July 22, 2008
Exchange Household Hazards for Environmental Resources
On Saturday, August 9 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Northeastern Illinois University, 3701 West Bryn Mawr Avenue and on Saturday, September 20 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the City Parking Facility, 900 East 103rd Street, you will be able to exchange household hazards for environmental resources.
You can also purchase a compost bin and a rain barrel. Free compact fluorescent light bulbs will be available while supplies last.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 12:04 AM | Permalink |
July 3, 2008
Help Install a Serenity Garden
Master Gardeners,
The Golden Gate Home Owners is installing a Serenity Garden in their area. They have their empty lot, some plants and a group of dedicated volunteers. They are located at Golden Gate Garden, 131st St and Everhart. They need advice and assistance with design and plant choices. Is this the Independent Project you have been looking for?
Our contact at the garden is Evelyn Powell, Vice President of the Home Owners Association. aepg2@yahoo.com
The Golden Gate Garden volunteers are having two truckloads of soil delivered by the city next week. They need some advice and some helping hands (please bring your own shovel) to begin to build their berms on Wednesday, July 9.
To consider Golden Gate Garden as your Indepentent Project contact me, ebruhns@uiuc.edu
To help out with berm building on Wednesday, July 9, please contact Mrs. Powell directly at aepg2@yahoo.com
This garden is going to be a wonderful asset to this neighborhood. Help if you can.
Elizabeth
ebruhns@uiuc.edu
Posted by Ron Wolford at 7:25 PM | Permalink |
July 3, 2008
Volunteer at Ag School Demo Gardens
We need your help again at the Ag School Demo Gardens. We still have three flower beds that need to be weeded and mulched and our ornamental grasses bed is in desperate need of weeding and mulching. I did clean up the bed around our sign near 111th Street and I will be working on the ornamental grasses bed this Saturday afternoon.
You can stop by the office anytime during the week to weed. Julie, our secretary is there from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.-M-F. Julie will show you where to weed and will assist you in finding tools.
We are hosting a garden workday on Wednesday, July 9 from 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. at the Ag school at 3807 West 111th Street . We will provide pizza and pop for lunch. Duties will include planting earthboxes, moving compost and mulch, planting flowers and weeding, weeding, weeding, weeding, weeding, weeding and more weeding.
Thank you for your consideration!
Ron Wolford
Call Julie at 773-233-0476 if you can help or email Ron at rwolford@uiuc.edu
Posted by Ron Wolford at 6:30 PM | Permalink |
July 3, 2008
New Website: Living with Wildlife in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and University of Illinois Extension have developed a new website -- Living with Wildlife in Illinois -- to help Illinois residents coexist with various wildlife, especially in urban areas.
This excellent site helps people identify animals, suggests ways to prevent problems, provides a wildlife directory and answers many public health and safety questions. In addition, it guides users on determining whether or not they need an animal control permit as well as what to do with sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.
Laura Kammin, Extension Specialist, Wildlife and Natural Resources, developed the site in conjunction with several IDNR biologists.
The site was funded in part by US Fish and Wildlife Service's State Wildlife Grant Program and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
You may visit the site at: http://livingwithwildlife.extension.uiuc.edu/
Posted by Ron Wolford at 4:58 PM | Permalink |
July 2, 2008
Weeding and Planting Party at Ag School
We had a weeding and planting party at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences on Tuesday, June 24. Chicago Master Gardeners and youth volunteers worked for four hours weeding the demo garden beds outside of the Extension office at the Ag School. Volunteers also spread wood chips in the garden beds and added compost to the Mt. Greenwood Children's garden raised beds. Over 400 flowers and veggies were planted.
Nancy, Julie and I want to thank all the Master Gardeners and youth volunteers for taking time out of their busy schedules to get our demo gardens back into shape.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 9:02 PM | Permalink |
July 2, 2008
Volunteer at Fiesta del Sol
Dear Master Gardeners,
We need your help!
