Last weekend, the communities of Andersonville, Edgewater, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Rogers Park and Uptown celebrated the fourth annual North Lake Shore Earth Day, titled “Saving Green Together.” Held in Loyola University’s Life Science Building, this year’s Earth Day celebration featured a variety of speakers and presentations, not to mention an abundance of local vendors offering free food, information, and merchandise to all attending.
A big part of this year’s Earth Day were the various presentations throughout the day that anyone could attend to learn a little bit more about saving green! The subjects ranged from “Creating Green: Gardening in Our Urban Landscape” to “Community Bike Ride and Bike Repair Workshop” to “Walking Green: Creating Pedestrian- Friendly Neighborhoods.” These presentations were active and engaging for the leaders and the community members—during a presentation about creating pedestrian- friendly neighborhoods, many audience members engaged with Thom Green (a local architect known for his recent work redesigning the streets of Andersonville) on how to effectively transform community space into something that can actually unify the neighborhood and foster cooperation, collaboration, and general sociability among residents and visitors alike.
Aside from the presentations, there were many vendors to visit who offered a plethora of educational resources. In just one hallway, you could easily visit tables representing the Edgewater Historical Society, Mercy for Animals, the Recyclery, Yoga Chicago Magazine, and even Whole Foods. And if in need of a short break, you could venture off and enjoy the free and sustainable food offered in Foster Hall.
Although the Earth Day event only officially lasted for five hours, the progress we made that day will continue to grow into the future. As members of these neighboring communities came together to learn how to live a “green lifestyle” and to make their communities more sustainable, we hope that the knowledge gained through the events offered on this day, along with new friends made, will help strengthen and expand our work in making this neighborhood and the world more sustainable!
