Greetings! 
HAPPY EARTH DAY! We are so excited about all of the positive environmental changes that are taking place! Schools, businesses, and organizations are working on Reduction, Reuse and Recycling programs that are really making a difference.
If you have not made Earth Day plans, there is still time. It's easy to do little things like cleaning up the school yard, designing Earth Day posters, making Trash-to-Treasures to promote Re-Use, writing letters to state congressmen to encourage composting in our state, having students conduct energy audits at home ... the list goes on. We can all do something.
Please send us digital pictures of your events. We would love other schools to see what your school is doing to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Environmentally yours,
The SCARCE Team |
 We will miss our
Sadie, the Pioneer Lady
Janet LeWald, who some of you knew as Sadie, the Pioneer Lady and the biggest environmental cheerleader of all at the R-Rally's, others knew as the writer of the Ripples newsletter and the coordinator of all of our teacher workshops, and even more knew as a warm, full-of-life friend and environmentalist, passed away on March 5th. Janet was such an important and vital part of our team. We miss her greatly - no one can take the place of someone who meant so much to so many people and who lived what she believed, especially when it came to taking care of the Earth.
If you would like the address of Janet's family to send your condolences, please call the SCARCE office, 630.545.9710. |
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 EARTH HOUR 2009
Brightens the Hopes of the World
in a Show of Solidarity
Millions around the world including 4,085 cities, towns & municipalities in 88 countries spanning 25 time zones turned off lights on March 28 for one hour during Earth Hour 2009 to show that people do care and want to help. It was an event that brought the world together to show that we are not just a collection of different countries each going their own way. Instead, we are people of every race, color and size concerned about our planet, and we "Vote(d) Earth"!
Earth Hour, now an international event which began in Sydney, Australia, originated in 2007 with just that one city and WWF (World Wildlife Federation). Through their combined efforts, they were able to show the world that they cared about our massive energy "consumption" and the environment. The impact of this one city stepping forward to take action when no one else did can now be seen around the world. In 2009, just 2 years later, the international support and participation is phenomenal. From New Zealand (the 1st time zone to turn off lights) to Chicago to London to Shanghai to Fiji to Moscow to Mexico City to Paris to Hong Kong to New York City, millions voiced their concern by flipping a switch! One city, Sydney, far from the rest of the world made a difference!
In Chicagoland, over 886 municipalities, organzations and businesses participated in this event. The Sears Tower, theater district and Navy Pier were just some of the participants as spectators watched the skyline go dark. What a sight!
Earth Hour 2009 Around the World!
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EARTH DAY 2009 - Green Generation
Plan an Event!
Be the one to lead the way in your neighborhood and school!
Please tell us about your plans to participate in these World Wide Events and send us digital pictures! We love to let schools know the great ideas that you have!
Don't have plans, but would like to participate? Here are some ideas:
- Participate in Arbor Day events! Plant a tree!
- Have an Earth Day poster contest and display them at local establishments
- Volunteer at any of the upcoming events (Recycling Events, Prairie Path Cleanup, Earth Day Events) now thru the end of April - we can't do this without your help
- Hold a cell phone drive at your school and bring them to SCARCE
- Participate in the Gym Shoe Rescue - either start a collection or high schoolers can volunteer to help sort all those shoes
- Start a Native Plant or Rain Garden
- Install Rain Barrels around your home/school
- Clean up the playground & fields around the school - you are keeping the Earth clean!
- Make a pledge to turn off lights & other electronics that waste energy & use up our natural resources
- BE CREATIVE - Every Little Bit Makes a Difference!
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 A "GREEN" St. Patrick's Day Parade for Elmwood School
Elmwood School's Environmental Club, led by Dave Cleveland, marched in the annual Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade. The group marched in an effort to help make their town, Naperville, a greener place.
The students proudly displayed the school's two Earth Flags, Eco Flag and Environmental Club Flag. They presented a "GREEN" message on the greenest of days! |
 The Circle of Life:
Fish Need Trees as much as Trees Need Fish
Within the last few months, two articles have been published discussing how Salmon need the shade from trees to cool water for developing eggs as well as providing food and shelter for the invertebrates upon which the fish feed. Furthermore, the huge roots provide streambank stabilization to reduce erosion and sedimentation. Plus, fallen branches and trunks provide shelter for young, developing fish, and decomposing leaves provide food for insects.
The trees, in turn, benefit greatly from the bodies of the salmon which offer a unique set of nutrients obtained from their ocean water homes and then transfer to freshwater rivers when they return to spawn. The nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrient content derived from their saltwater home allows vegetation along salmon-filled rivers to grow up to 3 times faster than those without salmon.
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| Summer Educator / Administrator Workshops |
RAIN BARREL Photos Needed!
HELP! If your school received a rain barrel from DuPage County this school year, we need your pictures!
