Seeking OP/RF Native Plant Gardens for Upcoming Tour

In September 2014, Green Community Connections will be collaborating with West Cook Wild Ones to produce a local native plant tour.  Further information on this event set for September 7th will be available soon.  If you have a garden with native plantings and would like for it to be featured on the tour, please read this post and contact us right away.

Green Living & Learning Tour 2013 - Details Below

Our Green Living & Learning Tour offers a range opportunities to see first-hand examples of sustainable living—from entry-level efforts to expert installations and from basic to amazing.  This year's tour takes place throughout Oak Park and River Forest on Saturday, September 28, 2013.  The tour will consist of 18 sites including nine 1-hour tours and 9 drop-in opportunities, between noon and 5:00pm.

Special features on the tour will be a very energy efficient "passive house", a local fish farm and wine making operation, a Repair Café, and a new opportunity to learn more about the importance of native plants in water managment and wildlife support. Tour stops this year also highlight solar and geo-thermal installations in private residences, going “green” in a condo, gray/rain/storm water harvesting, and curbside composting, among others.

Tour participants are encouraged to walk, bike or carpool to visit as many sites they wish during the day.  For the end of the day, all are invited for a Harvest Picnic gathering at Field Park, hosted by Sugar Beet Co-Op.  Join us from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the northwest corner of the park (Berkshire & Woodbine) for fresh food, fun, prizes and community!

The tour's suggested donation for adults (students and volunteers are free), is $10, payable by  registering here.  We hope you enjoy this day of  discovering the thriving, resilient, sustainable community we have in Oak Park and River Forest!

Plan Your Personalized Tour

Review the  2013 Tour Schedule and 2013 Tour Map to plan your day!

See photos and descriptions of each of the One-Hour Tours

See photos and descriptions of each of the Drop-in Opportunities

Ready to choose your tour stops?  Make your reservations* now.

*Space is limited at some sites and reservations are highly recommended.

NEW THIS YEAR! Become a Sustainability Sponsor!

Green Community Connections is recognizing individuals who have donated $10 or more to help fund the 2013 Green Living & Learning Tour.  These donors will be listed as Sustainability Sponsors on a special page on our website.  All donations will help fund the costs of the tour and also help support the production of Green Community Connections’ One Earth Film Festival in March 2014.  Sustainability Sponsors will also be recognized in the One Earth Film Festival program and receive advance 2014 festival information.

If you would like to become a Sustainability Sponsor, learn more here or donate through our event registration site.  Thank you - we appreciate the support of individuals for this important work! !

2013 Promotions

Access our 2013 Tour Press Release .

View our 2013 Promotional Video, courtesy of  New Media Access.

Thanks to the Village of Oak Park for this great video promoting the tour!

Thank You to Local Sponsors and Partners

This annual tour is made possible through the generosity of the site hosts who share their homes and their experiences with their neighbors.  In addition, many local organizations and businesses have sponsored and supported the tour.  This year sponsors include:   the Village of Oak Park, the Village of River Forest, the River Forest Park District, Seven Generations Ahead, Green Home Experts, Cynthia Howe Gajewski/Beyond Properties, and the Moller Family Foundation.  The support and collaboration of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, Sugar Beet Co-op, Greenline Wheels,  the Oak Park/West Cook chapter of Wild Ones, and WebTrax Studio has also been instrumental.

Contact for Questions and Additional Information

For more information about the event, contact Judith Hamje at 708.357.8345/ jhamje@gmail.com.

Contact Sally Stovall (773.315.1109) if your business or organization is interested in becoming a sponsor of the 2013 Green Living & Learning Tour.