Conservation
In our Community
“The most meaningful and impactful conservation happens when communities come together and work at the local, even neighborhood scale to make our communities cleaner and healthier.” -Brook McDonald (President of TCF)
Eight communities and one park district in our service area are participating in The Conservation Foundation’s Conservation In Our Community program:
Here’s how Carol Stream and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- A Conservation@Home workshop provided information to residents on the inflow & infiltration problems that occur when they connect their sump pumps to the sanitary sewers. During storm events, this causes the Water Reclamation District to have to process millions of gallons of more water unnecessarily.
- A handout on the benefits of trees has been made available to residents..
Here’s how The Conservation Foundation and Downers Grove are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Downers Grove passed a Proclamation to encourage all residents of the Village of Downers Grove to make a difference in the quality of water in the area, reduce stormwater runoff, and participate in other Conservation in Our Community events and initiatives.
- Workshops and presentations have been held for the community and the Downers Grove’s Green Initiative Committee to help residents, local business members and community leaders learn more about rain gardens, native landscaping, sustainable yard management practices, and other ways to conserve water and beautify the Village of Downers Grove. Residents can become certified through The Conservation Foundation’s Conservation@Home program.
- Downers Grove residents added 150 rain barrels to yards and businesses throughout the Village through a Conservation In Our Community rain barrel sale.
Here’s how the Elmurst and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Art in the Park exhibit promoting Conservation@Home and rain barrels
- Education of residents on the City’s new ordinances regarding retaining water on their property when the impervious surfaces area has increased.
- Landscape design prepared for the historic Elmhurst schoolhouse
- Established a rain barrel sales day and distributed rain barrels
- Conservation@Home workshops for Elmhurst residents.
- Quarterly conservation articles for the City’s newsletters and website
- Yard visits with local homeowners to give advice or certify their yards as an environmentally-friendly Conservation@Home site.
Here’s how Frankfort and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Stay tuned!
Here’s how The Conservation Foundation and Glen Ellyn are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Workshops and presentations have been held for the community to help residents, local business members and community leaders learn more about rain gardens, native landscaping, sustainable yard management practices, and other ways to conserve water and beautify the Village of Glen Ellyn. Residents can become certified through The Conservation Foundation’s Conservation@Home program.
- Two very successful Glen Ellyn Garden Tours have been held, showcasing Glen Ellyn properties that have demonstrated a conservation ethic in their landscaping with the use of native plants and efforts to reduce chemical use and conserve rainwater.
Here’s how The Conservation Foundation and Glen Ellyn are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Workshops and presentations have been held for the community to help residents, local business members and community leaders learn more about rain gardens, native landscaping, sustainable yard management practices, and other ways to conserve water and beautify the Village of Glen Ellyn. Residents can become certified through The Conservation Foundation’s Conservation@Home program.
- Two very successful Glen Ellyn Garden Tours have been held, showcasing Glen Ellyn properties that have demonstrated a conservation ethic in their landscaping with the use of native plants and efforts to reduce chemical use and conserve rainwater.
Here’s how the Village of Lisle and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Participated in the Rain Barrel Program
- Education on the benefits of native plants and rain barrels at the Village of Lisle’s Stormwater meeting
- Quarterly conservation articles for their newsletters and website
- Articles for local homeowners associations
- Annual participants in the DuPage River Sweep
- Participants in the Storm Drain Stenciling program.
- Conducted home site visits with local homeowners.
Here’s how Naperville and The Conservation Foundation are bringing nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Naperville passed a Proclamation declaring 2015 to be Conservation in Our Community Year
- Conservation@Home presentations were given at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center and to the Naperville Homeowners Confederation.
- Just over 50 rain barrels were purchased by Naperville residents in a Rain Barrel Sale.
- A Pollinator Station native garden was installed next to Naperville City Hall. The Naperville Garden Club volunteered to help plant and maintain the garden.
- The Naperville Public Works Department is distributing The Conservation Foundation’s brochures at City Hall, the train stations in Naperville and at the Public Works Department.
- A workshop for residents on rain gardens, native plants and trees is being planned for the fall.
