Above / During the April 19, 2022, City Council meeting, Councilwomen Theresa Sullivan and Jennifer Bruzan Taylor read a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing “April 17-24 as 2022 Earth Week Naperville.” Also at the podium were folks representing the Naperville Park District and its Knoch Knolls Nature Center. (PN Photo)
Updated Post, April 24, 2022 / A rainy Sunday afternoon on April 24 provided a perfect time for an indoor Earth Day Fair at the Fort Hill Activity Center. A steady stream of visitors was treated to exhibits, giveaways and advice.
Upon entry, folks were informed about the upcoming Garden Plots Site Master Plan Meeting planned from 6PM to 7:30PM Wed., April 27, at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots along West Street.
Experimax Naperville, one of the event sponsors, specializes in repairing and selling certified, pre-owned Apple products including iPhones, iPads, iMac computers, MacBook laptops and Windows PCs.
“Primarily we buy, trade, upgrade, and repair Apple products, following a certification list and test that items must pass before resale,” noted Thayer Johnson, managing director of Naperville Experimax. “We like to think of ourselves as ‘Mac experts’ who repair everything Apple and much more.”
In fact, to be good stewards in recognition of Earth Day, Johnson suggests that every day is an opportunity to repair and restore faulty electronic devices first before replacing or recycling. Restore to reuse. Recycle if necessary, but recycle items as a last resort.
Former Naperville Park District Commissioner and longtime gardening enthusiast Ron Ory was on hand to provide information about the Idea Gardens at the Garden Plots. Ory also was stationed near buckets of oak saplings ready to plant and free for the community “to take several.”
Since 1970, Earth Day has been recognized annually on April 22. Ever since, the day, sometimes celebrated for a week, has played a role in raising awareness about combatting pollution and protecting the environment throughout the world.
Yet even earlier, dating back to the mid-to-late 1800s, conservationists advocated the protection of natural resources, seeking the proper use of nature.
“The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.” —Chief Joseph (1840-1904)
The family-friendly special event for the community, with educational presentations and exhibits, will showcase eco-friendly products and practices. The Fair is part of Earth Week Naperville, a community-wide promotion of environmental stewardship with the theme, Invest in our Planet.
Earth Week Naperville is a collaborative effort of the Naperville Park District and its Knoch Knolls Nature Center, City of Naperville, Forest Preserve Districts of DuPage and Will Counties, Naperville Community Unit School District 203, The Conservation Foundation, Three Fires Council and the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force.
Presentation Schedule
12:30PM – Invite Nature to Your Garden, Jim Kleinwachter, The Conservation Foundation
1:15PM – Going Solar in Illinois, Jack Johannesson, Windfree Solar
2PM – Grow Groceries in Containers and Save the Environment, M. Grace Grzanek, Just Food Initiative of Fox Valley
2:45PM – BOOM SOLAR!, Patrick Tata, Gain Renewables
3:30PM – Conserving Dark Skies, Adam Kreuzer, International Dark Sky Association
4:15PM – Go Green and Save Green at Home, Mike King, Nicor
Presenting Exhibitors / *Note Event Sponsors
§ Citizen’s Climate Education
§ City Bee Savers*
§ City of Naperville* Public Utilities and Water Departments
§ Clean Energy Alliance of Naperville
§ DuPage County Stormwater Management
§ DuPage Monarch Project
§ Experimax Naperville*
§ Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
§ Forest Preserve District of Will County
§ Gain Renewables*
§ Groot*
§ Illinois Solar Energy Association
§ Just Food Initiative of Fox Valley
§ International Dark Skies Association
§ League of Women Voters
§ Naper Settlement
§ Naperville Community Gardeners
§ Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau
§ Naperville Park District
§ Naperville Environment & Sustainability Task Force (NEST)
§ Nicor Gas*
§ S.C.A.R.C.E.
§ The Conservation Foundation
§ Three Fires Council
§ Vegan Outreach
§ Windfree Solar
§ Working Bikes (accepting bike donations outside)
The free event will feature educational presentations and exhibits hosted by more than two dozen organizations and sponsoring businesses. Presentations will be held in Multipurpose Rooms 1-3 at Fort Hill Activity Center.
Last updated with photos of Fort Hill / April 24, 2022
