written by Irene Hogstrom Andrew Hipp, PhD, Director of the Herbarium and Lead Scientist in Plant Systematics at the Morton Arboretum, enthusiastically educated attendees about sedges, a genus of plants he has been studying since 1995. Native landscaping encourages us to expand our use of different genera of plants. Scanning a native plant catalogue, or attending a native plant sale, plants are typically listed in these categories: Trees and Shrubs, Forbs, and then Grasses an

written by Arthur Laciak Presenters Sarene Alsharif and Jodi Doyle at July 28, 2026 Greener Grove Meeting, Lincoln Center in Downers Grove We have all heard of the major negative environmental impacts of fast fashion, but last month’s speakers provided us with helpful tips for all of us to dress more sustainably. Greener Grove welcomed Sarene Alsharif - the CEO and Co-Founder of Tad More Tailoring & Alterations and the Tad More Sustainability Institute - and Jodi Doyle - a wa

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.

Here at Greener Grove, we’d like to add one more goal in 2026: Lean into living more sustainability in our everyday lives. We’re here to help take the overwhelm out of it, starting with the 1:1 Swap it Out Guide below.

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 2023, the Village of Downers Grove joined the Greenest Region Compact (GRC), laying the groundwork for a long-range plan of developing sustainability solutions. Offering a recycling opportunity felt like the exact event that works toward the goals of the GRC. Greener Grove, together with the Village and SCARCE which is a nonprofit organization that focuses on rescuing school items from landfills, organized a Recycling Extravaganza

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, a