Here’s how the Village of Oswego and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Workshops in Oswego to promote Conservation@Home, and/or related topics—C@H, green roofs, pollinators, Emerald Ash Bore mgt., and home stormwater management.
- Assistance to Homeowners Association members on the management of stormwater detention basins with presentations and/or on site discussions—HOA federation presentation, HOA site consultation.
- Assistance with conservation/stormwater/subdivision ordinance review consultant.
- Certify homes and businesses Oswego through Conservation@Home and Conservation@Work programs—C@W—library and high school
- Help organizing a Rain Barrel Day and actively promoting the Rain Barrel Program with marketing materials and workshops and providing a link on each other’s webpage. Oswego Village President Gail Johnson’s home was used for a rain barrel installation demonstration site.
- May Rain Barrel Month proclamation for village approval
- Coordinating community conservation group/agency meeting
- Providing information/materials to village on the Storm-Drain-Stenciling program and recruiting participants in cooperation with Village staff.
- Hudson Pointe and Hunt Club subdivisions collaborative review consultation through The Conservation Foundation’s Natural Areas Assurance program
- Oswego Village Hall native plantings project with volunteers
- Presenting other conservation related-programs on eagles, climate change, composting, etc.
- Fox River Initiatives activities—local Fox River Art painting sites and public display
- Participating in public informational activities like Oswego Connects, Farmers Market, Prairiefest.
Here’s how the City of Warrenville and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- Participated in Warrenville’s Arbor Day event promoting and distributing rain barrels.
- Providing quarterly conservation articles for their City of Warrenville’s newsletters and website
- Conservation@Home workshops for residents.
- Conducting home yard visits with local homeowners to advise them on native landscaping and creating a sustainable yard.
- Preparing fliers regarding the problems volcano mulch causes trees that were distributed at on Arbor Day and other events.
- Presenting at Warrenville’s Environmental Advisory Council
- Presenting the Conservation@Home program to the City Council
- Stencilling storm drains throughout the community
- Many residents participate in the DuPage River Sweep.
Here’s how the Village of Westmont and The Conservation Foundation are bringing more nature to your neighborhood through Conservation In Our Community:
- The Village of Westmont Public Works Department has organized a volunteer effort to stencil storm drains in the Village, reminding people that these drains flow directly into Village waterways and should not be used to dump waste. More than 80 storm drains have been stencilled in the Village so far through this effort!
- This past May, a team from the Village of Westmont participated in the annual DuPage River Sweep, organized by The Conservation Foundation. Besides the usual trash of cans, bottles and plastic bags, this team also removed a ladder, window screens and storm drain gutters from the river.
- Four Village of Westmont sites (so far) have been recently been given Conservation@Work certification for their use of native plants and sustainable stormwater management techniques.
These communities are all working with us to engage their citizens to become environmentally-conscious through a variety of local projects. These municipalities/park districts were chosen to participate in Conservation In Our Community because their leaders and residents have already demonstrated a conservation mindset and want to engage more fully in sustainable practices through involvement in community-wide rain barrel sales, Conservation@Home and Conservation@Work.
Click here to see our Strategic Plan for Conservation@Home 2020 to 2023.
Making an impact at the local level – That’s what Conservation In Our Community is all about!
Suggested projects include:
- Conservation@Home programs offered to residents held in each community.
- Volunteer groups stencils storm drains in residential neighborhoods.
- Pollinator Gardens planted at city hall with the assistance of garden club.
- Lunch and Learn held at city hall for municipal employees.
- Native shrub and tree sale at public works building for residents.
- Rain Barrel sales in the communities.
All of these projects showcase simple things each and every person can do to impact both their community and our environment in a positive way. Everyone wants clean water, clean air and beautiful places to exercise or relax body and mind. The practices highlighted in these projects, like collecting rainwater, planting native plants, and reducing or eliminating chemical use on the landscape all contribute to flood control, wildlife habitat, stormwater infiltration and reduced pollution.
The ultimate goal of Conservation In Our Community is for residents to embrace the idea of conservation as a core community value that not only enhances the environment, but also conserves money spent in maintenance and cleanup.
For more information on Conservation In Our Community, contact Jan Roehll at (630) 428-4500, Ext. 121.