Garden Stories: Planting with a Purpose

Please remember that Oakton’s campuses are currently closed to students and the community. Visit our site to learn more about COVID closures and updates.

The Community Garden on Oakton’s Des Plaines campus has been a place for students and community members to engage in gardening for over 10 years, with harvests benefitting local food pantries. As with most things this year, our garden work was affected by COVID-19 and the necessary safety precautions, including our campus closure. Due to safety precautions, we are also missing the help of our incredible Master Gardeners who have been so giving with their time and knowledge. Gratefully, a small (but mighty!) team of individuals was granted access in May to clear our beds and begin planting. We are excited to share our progress with all of you throughout the season!

We practice social distancing and wear masks when more than one gardener is present!

The majority of work so far has involved clearing beds, planting seeds, and getting plants in the ground. We have a ton of weeds to wrangle on a regular basis! Unfortunately, some intense rains in early summer washed out a couple of beds right away, but we have still witnessed a lot of growth.

View of the garden

Celebrating Earth Day from Home

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day! The theme of this year’s celebration is Climate Action. Oakton is supporting this theme with a Zoom presentation by Jeff Green from Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Join us on Wednesday, April 22 at 9:30am cst to learn more about the organization and their mission. Their message is twofold: They will begin with a review of the causes and effects of climate change and then move on to a discussion of a piece of legislation they believe is critical to addressing global warming. This is an excellent way for us to all become engaged, even in this period of isolation. Please email dkutska@oakton.edu for the invitation link if you are interested in participating!

Even though this year’s celebration may look a little different, there are still many ways to celebrate Earth Day! If you are looking for other ways to engage, check out some of these options available to you:

iLandscape–FREE student roundtables and career fair THIS Friday, January 31.

Friday, January 31, 2020

Student roundtable sessions, job boards, and career fair!

iLandscape welcomes all studious students, prepared pupils, unbelievable undergrads, and serious scholars. Students may attend any day of iLandscape at no cost but Student Career Day will be Friday, January 31, 2020. The complete educational program is available to students at a reduced fee. Any student looking to make the jump to becoming a green industry professional cannot miss this incredible day at iLandscape.

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UIC Summer Institute on Sustainability & Energy: Applications Due May 30

SISE 2020: Resiliency, July 9-22, 2020

Can we survive climate change catastrophe, and if so, how? Can we sustain our current quality of life? Is that even desirable? Can we do better? Should we focus on sustainability or resiliency? What can we do to find balance and stabilize our world by 2050? Find out more about our 2020 program.

This program is open to students who are interested in studying about our climate crisis, interacting with others from around the world, and engaging in thought-provoking conversations, while brainstorming solutions. It is free for attendees and lodging is provided.

About Resiliency

• Can we survive climate change catastrophe, and if so, how? 
• Can we sustain our current quality of life? Is that even desirable? Can we do better? 
• Should we focus on sustainability or resiliency?
• What can we do to find balance and stabilize our world by 2050?

In 2020, the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) considers what it takes to be resilient in the face of climate change. It explores this generation’s greatest questions, the nature of resiliency and sustainability, and future opportunities through the research of local experts. SISE Fellows will engage with a new energy mapping initiative being develop by the American Energy Society and identify best-practices for activists and advocates committed to achieving climate justice by offsetting climate catastrophe.

December Hike Into the Woods

Wednesday, December 4, 12-1pm

We’ll explore the woods and discover the ways it remains a living, dynamic system despite the oncoming winter. We will also take a moment to contemplate how we can incorporate the forest’s teachings into our lives at this time of year.

Meeting Location is outside of exit 10, near the Performing Arts Center, Athletics Office and Parking Lot A

2019-2020 Hike Dates
September 3	Tuesday, 12-1pm
October 2	Wednesday, 12-1pm
November 5	Tuesday, 12-1pm
December 4- Meet @ Exit 10	Wednesday, 12-1pm
January 7	Tuesday, 12-1pm
February 5	Wednesday, 12-1pm
March 3	Tuesday, 12-1pm
April 1	Wednesday, 12-1pm
May 5	Tuesday, 12-1pm

Lunchtime hikes are on alternating first Tuesdays/Wednesdays of each month from 12-1pm, Sept-May.  We will meet rain/snow/shine and will cancel only for severe weather, so please dress appropriately.

2019 Campus Sustainability Month Schedule

We are excited to offer a full slate of programming for Campus Sustainability Month. All of these events are free and open to the public, no rsvp necessary. Please note this calendar is subject to change. These events are brought to you by the Sustainability Center at Oakton, the Environmental Studies Concentration, and special support from the Center for Campus Inclusion and Diversity for Indigenous People’s Day.