Please take a digital picture or two of your rain barrels and tell us how you used them as a teaching tool for your school or community.
The County is very interested in what you did!
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22 DuPage County Schools Working towards their Earth Flags
SCARCE is excited to announce that 21 schools are working towards Re-Certification of their Earth Flags! What a way to teach your students about being "GREEN!"
One school has taken the next big step toward earning its Ecology Flag! 
If you are one of those schools, please be sure to fill out your final qualification forms and send them in to SCARCE at ecoed@sbcglobal.net. Once we get that form, we can schedule your Earth/Eco Flag ceremony! |
 8th Annual "Shed Those Watershed Blues"
For 3rd-12th Grade Teachers
Wednesday, June 11 & 12, 2009
7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Official Aurora U. title and course number:
Watershed Issues for Teachers, OEDC 6158
Do you enjoy hands-on fun? Join us as we splash around, explore & investigate in the water. Register for our educational watershed workshop; we'll hop on the bus, pull up our boots, step into the river, and learn about the quality of the waters of our own streams. We'll conduct water tests, and we'll identify benthic macro-invertebrates - those interesting bottom-dwelling mussels, crayfish, etc., that serve as indicators of water quality. We will even climb to the skies to learn - about green roofs.
The first day will be held in the classroom building watershed models and more, to learn what we (and our students) can do to protect our watersheds and keep them clean. Day 2 is filled with visits to several watersheds and stormwater management solution sites. Jump into this class with both feet!
FEE: $15 (AM & PM snacks provided)
CREDIT: 15 CPDUs (FREE) or 1 Graduate Credit from Aurora University ($100)
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 11th Annual Where Is Away?
K-12 Teacher Workshop
Monday-Friday, June 22-26 2009
7:30 am - 4:30 pm
And 7/02, 8 am-Noon, if taking for Grad Credit*
Official Aurora U. title and course number:
Environmental Issues and Concerns, OEDC 6979
Let us immerse you in trash - well, in the problems, concerns and solutions that surround the "stuff" we make and buy and use and throw away, day in and day out! We'll travel by bus to explore landfills, recycling centers and other sites to help us understand the many processes that deal with all this garbage. And we'll take time each day to experiment, build, discuss and digest where we have been and why. Lots of fun & learning; lots of resources! Participants need to pack waste-free lunches every day.
FEE: $75 (AM & PM snacks provided)
CREDIT: 7 CEU's (FREE) or 3 Graduate Credits from Aurora University ($TBA)
If taking WIA for graduate credit, project & follow-up meeting are required.
All lessons must be presented to fellow participants (7/02) so lessons can be graded & recorded within Aurora U. time limits. (A second presentation date will be chosen during that same week by those who cannot make the follow-up date.)
For more info & to register for these unique & exciting workshops, go to www.s-c-a-r-c-e.org, click on Teacher Workshops or call 630-545-9710. Space is limited.
Workshops are developed & presented by SCARCE & funded by DuPage County's Environmental Education Program.
SCARCE is an APPROVED IL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDER.
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| Upcoming Events & Dates to Know |
2009 Earth Month Poster Contest
DuPage County and Whole Foods Market Naperville are sponsoring the 2009 Earth Month K-6 Grade Poster Contest.
Poster topics are
- Future Green Car or Transportation
- Families Gone Green: Ways your family can Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Design the interior of a green building for today or the future
- Ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint
For full details, log onto DuPage County - Recycle or call 630.407.6753 if you have additional questions.
 Date: Posters due on or before May 8th
Time: Must be submitted by 4:30 p.m.
Place: DuPage County Office of Green Initiatives, 421 N County Farm, Wheaton 60187
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National Environmental Education Week
This is the nation's largest organized environmental education event. EE Week promotes understanding and protection of the natural world. Register your school and have access to water lessons/activities, school water audit tool & more.
Date: April 12 -18
Time: All week and beyond to help the Earth
Place: National Environmental Education Week |
3rd Annual Sustainable Design Challenge for DuPage County High School Students - April 14
Please join in the DuPage County Auditorium located at 421 N County Farm Rd in Wheaton for the 3rd annual Sustainable Design Challenge sponsored by DuPage County and SCARCE. High school students from around the county will present their unique architectural projects incorporating green technology and products.
The challenge has grown quickly in participation and creativity! See and hear our youth present the buildings and technology of now and the future. It's an exciting look at the good things to come!
Date: Tuesday, April 14
Time: 9:00 -11:00 a.m. Public & School Viewing
Thanks to Whole Foods Markets Naperville & Wheaton
for providing lunch for the participants! |
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Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature & Climate Change - Elizabeth Kolbert
Join this open to the public discussion and presentation on climate change. For more information, log onto the site below, call 630.829.6272 or email jkauth@ben.edu
Date: Friday, April 17
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Benedictine Univ, Dan & Ada Rice Ctr
Website: Kolbert Lecture |
NIKE Reuse-a-Shoe
Collection at SCARCE
Once again, SCARCE will work together with NIKE to collect used, tattered gym shoes for recycling.
