Kankakee Green Drinks
UPCOMING EVENTS
January – September 2012
You Can’t Miss A Program! Not A One Of Them!
They Are All So Outstanding!
Unless noted (*), all events will be held at River North Restaurant,
555 S. West Avenue, Kankakee, IL 60901
February 28 “Recycling In Downtown Chicago”
Given by Meghann Maves, Program Director for Recycling Services Inc. and Chairman of the Chicago Chapter of the Illinois, United States Green Building Council (IL USGBC). Meghann is extremely well qualified to talk on a subject near and dear to the heart of all Green minded people - recycling. How can we recycle all of that stuff when tons of it needs to be removed and processed for recycling? Come hear how they are doing it in Downtown Chicago and maybe she will also share a little bit about one of the strongest USGBC Chapters in the nation. Chicago USGBC activities are mind boggling. Chicago is one of the Greenest Cities in the US. This program is sure to inspire you.
March 27 “Birds, Bees, and Butterflies - Provide the Habitat, and They Will Come”
Given by a local panel of experts, you will come away with the sense that you can contribute to making the world Greener in some little way, or maybe a grand way by attracting these critters. Jed Hertz, the birding expert who conducts the annual Audubon Society Bird Count in our area, will share some of the ways you can provide for birds, as well as talk about how birds are faring in our area. John Bailey, a bee keeper who is active in Home Extension activities, will talk about bees, which are in crisis and need help. Bees pollinate many of our plants, including all of the food we eat, and are necessary for our survival. Joanne Hilliker, a Home Extension Master Gardener, will share her knowledge of butterflies.
* April 24 “Green Fire” a film documentary will be shown at Kankakee Community College in conjunction with KCC’s highly successful annual Sustainability Expo. This film tells the story of Aldo Leopold and a land ethic for our time. Free popcorn and a drink are provided during the showing of the film. See you all there.
Rich Schultz, the coordinator for the Sustainability Center at KCC is preparing another outstanding Expo for 2012 on April 25th . You can contact him at 815- 802-8242 if you would like to participate as a vendor or organization.
May 22 “Can We Ever Reach Zero Energy Use in Our Buildings”
Given by Darren Meyers, President of International Energy Conservation Consultants LLC. Darren is an expert on the IECC codes,
(International Energy Conservation Codes) and is presently providing the training workshops at Community Colleges all over the State of Illinois to prepare the construction industry for the impending statewide adoption of the 2012 IECC code. We presently use 40% of all of the energy produced to heat and cool our buildings. The IECC goal is to get down to 30% by 2020. This code provides for such things as more insulation, tighter ducts, tighter envelopes and the like. The purpose of the codes is to drastically reduce our energy usage in buildings all over the world. Don’t miss this thought provoking presentation.
FOR THE SUMMER/FALL - A SPECIAL FOUR PART SERIES
RESTORING THE LAND AND WATER:
Getting To Know Our Bioregion
A bioregion is a defined place in terms of the unique natural characteristics that are found in a specific place. The general features are obvious throughout a continuous geographic terrain, and include a particular climate, landforms, watersheds, soils, and native plants and animals. Bioregions overlap borders set by man. These regions are set by nature. Our bioregion goes up to Wisconsin, goes south of Kankakee, and includes Northern Indiana, going East to South Bend. We have a rich diverse area, not just a beautiful river, but tall and short grass prairies, sand savannahs, wetlands, woodlands, and marsh.
“Did you know that The Kankakee Area is one of the most biodiverse places in America?” That’s what Laurel Ross, Director for the Field Museum Urban Conservation, told me, and she is coming to Kankakee to further explain it at a Green Drinks event in August. She is also Chairman of Chicago Wilderness, an umbrella organization made up of over 260 conservation organizations and agencies, scientific and education institutions, and public land owners, and they are all part of our bioregion. The Field Museum scientists are studying our area because of its richness. It is of great interest to them and to Chicago Wilderness as well. The Field Museum has a new permanent Hall of Conservation exhibit called Restoring Earth, and the Kankakee Area is in that exhibit with photographs and maps of the current and past landscape. They are telling us what a great treasure we have because we have more parcels of original land formations left, and they are studying it, and want to help conserve it. I believe we will become a mecca for Chicagoans in the near future who want to experience some of the blessings of nature. Gail Wallace, Program Developer
June 26 “Indiana’s Kankakee Sands and Illinois Black Oak Savannah”
Chip O’Leary and Ted Anchor of the Kankakee Sands, and Rob Littiken of Black Oak Savannah will talk about this unique formation that straddles the Illinois and Indiana border in our most biodiverse bioregion. The Kankakee Sands and Black Oak Savannah are being restored by the prestigious Nature Conservancy, a worldwide organization that restores what is left of our natural sites all over the world. What is left of these sites is like a jigsaw puzzle that forms a single preserve with more than 21,000 acres. These sites are seeing a resurgence of nature. Hundreds of prairie plant species have been established and thrived over the last 14 years, and species of insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds are reemerging by having their native habitats restored. Come and hear this wonderful story.
July 24 “Toxic To Treasures”
Given by Tom Shepard, Board Member of the Southeast Environmental Task Force. Tom is an organizer and activist with SETF, which is dedicated to serving Chicago’s southeast side and southern suburbs by improving their environment in every way possible. The efforts have been shown on Channel 11 several different times and they are amazing. They have taken toxic brownfields and turned them into beautiful parks - Toxic to Treasures. They have cleaned up the lake shore, they have found businesses to take over abandoned factory buildings, and they provide ongoing environmental educational experiences. You can take an Eco-Tour of these areas which were once gritty industrial sites and now have a thriving ecology. Come and hear their story. It is Truly Inspiring.
August 28 “Discovering Our Bioregion”
Given by Laurel Ross, Director for the Field Museum Urban Conservation and Chair of Chicago Wilderness. Bioregionalism depends on collaboration among conservation organizations, natural scientists, social and environmental activists, cultural historians, community leaders, artists, writers, and all people who work directly with natural resources, including households. They want to do more than just save what is left, they want to make their bioregion ecologically sustainable by looking at the whole landscape. Urban ecology advocates using bioregions for “nesting” their redesigned cities in a broad natural context. The Kankakee region is a globally significant natural resource important to our bioregion; we have an abundance of natural land left and much that can be restored. Come hear about our bioregion from an expert. Find out what is going on. Go see the special Restoring Earth exhibit at the Field Museum. It includes information about our area.
*September 25 “Everglades of the North” (The Kankakee Grand Marsh)
Given by Jeff Manes etc. Currently developing the program. Location TBD.