An informal gathering and Holiday Greetings

Hi all,
Sorry for the long delay in communication. With everyone being so busy this time of year, I decided to forego the usual Social Hour events until the New Year. In the meantime, though, I'm planning to revisit a favorite spot from a previous event - Pilot Pete's in Schaumburg - for an informal gathering. I'll be there next Wed evening (12/19) at 6p. The plan is to eat a bite and have a drink or two. So if you're interested in a quick and informal get together and a chance to chat about whatever sustainability topic is top of mind, please join me.

Here's a link to mapquest showing the location: Map of 905 W Irving Park Rd Schaumburg, IL 60193-9700, US

Plans are in the works for upcoming Social Hour events, but as always, I'm open to suggestions on topics or presenters that you'd be interested in seeing brought to this group. If you have an idea, email me at: shawn@thirdisolutions.com.

I look forward to seeing some of you next week, and for those who are unable to stop by, my heartfelt wishes for a happy holiday season and a terrific beginning to the new year.

Location for October 30th Social Hour event

We've finalized the location for our next Social Hour event. This month, we'll be meeting at Mullen's Bar & Grill in Lisle. The street address is 3080 Warrenville Rd. Here's a link to mapquest to provide a bit more detail for you: Map of 3080 Warrenville Rd Lisle, IL 60532-0919, US .

Timing for the event is as usual, with networking to begin at 6p. The conversation with Jim Kleinwachter about the Flower & Garden Show will run from 7p - 8p. The food and drink are great, so please plan to join us between 6p and 7p to quench your after-work hunger and thirst.

As always, please pass the info along to those you feel would be interested. I look forward to seeing you there.

October 30th Social Hour event

We're taking a bit of a new approach this month, with a meeting that's intended to be an interactive, participative conversation rather than the usual presentation-style format. We'll be joining forces with Jim Kleinwachter from The Conservation Foundation once again to discuss a new project he's coordinating. This time, it's an exciting opportunity to showcase environmental issues and solutions to the general public.

The quick summary is that Jim has secured 8000 square feet of display space at the 2008 Chicago Flower & Garden Show. The plan is to create a unified display that will be both environmentally friendly and educational. The Social Hour event will provide the chance to describe the opportunity, get input on ideas and plans, and solicit individuals and partners interested in participating. This is a great opportunity for the Suburban Sustainable group to contribute, both individually and collectively, to a project that will have significant visibility to the general public.

Some initial ideas on the display:

· Permeable paving displays (Belgard has a new product to debut)
· Native Plants – deep roots, wildlife benefits, erosion control
· Maintenance of natural areas, burns, invasive plants
· Conservation@Home – a house façade with green roof, working rain garden and rain barrels. Displays showing attractive native plants in the front yard – and integration in traditional landsapes.
· Wildlife benefits of native plants. Forest Preserve(s) Nature Centers, D.N.R participation; wildlife displays – frogs, turtles, salamanders –kid friendly: hands on displays.
· Lt. Governor (Pat Quinn) Rain Garden initiative highlighted – He could cut the ribbon or speak about sustainable landscapes.
· Displays: Carbon sequestering, connection to global warming , ethanol production from switchgrass
· Possible display of a gas pump and information about site remediation done with plants.
· Education area – seminars, workshops

New “Green” vendor area devoted to environmentally friendly products and services

The location has not yet been set, although it will be in the Wheaton/Warrenville vicinity. Timing will be as usual, with the networking to start at 6p and the interactive discussion to run from 7p - 8p.

Another post will be added shortly to identify the exact location. In the meantime, mark your calendars and pass this along to folks you think might be interested.

Details on Sept. 26th Social Hour event

Apologies for the delay...but here at last are the details for our next Social Hour event next week.

