From One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest:
'Back from the Future' is the theme for this year's Awards Celebration. Adam Joel of Aggressively Compassionate will host the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest Global Awards Celebration, where you can meet these young filmmakers in person or online and see their extraordinary films.

• Film details soon

• Doors open 11 a.m. for check-in/registration

• Program begins promptly at 11:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time

• Program ends 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time

• Free popcorn

• Free beverage

Since 2013, the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest has awarded over 100 prizes to short environmental films from youth age 25 down to 3rd grade. A jury of 31 environmental and film professionals selected the final, top films from among 400 submissions around the world in this first year as a global, rather than national contest. Each film is 1 to 8 minutes long and ranges from animation to live action to documentary.

Free registration for in person event.

Free registration for virtual event.

Free registration for Asia/Pacific virtual event.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Seven Generations Ahead:

Forget Elf on the Shelf! How about Microbrew with the Crew?

The Oak Park Microbrew Review is one of the longest-running beer festivals in the Chicagoland area!  Sample beers, ciders, seltzers and n/a options from 60+ breweries, purchase food from a variety of different restaurants, and dance to fantastic music.

OPMBR is the largest zero-waste craft beer fest in the Midwest – highlighting Seven Generations Ahead’s mission to build sustainable communities. Seven Generations Ahead is working with the event vendors to produce as little waste as possible, and provide recycling/composting stations for our guests.

For more information about this event , please click here for the calendar event on Seven Generations Ahead’s website and to learn more about Seven Generations Ahead click here.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

Please join OPA for an eye-opening discussion with "We're all Plastic People Now" screening at Sulzer Regional Library!

Date: Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue. Chicago, IL 60625

Introduced by actor and environmentalist Ted Danson, the documentary film We're All Plastic People Now investigates the hidden story of plastic and its effects on human health.

The second-annual Trashion Revolution: Awaken is a community activation event and fundraiser for 501(c)3 Triveni Institute, using fashion as a medium to raise awareness of our climate and plastic pollution crises. Through a cross-community scope of action, we bring together the worlds of fashion, politics, nonprofits, for-profit companies, the LGBTQ+ community and people of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Our events are truly “fashion for a cause”: a way to discuss difficult topics and inspire action in a fun atmosphere that provides much-needed levity.

From Oak Park Public Library:

Worms at the Library? Count us in!

Kids, families, teens and grown ups are invited to get up close and personal with worms to learn about their habitat and the wonderful work they do in our soil. Participants will learn about producers, decomposers, and consumers with this interactive worm workshop with an educator from Plant Chicago.

Join in a discussion of the importance of composting and reducing waste while working together to build a worm bin for the library. All ages 4 and up are welcome. Space limited. Registration recommended. Feel free to bring a container to take some worms home with you.

For more information about this event , please click here for the calendar event on the Oak Park Public Library’s website and to learn more about the Oak Park Public Library click here.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Oak Park Public Library:

Join us as Cody Norman, a local artist and designer who uses an industrial robot and custom tools to turn recycled plastic into functional art pieces inspired by nature (and whose sculpture pictured you have probably walked by right in downtown Oak Park!), dives into his creative process and discusses how he promotes environmental awareness through a unique approach to art. Q&A will follow the presentation. Once registered, you will receive an email of optional recyclable items to bring along for Cody to turn into future art.

About the artist
Cody Norman is a Chicago-based artist, designer, and educator. He currently serves as part-time faculty in the Sculpture and Designed Objects departments at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He graduated with a BFA from SAIC in 2016 and earned an MFA in 3D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2020. Through a local network of households and small businesses, he collects post-consumer plastic to create work inspired by nature and sustainability. Norman’s process physically blurs the line between digital and hand craft creating works that resemble nature but have a chaotic and unpredictable materiality, challenging viewers to consider how the work is made. 

Register here.

Wrap up Earth Month with our junky jamboree at Gallagher Way featuring artisans who transform reclaimed materials into one-of-a-kind goods and promote zero-waste activities. Shop for home goods, art, planters, fashion, body care, stuff you've never seen before and more.

Rebecca Tickell and Josh Tickell/2023/105 min/Climate, Food & Agriculture, Conservation, Health, Wildlife

FILM DESCRIPTION: From the filmmakers of “Kiss the Ground” (Netflix) comes the follow-up documentary “Common Ground,” winner of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Common Ground” is an important new documentary film featuring Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, Rosario Dawson, Mark Hyman, Gabe Brown, and many others. This film provides hope for future generations with concrete ways to fix a broken planetary system. “Common Ground” explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, our health and the planet.

The short film “Hope” by Jodi Wu will precede the feature film. “Hope” tied for the Animation Prize in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest 2023.

