As we inch closer to nice weather, we encourage you to consider biking as an alternative mode of transportation. Not only is it often the quickest way to get from point A to B in the city, it’s cheaper than CTA fare and is great exercise too. The City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors are encouraging you to do the same!
The City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors are a team of bicycle safety and education specialists who have been encouraging Chicagoans to ride their bikes more often and safely since 2001. Their goals are to increase the number of trips made by bicycle, reduce the number of bicycle related injuries and to help all users to share the road. Continue reading 'Invite a Bicylcing Ambassador to Your Next Event'»
Growing Home is giving away a free summer CSA Share to one lucky winner! Every person who joins their e-news mailing list before April 15, 2011 will be entered to win a FREE summer CSA share, valued at $590!
Sign up by clicking HERE, or by visiting their website.
Guest Post by Lynn Bement
Everybody knows what happens to those large piles of autumn leaves we build on our lawns: If we don’t put them in bags right away, they get smaller and smaller until, after not too many months, there isn’t much left. No mystery here. The same thing happens in the woods when the leaves fall from the trees. When living things die, they decompose. As a gardener, it didn’t take me long to appreciate and adopt nature’s lesson of turning waste into sweet-smelling, rich brown compost.
Over time, adding good-quality compost to your garden provides nutrients in a form that plants can use; enriches soil health and enhances the soil food web; builds soil structure; improves drainage; creates more water-holding ability in soil, which means less watering; and acts as a buffer to toxins. Not to mention, it’s free plant food. With very little effort, just about anything can contribute to a mineral- and microbe-rich compost: fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters, eggshells, and even dog hair. Time is the only other necessary ingredient.
Composting is easy, but with several options available, you will have to consider a few factors. You’ll want to pick a method based on your needs and the space available. But you don’t need to worry about filling the composter you choose. Because organic matter is constantly breaking down and changing in volume and you’re harvesting finished compost, you’ll most likely never fill the entire bin. Perhaps the most important decision is considering how much time you’re able to invest. Once you choose the method that’s right for you and create the right conditions, you can let nature do the hard work of breaking down your organic matter and turning it into vibrant compost. Continue reading '3 Ways to Make Compost'»
As many of you know, Earth Hour this year is Saturday, March 26 at 8:30 PM.
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating.
We want to know how you’re participating this year. If you know of any Chicago Earth Hour events, let us know by sending us an email (chicagoregen@gmail.com) and we’ll be sure to get it on our Events Calendar!
Comments (0) 
Themocracy