Last year, SCARCE collected 18,000 pairs of gym shoes.
9,000 pairs of shoes went to NIKE
9,000 pairs of gently-used & new shoes went to non-profit organizations to help people locally & around the world in 6 countries to help the needy
We look forward to seeing how many shoes we can save from the landfill this year - won't you help!?!
Date: Collection Begins EARTH DAY - April 22nd thru May 18th
Time: Please CALL SCARCE to arrange DROP OFF
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Whole Foods Fundraiser
Whole Foods Market in Wheaton will be holding a fundraiser for SCARCE on Earth Day, April 22nd! Just stop in at that location and 5% of whatever you spend will go to help SCARCE.
PLUS, for the months of April, May & June, if you bring your own bags to the Whole Foods stores in Wheaton and Naperville, they will donate the "Bring Your Own Bag" incentive to SCARCE. Naperville will donate 10 cents/bag & Wheaton will donate 20 cents/bag!!!
Thanks so much to Whole Foods Markets for all of their support!
Date: EARTH DAY - April 22nd! Time: All Day Place: Whole Foods, 151 Rice Lake Sq, Wheaton 60189Website: Whole Foods Wheaton
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earth
by Disneynature begins on Earth Day This new film by Disneynature tells the story of 3 animal families - polar bears, elephants & whales - as they make their journeys across the planet.
Date: Earth Day, April 22
Time: Check a Theater near you
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ARBOR DAY - Celebrate Our Trees
Trees are vital to our existence. They provide food (fruits, nuts, syrup), shelter, building materials, habitats, and most importantly, fresh oxygen. Without our trees, we would be a planet in trouble.
Participate in an activity to help, save or begin the life of a tree.
Date: April 24 Time: All Day & Month Website: Arbor Day
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It's Our Earth Fundraiser
It's Our Earth in downtown Wheaton will be holding two days of fundraising for SCARCE, Saturday, May 2 & Saturday, June 13. It's Our Earth will donate 10% of its proceeds from those days to help support SCARCE and its work! So, stop by and visit this earth-friendly store.
Date: Saturdays, May 2 & June 13
Time: 10:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.
Place: It's Our Earth, 127 N. Main St, Wheaton 60187
Phone: 630.668.3800
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Household Hazardous Waste Collections - May 9 & June 6
Accepted Items: EXPIRED/UNUSED MEDICATION, Mercury Thermometer/Thermostats, Batteries, Insecticide/Pesticides, Fertilizers, Herbicides, Pool Chemicals, Paint Strippers, Aerosol Spray Cans, Auto Fluids, ... (for a complete list, log onto website below)
Date: May 9 / June 6
Time: 8:00am - 3:00pm
Place: Elk Grove Village Pavilion / Hanover Twnshp in Bartlett
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National Gardening Assoc. School Garden Program
The NGA flagship adoption program, the Adopt a School Garden® Program, bridges the gap between schools lacking resources and people who have the ability to help. School garden programs boost achievement, cultivate life skills, contribute to healthy lifestyles, and connect kids with nature through hands-on learning. Plus, visit the Kids Gardening link for more school programs and lessons. To learn more about NGA programs, click on the link below
NGA Website: National Garden Association |
| 3 Rs - Ripples Recommended Reading |
 Trout are Made of Trees
by April Pulley Sayre
Ages: Pre-K to 2nd
How can a leaf become a fish? Join two young children and their dads to find out, as they observe life in and around a stream.
The book provides information about the trout life cycle as well as conservation efforts that kids can do themselves.
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 Earl the Earthworm Digs for His Life
by Tim Magner
Ages: Pre-K to 2nd
It's the story of an earthworm figuring out why he is important. By following Earl, kids learn about nature and the environment and so does Earl.
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 N is for Nature: An Environmental Alphabet Book
by Tim Magner
Ages: Elementary School
An Environmental Guide from A to Z uses people, places and concepts to show how the countless pieces and parts of nature weave, connect and link everything together.
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Many events and activities are planned for this month. Please consider participating in some. It is wonderful that Earth Day has gone beyond April 22nd to virtually encompass the entire month. Around the world people are working to improve their environment.  The overwhelming partcipation in Earth Hour shows all of us just how much people do care about our planet.
We need to continue to teach our children about the things that make a difference. They are our future, and they are the ones who still have the most idealistic hopes of what is to come. Happy Earth Day!
Sincerely,
The SCARCE Team
Scarce Environmental Education | | |
DuPage County |
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| Upcoming GREEN Events in the Area |
| See below or go to SCARCE's Public Environmental Newsletter, the Green Bulletin March 2009. Scroll down to find an event. |
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