household cleaners...

Greener Grove Meeting August 27. 2024 One of the easiest ways to have a positive impact on our environment is to recycle everyday items...

There were so many great questions at the July 23rd Greener Grove Home Composting  meeting, we wanted to follow up with a quick recap to...

This past week at our monthly meeting, Greener Grove and PDHA had the honor of hosting Jason Michnick, Village of Downers Grove’s first...

Happy New Year to our Downers Grove family. We are looking forward to doing great things and making big strides for sustainability this...

Summer often has a way of slowing things down a bit as we enjoy longer days, impromptu get-togethers with family and friends, and time...