Indigenous People’s Day

Join us for a gathering and land acknowledgement, followed by a native plant walk with Oakton alumnus, Gina Roxas. This event is put on in coordination with the CCID.

Monday, October 14

• 12:00pm gathering, land acknowledgement, and blessing
• 1:00 pm native plant walk

Des Plaines Campus, meet at the Lee Center outdoor classroom (rain or shine)

October Hike With The Naturalist

Wednesday, October 2, 12-1 PM– meet @ Lee Center Outdoor Classroom

This month’s hike will take us out of our busy schedules and into the peaceful, relaxing woods. We’ll take time to re-balance & explore while learning about the forest that makes this campus so special. Long pants, socks covering ankles, and hiking shoes are recommended due to off-trail walking.

Lunchtime Hike Schedule

Tuesday 12-1	Wednesday 12-1
September 3	October 2 meet @ Lee Outdoor Classroom
November 5	December 4
January 7	February 5
March 3	April 1
May 5

Meet the Naturalist- Lunchtime Hikes

Common Sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale

Lunchtime Hikes with the Naturalist

I look forward to meeting more students, staff, and faculty during my first year here as the Naturalist! Join me for a monthly lunchtime hike on alternating first Tuesday/Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm, Sept-May.  We will meet rain/snow/shine and will cancel only for severe weather, so dress appropriately. The first hike is scheduled for Tuesday September 3, 12-1pm.. This month we will begin at the Lee Center Outdoor Classroom. However, meeting place is subject to change depending on season.

September Hike- Tuesday 9/3, 12-1pm

September is a great time to explore the color, diversity, and abundance of the late-summer prairie. Areas of focus will be later blooming plants of the sunflower family, insects, and observing changes in animal behaviors as winter approaches. Whether you want to learn native plant & animal ID or simply want to get some fresh air outdoors, all are welcome.  This will be a light hike over trails, pavement, and some grass. Hiking shoes are recommended.

Lunchtime Hike Schedule

Tuesday 12-1pm	Wednesday 12-1pm
September 3- Meet @ Lee Center Outdoor Classroom	October 2
November 5	December 4
January 7	February 5
March 3	April 1
May 5

Whorled Milkweed, Asclepias verticillata, with Great Black Wasp, Sphex pensylvanicus

Seasonal Farmer’s Market Positions for Urban Canopy

Urban Canopy is a small farm here in Chicago and they are currently looking to hire seasonal and Market Managers for some of the Farmer's Markets they will be attending this Summer. We are looking to spread this opportunity to students in Chicago interested in learning about the local food system. 

Careers Page: www.theurbancanopy.org/careers 
Please contact Joseph Taylor, Farmer's Market Lead, The Urban Canopy<http://www.theurbancanopy.org/>, 
1400 W. 46th Street Chicago, IL 60609
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/TheUrbanCanopy> 

   Job Description:  Farmers Market Booth Manager 
    
     Summary:       The Urban Canopy is a young and diverse organization working on cutting edge issues at the intersection of  urban agriculture and sustainable food. We are seeking a skilled  Farmers Market Booth Manager  to  represent The Urban Canopy at farmers markets by selling locally grown food at farmers markets, engaging in  conversation with market-goers, networking with local vendors, educating people about & enlisting them for  UC services, and performing community outreach. Booth Managers represent and maintain all of The Urban  Canopy’s environmental, economic, and social missions.    

Earth Week 2019, Session Descriptions

Visit here for a calendar of events.

Bird Walk: Paul Gulezian, assistant biology professor (Dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes.) Walk the grounds of the Des Plaines campus and discover what birds are living near us or visiting for the season. Binoculars and field guides will be provided.

Wildling Kin: Chicago’s More-than-Human Worlds:Gavin Van Horn, Director, Cultures of Conservation at the Center for Humans and Nature Stories provide a bridge between the sciences and the humanities, offering a critical means of communicating and reflecting upon urban wildlife issues. Join Gavin Van Horn, the author of The Way of Coyote: Shared Journeys in the Urban Wilds (University of Chicago Press, 2018), in exploring the importance of story as a means to knowing the city and its nonhuman denizens. Van Horn will highlight his recently published book as well as the “City Creatures” project, which he leads for the Center for Humans and Nature. Comprised of an interdisciplinary collective of authors and artists, this project utilizes the power of art, poetry, and personal narrative to draw attention to urban animals and our shared urban habitats. Van Horn will draw examples from the City Creatures Blog; the edited volume City Creatures: Animal Encounters in the Chicago Wilderness (University of Chicago Press, 2015); and The Way of Coyote to illustrate the ways in which stories can deepen appreciation for the ways in which our lives are entangled with urban wildlife. Funding provided by a grant from the Oakton Educational Foundation to the Environmental Studies Concentration.