Date: Wed. September 26th
Time: 6p start to networking, 7p start for presentation
Location: Pilot Pete's restaurant in Schaumburg (see below for link to directions)
Guest: Martha Dooley from the Village of Schaumburg
Topic: Schaumburg's Biodiversity Recovery Plan

As previously noted, Martha Dooley, Senior Landscape Planner with the Village of Schaumburg, will be joining us to discuss the Biodiversity Recovery Plan they have implemented. This Biodiversity Plan is based on the principles of the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan. Schaumburg is the first village to adopt the goals of the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan. Schaumburg's Biodiversity Plan provides specific guidance on maintaining, restoring, and preserving the integrity of open space per the Comprehensive Plan, and provides a framework for implementing the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan objectives. Those objectives include:

1. Involve the citizens, organizations, and agencies of the region in efforts to conserve biodiversity.
2. Improve the scientific basis of ecological management.
3. Protect globally and regionally important natural communities.
4. Restore natural communities to ecological health.
5. Manage natural communities to sustain native biodiversity.
6. Develop citizen awareness and understanding of local biodiversity to ensure support and participation.
7. Foster a sustainable relationship between society and nature in the region.
8. Enrich the quality of the lives of the region's citizens.

Martha's presentation will take us through some of the thoughts behind the program and share some of the success stories to date.

Our location this time is Pilot Pete's, located at the Schaumburg Municipal Airport, which is at 905 W. Irving Park Rd. Here's a link to mapquest showing the location: Map of 905 W Irving Park Rd Schaumburg, IL 60193-9700, US

I'm looking forward to an interesting presentation and another great opportunity to mix and mingle with a diverse group of sustainability-minded folks. As always, feel free to pass this notice along to anyone you feel might be interested. Or have them email me to be included in the database for future events: shawn@thirdisolutions.com. Hope to see you there!!

Save the date...September 26th

Just a quick teaser announcement to communicate the details for our next Social Hour event. This month, we're pleased to have Martha Dooley from the Village of Schaumburg joining us to talk about the Biodiversity Recovery Program that the village has implemented. More details will follow shortly...

It's not easy being green...

A friend shared this with me recently, and I thought it worth posting here in order to provide a bit of levity as well as one of those 'remember when??' moments. With full credit to YouTube, Sesame Street, and to the marvelous creative talents of Jim Henson and his team. With no further ado...

August 25th Social Hour event

A bit of a change this month. We'll be meeting on a Saturday morning rather than the usual mid-week evening. The change is due to the topic for this month's event. We'll be hearing the Prairie Crossing story firsthand while touring the development. Given the time of year, trying to do a walking tour starting at 7p on a weeknight didn't afford us the opportunity to really see it in the same way that a morning outing will.

I'm guessing that, like me, many of you are familiar with the name Prairie Crossing but have not yet had the opportunity to see it for yourself. Prairie Crossing is the critically-acclaimed 'Conservation Community' that was designed to combine responsible development, the preservation of open land and easy commuting by rail. It is now considered a national example of how to design our communities to support a better way of life. For more detail on the community, which is located in Grayslake, check out this link: http://www.prairiecrossing.com/.

Our plan is to meet at the Colby Barn at 10:00 am. Map of 1561 Jones Point Rd Grayslake, IL 60030-3536, US We'll then take a tour through the development while hearing about its creation. Discussion will center on the genesis of the original vision, the realities of realizing the vision, and the end result. We've also lined up several homeowners to speak firsthand about the experience of living in this type of sustainable community.

We'll finish at around 12:00 pm in the Prairie Croissant Cafe. All those who are able are welcome to join me in lingering and enjoying lunch. Info and an online menu can be found at: http://www.prairiecroissantcafe.com/.

So, to recap:

Date: Saturday, August 25th
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Colby Barn, Prairie Crossing Development

This is a family-friendly outing, so please feel free to bring the kids along. A great way to live the lesson from last month (see previous post on the 'Leave No Child Inside' initiative by Chicago Wilderness).

As always, feel free to pass along the info to others you think might be interested. I'm also happy to try to coordinate ride-sharing options, so contact me if you'd like some assistance in that area. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Have questions, suggestions, or want to be added to the email list? Contact Shawn Stahmer at shawn@thirdisolutions.com.