In Person Tickets at Chicago Cultural Center: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-ground-chicago-cultural-center-action-fair-tickets-858510015567

Arrive at 12 p.m. for the Action Fair in the 2nd Floor Rotunda.
Enjoy free refreshments and fellowship with environmental advocates.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

In Person Tickets at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-ground-peggy-notebaert-nature-museum-tickets-863367484387

Doors open 30 minutes before start time.
Arrive early to talk with action partners, avoid lines and get best seats.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

In Person Tickets at Illinois Institute of Technology: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-ground-illinois-institute-of-technology-tickets-863369951767?aff=oddtdtcreator

This is a collaboration with Bronzeville Partners.
Meet community leaders and organizations that are dedicated to
Earth Justice and learn how you can get involved. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.
Free parking lot across the street between 34th and 35th Streets.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

Illinois Tech is located in Bronzeville, also known as the “Black Metropolis” and the “Black Belt,” and is at the epicenter of African-American history on Chicago’s South Side. Its residents transformed the area into a mecca for innovation, business, culture, and community institutions with national influence that rivaled and even exceeded New York’s Harlem. The film will be screened at the former site of the Binga Bank and Arcade, owned by Jesse Binga, the first Black man to found a privately owned bank in Chicago.

In Person Tickets at Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-ground-three-brothers-theatre-tickets-863372479327?aff=oddtdtcreator

Doors open 30 minutes before start time.
Arrive early to talk with action partners, avoid lines and get best seats.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

In Person Tickets at Oak Park Public Library:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-ground-oak-park-public-library-tickets-863373432177?aff=oddtdtcreator

Doors open 30 minutes before start time.
Arrive early to talk with action partners, avoid lines and get best seats.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

Young environmentalists, join us for 7 award-winning short films and discussion, where we'll get loud about our planet! We'll also settle in to contemplate and celebrate the power of creativity, art, and nature. Enjoy healthy snacks and activities.

Oak Park Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-filmmaker-voices-for-families-with-kids-age-7-to-12-tickets-858513816937?aff=oddtdtcreator

Austin Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-filmmaker-voices-for-families-with-kids-age-7-to-12-austin-tickets-872912804697

Maggie Hart and Brittany Zampella/2023/19 min/Waste, Health, Justice

FILM DESCRIPTION: “A Good Neighbor” is a feature-length documentary about a Latina single mother’s fight against racism and climate change as she campaigns for city council in one of the nation’s most polluted zip codes.

Farhoud Meybodi/2023/48 min/Waste, Health, Justice, Built Environment, People & Cultures

FILM DESCRIPTION: Amidst a catastrophic plastic waste crisis in her hometown of Nairobi, Nzambi Matee risks everything to pioneer technology that transforms plastic waste into sustainable paving bricks. A former engineer in the oil and gas industry, Nzambi walked away from a lucrative career after a trip to the coastal city of Mombasa, where she discovered a sea of plastic bags and bottles in the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean. This inspired Nzambi to create a possible solution to the country’s plastics problem by converting waste into sustainable materials.

The short film “The Speech of Txai Surui” by the students of Escola Parque (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will precede the feature film. This film won two awards in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest 2023.

VIEW & BREW tickets for Kehrein Center: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/view-brew-w-one-earth-collective-swsw-pt-3-tickets-881167544847?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

$25 includes film, food, and beverage starting at 5 p.m.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.
The Kehrein Center for the Arts is the product of a years-long effort to restore an architecturally-significant but unused auditorium into a vibrant fine and performing arts center, complete with a 900-seat storytelling theater, art gallery, and community gathering place. Original construction was in 1954 by Belli & Belli.

In person tickets for Unity Temple: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earthbound-nzambi-matee-a-good-neighbor-unity-temple-tickets-858539353317

Doors open 30 minutes before start time.
Arrive early to talk with action partners, avoid lines and get best seats.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

In person tickets for Triton College:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earthbound-nzambi-matee-a-good-neighbor-triton-college-tickets-858537668277?aff=oddtdtcreator

Doors open 30 minutes before start time.
Arrive early to talk with action partners, avoid lines and get best seats.
ADA-compliant accessible venue. Click here for more ADA details.

From First United Church of Oak Park:

First United Church of Oak Park invites the public to hear Chicago area environmental leaders such as Naomi Davis of Blacks in Green and Pamela Tate of Climate Reality Project at “Environmental Stewardship/Environmental Justice.” This series will take place in person from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. over the next five Sundays beginning March 3 (and excluding March 31), at 848 Lake St., in Oak Park. Topics include biodiversity, environmental justice, waste, plus local Chicago and Oak Park-vicinity conditions and initiatives. No advance registration is needed. Simply show up each Sunday at First United Church of Oak Park.

Speaker April 7
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives in Oak Park and Surrounding Communities
Pamela Tate, Climate Reality Project

Get inspired to do some spring cleaning at home, and we’ll help keep the things you no longer need out of the landfill! Enjoy green giveaways and learn about other ways to get involved with volunteering in the Forest Preserves as well as how to live more sustainably. T-shirt giveaway for the first 50 participants.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From First United Church of Oak Park:

First United Church of Oak Park invites the public to hear Chicago area environmental leaders such as Naomi Davis of Blacks in Green and Pamela Tate of Climate Reality Project at “Environmental Stewardship/Environmental Justice.” This series will take place in person from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. over the next five Sundays beginning March 3 (and excluding March 31), at 848 Lake St., in Oak Park. Topics include biodiversity, environmental justice, waste, plus local Chicago and Oak Park-vicinity conditions and initiatives. No advance registration is needed. Simply show up each Sunday at First United Church of Oak Park.