Fiesta del Sol will be happening on July 31-August 3, and U of I Extension will have a booth. Fiesta http://www.fiestadelsol.org/ is the largest Latino festival of the Midwest. The main organizer is the Pilsen Neighbors organization. In four days, more than a million and a half people attend! No alcoholic beverages or tobacco products are sold at Fiesta. Organizers and the City of Chicago attend well to the safety of all participants.
University of Illinois Extension has long been a part of Fiesta. We first attended in 1996 and have enjoyed a continuous presence yearly since 1998. This is a fun-filled event which caters to families.
Here are some of our Extension activities we need your assistance with:
Assembling our booth on July 31st
Face painting (every day)
Distributing plants and plant care instructions (Sat and Sun)
Staffing our butterfly display (live monarchs) and children's butterfly craft activity (Fri)
Distributing Extension literature
Answering questions about Extension
Picture taking
Maintaining water supply for face painting station
Dismantling our booth on Aug 3rd
We hope you will join us! Come learn and practice your Spanish, taste new foods at the various booths, immerse yourself in Latino culture and interact with children and parents.
Gonzalo Escobar, Extension Educator is the Team Leader and Extension staff is helping. Extension staff will be on site at all times.
If you want to volunteer, please call the Countryside Extension Center office at 708-352-0109 and ask for Pat Rudolph. She will explain the time schedule available and get you signed up. Thank you very much!
Posted by Ron Wolford at 10:18 AM | Permalink |
July 2, 2008
Volunteer with Woodlawn Youth Solutions
Master Gardeners,
This is more information about the project that Master Gardener Dorothy Pytel spoke about at the monthly meeting. Dorothy is looking for assistance during the week to work directly with the teen clients. However, she said that she could use some help on weekends also.
Please contact Dorothy directly to volunteer. dpytel@yahoo.com
The Woodlawn Youth Solutions summer project is an attempt to equip at-risk urban youth with resources and skills to solve real life social problems. This youth job training program will focus on community building in the low-income community of Woodlawn.
The project is a collaborative effort between a church (Christ Way M.B. Church) and a local community garden (Brick Yard Garden) located on the same block as well as a non-profit (architreasures) that links communities to professional artists and designers.
Teen participants will use the mediums and principles of art, design, horticulture and landscaping to transform large concrete plant containers that have been neglected for years into living pieces of artwork radiating with vibrant colors, scents, textures, sounds and living organisms. By the end of the summer these concrete containers will be completely transformed and will become a new, beautiful and visible community asset.
The opportunity to participate in this unique project will help these young adults make and implement planning decisions about their community as well as to see a purpose in education and consider new career options in the future. There will be a heavy focus on using state of the art technology, especially computer skills demanded by the 21st Century.
For most of the youth, this project will be an opportunity to engage in activities from which they are often excluded in society due to their socio-economic status. By providing a successful example of how to integrate educational goals into beautification efforts, this project will hopefully stimulate community interest in transforming other unused public space into community and school gardens as well as parks.
More significantly, the project will not only build something physical that enhances public space but will also build social connections between people who come together to work on this project. In this manner, this community building activity has the potential to improve the quality of life of all of the people living in Woodlawn.
For more information contact:
Dorothy Pytel
dpytel@yahoo.com
Posted by Ron Wolford at 9:56 AM | Permalink |
July 1, 2008
Volunteer at Gary Comer Youth Center Roof Garden
We all extend our thanks to Marji Hess, the lead gardener at the Gary Comer Youth Center, for her hospitality and the tour of the Roof Garden at our monthly meeting, June 24.
Marji has three Master Gardener volunteering weekly at the Roof Garden, and she has room for three more volunteers.
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Thursdays
(Different work days can be arranged)
Roof Garden
Gary Comer Youth Center
7200 Ingleside and South Chicago Ave
(Secured Parking)
Don't miss this opportunity. It is a wonderful work environment and a great opportunity to learn!
Contact Marji Hess directly at mhess@gcyhome.org
Marji and I are also working on Master Gardener participation in the development of the "Gardening in the Winter' and Perennial Nursery projects. More details to follow.
Elizabeth Bruhns
Master Gardener Program Organizer
Cook County/Chicago
ebruhns@uiuc.edu
Posted by Ron Wolford at 12:38 AM | Permalink |