Speakers March 24
Environmental Quality in Chicago: Challenges and Opportunities
Michael Hawthorne, investigative reporter covering environment and public health for the Chicago Tribune

From Oak Park Public Library:

There are simple things we can all do to make our homes and planet healthier. Come learn how to properly recycle household hazardous waste materials and make your own green cleaning alternatives that are safer for both humans and the environment. After a brief presentation and Q&A with the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability's Community Outreach Coordinator Kate Carney there will be an opportunity for participants to make their own green cleaning mix to bring home just in time for Spring Cleaning!

Register: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/sustainability-home-green-cleaning-63106

From First United Church of Oak Park:

First United Church of Oak Park invites the public to hear Chicago area environmental leaders such as Naomi Davis of Blacks in Green and Pamela Tate of Climate Reality Project at “Environmental Stewardship/Environmental Justice.” This series will take place in person from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. over the next five Sundays beginning March 3 (and excluding March 31), at 848 Lake St., in Oak Park. Topics include biodiversity, environmental justice, waste, plus local Chicago and Oak Park-vicinity conditions and initiatives. No advance registration is needed. Simply show up each Sunday at First United Church of Oak Park.

Speakers March 10
Trash Science: What Do We Know and What Can Be Done?
Dr. Timothy Hoellein, Professor, Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Oak Park Library:

Come learn how to turn minor tears and flaws in your clothing into beautiful features using sewing, embroidery, and felting techniques in this hands-on workshop. These sustainable techniques will save you money while making your life more joyful. Please bring an item of clothing in need of repair. Supplies will be provided but feel free to bring your own tapestry needle, embroidery floss, and wool roving to use/share/swap. All levels of stitchers welcome.

Susan Charrette and Elizabeth Darrow are both instructors at The Little Bits Workshop, a cozy DIY maker-space tucked away in the heart of River Forest where they teach students of all ages to use their hands, hearts, and heads to become skilled makers.

For high school, adults, and older adults.

Register: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/index.php/event/mindful-mending-57144

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From Oak Park Library:

Join us for this event in two parts for high schoolers, adults, and older adults:

• View and discuss The Story of Stuff, a 20-minute 2007 movie that looks at the underside of production and consumption patterns. 

• Craft a simple handmade bow (perhaps for a handmade gift) using paper scraps and a Creativebug tutorial. Feel free to bring any fun paper scraps and buttons you have on hand.

Register: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/story-stuff-screening-discussion-and-paper-craft-58460

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest:

On Saturday, Nov. 4, watch 6 short, One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest honorable mention films from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CDT, take a half hour break, and then see 6 more films from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. CDT. We will hear from each filmmaker before their film screens.

Free tickets: https://contesthonmention1.eventbrite.com

Elementary School
1) “Lost But Not Forgotten (4 min)” by Scott Lee from Georgia.
2) “The Salt Solution (5 min)” by Hasan Muhammad from Illinois

Middle School
3) “Invasive Fish in the DesPlaines River (3 min)” by Andrew Thomas Older from Illinois
4) “A Reason for Hope (5 min)” by Mason Mirabile of Virginia

High School
5) “Voices of the Water (8 min)” by Jenny Kim Ha Vu from Virginia
6) “Expedition (3 min)” by Milo Smith, Matthew Wilson, Romeo Keyser from Michigan

From Repair Cafe Oak Park:

Toss it? No way!

The Oak Park Repair Café is meeting on the first Saturday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at Fox Park in Oak Park. We will be in the Community Center in the park, at 624 S. Oak Park Avenue. Free, on-street parking.

Volunteer coaches will be on hand to work with you, helping you fix those household items you’ve been meaning to take care of – everything from toasters to radios, to clocks or torn clothing. Given a huge increase in visitor volume, repairs will be limited to one item per guest.

We respectfully request all guests be masked during their visit.

For more information about the Oak Park Repair Café, please go to www.repaircafeoakparkil.org and to learn more about the international Repair Café movement, check out www.repaircafe.org.

From the Delta Institute:

BOOST (or "Building Opportunities for Original and Sustainable Thinking") is an annual event where you—the audience—vote for your favorite environmental changemakers to determine how we will award a total of $25,000 to all of this year's finalists!

With Delta Institute celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, we wanted to do something extra special for BOOST. For the first time ever, we have selected four all-star anniversary finalists from our cohort of past BOOST winners. This year's finalists include Chicago Eco House/Southside Blooms, Gardeneers, Lillian Augusta Hair, and Zumwalt Acres. Join us for food, drinks, and an inspiring evening promoting climate action!

Register here: https://delta-institute.org/event/boost-2023-a-special-anniversary-celebrating-sustainability-entrepreneurship/