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Environmental Sustainability in Northbrook
Greenest Region Compact
When Northbrook signed on to the Greenest Region Compact in September 2018, the Village agreed to achieve green goals in collaboration with other municipalities across the Chicagoland region. Through the Greenest Region Corps, Northbrook receives an Americorps volunteer to serve our community as a Sustainability Fellow. With the GRC agreement, the Village tracks progress in 10 key sustainability areas:
- Climate
- Energy
- Leadership
- Economic Development
- Municipal Operations
- Water
- Land
- Mobility
- Sustainable Communities
- Waste & Recycling
Timely Tips for Going Green: Spring 2021
The Village of Northbrook encourages residents and businesses to make every day Earth Day! Check out our list of ten deeds to green up your day, including activities like completing our Earth Month Scavenger Hunt, volunteering at Somme Woods, donating used shoes, and starting a summer compost bucket: ow.ly/yGi230rFpoA
Trees are the best example of nature-based solutions to climate change. Planting new trees is an amazing step towards climate resilience: but only mature trees provide the full ecosystem benefits like improved energy usage, stormwater infiltration, and significant sequestration of air and noise pollution. Maintenance and care is super important for ensuring trees grow to maturity and stay healthy. Young trees 1-3 years old should be consistently watered and mulched, and older trees should be pruned as needed to maintain proper growth habits.
The Village will be planting 4 Arbor Day trees this year. One is for the Greenbriar Girl Scout Troop #47193, one is for Westmoor School, two are for Glenbrook North High School for GBN student, Sarah Ryan’s project to plant trees to offset paper usage at the school.
Need a little help with your trees? Contact Public Works: https://www.northbrook.il.us/182/Forestry-Services
Spending time immersed in nature is good for mental and physical wellbeing, and Northbrook is lucky to have beautiful natural areas like Somme Prairie Grove. You never know what you may find: check out these springtime birds captured in photos by a local naturalist!
While exploring the outdoors in Northbrook this April, take advantage of our Earth Month Scavenger Hunt and win a free packet of native wildflower seeds.
To demonstrate Northbrook’s commitment to vulnerable wildlife populations in our area, the Village has created an endangered species page on the Village website. Native pollinators such as the rusty patched bumble bee and monarch butterfly are endangered insects that need our help to ensure the survival of their species. You can help save them through natural landscaping practices. To help spread awareness and learn more, check out the page at https://www.northbrook.il.us/1017/Endangered-Species.
Mulch…what is it good for?
With Arbor Day around the corner, the Village invites residents to take advantage of the free mulch available at Public Works (655 Huehl Road). A simple mixture of wood chips or leaves benefit trees for a “mulch-titude" of reasons! Such as...
increasing soil fertility insulating tree roots and soil controlling grass that competes with tree roots for space and nutrients retaining soil moisture, structure, and beneficial underground organisms
In the USA, organic waste is the second largest component of landfills and the largest source of methane emissions (a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than co2). Start composting through Advanced Disposal to make huge improvements to your individual carbon footprint!
Residents can choose between the sticker program or a year-round subscription service. Stickers are available for purchase at Ace Hardware (1941 Cherry Lane), Jewel (2775 Pfingsten Road), Red's Garden Center (3460 Dundee Road), and Village Hall. Sign up for a subscription by contacting Advanced Disposal during business hours at 847-272-4145 or by email at northbrookIL@advanceddisposal.com.
Acceptable items may be placed in paper lawn bags or metal/plastic cans and put out on your regular collection day for pick up.
Save the bees in our backyards! As homeowners begin to renew landscaping contracts or dust off last year’s equipment from the back of the garage, it might be time to reconsider our traditional methods of lawn maintenance.
In Northbrook, we share our environment with the critically endangered rusty patched bumblebee; the chemicals we use in our backyards impact the fate of this species. Learn more about what we can do to help:
Are you doing some spring cleaning this weekend? Minimize your contribution to landfills by utilizing free curbside textile and household item collection through Simple Recycling. Simple Recycling follows the same route and holiday schedule as Advanced Disposal.
Visit https://simplerecycling.com/ or call 866-835-5068 to request collection bags.
Rainy weather is a great reminder that you can conserve water with a rain barrel! Rain barrels collect rain runoff from roofs and store it to be used for watering plants or a lawn. This eco-friendly solution helps save water and reduces your water bill and the amount of excess storm water that contributes to localized flooding.
The Village offers a subsidized rain barrel program for residents to purchase up to two barrels for $25 each at Village Hall. Learn more at www.northbrook.il.us/868/Water.
Celebrate Earth Day all month long by appreciating nature in Northbrook! Residents who complete this Earth Month Scavenger Hunt in our forest preserves can email tessa.murray@northbrook.il.us to receive a free packet of native wildflower seeds! See the post above for details.
Spring ephemerals are the early blooming flowers that take advantage of sunlight coming into the forest floor while the trees still do not have leaves. The Village encourages you to take a walk through our beautiful natural areas, like Somme Woods, to appreciate nature’s ever-changing beauty! Use this guide to help identify spring ephemerals commonly found in our area.
Did you know lightweight plastic film materials, like plastic grocery bags, cannot be disposed of in your regular recycling? Avoid acquiring plastic packaging and cutlery by incorporating reusable alternatives into your daily habits.
Unfortunately, plastic bags and film are no longer accepted at Village Hall. Due to the large quantities being collected, our partners could no longer handle the amount of plastic. However, these items can be brought to Sunset Foods or Mariano's in Northbrook to be upcycled. Accepted items include clean plastic shopping bags, plastic wrap packaging, bread bags, shrink wrap, and dry cleaning bags.
Glenbrook North High School student Sarah Ryan needs the Northbrook community's help to reach a tree-planting goal! To offset the amount of paper used in a typical school year, Sarah partnered with Tree-Plenish to facilitate plantings. Visit https://www.tree-plenishevents.org/glenbrook to order a tree or volunteer to help plant trees. All orders must be made by Wednesday, March 24.
Did you know the monarch butterfly species is endangered? Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors' Monarch Pledge, President Sandy Frum is committed to creating a sustainable habitat for monarchs in Northbrook. Planting just one milkweed can attract monarch butterflies to lay eggs and feed caterpillars that become the next generation of monarchs. Also, residential gardens can be crucial in helping to sustain monarchs during their annual migration. Northbrook residents who plant milkweed, have native plants in their garden, and exclude exposure to pesticides are eligible to receive a “Let’s Make Northbrook a Monarch Way Station” garden sign. Email tessa.murray@northbrook.il.us to make arrangements.
Village Programming
Timely Tips for Going Green: Winter 2021
March 3rd is World Wildlife Day! Planting native species is a tangible action anyone with outdoor space can take to help endangered wildlife, such as the Monarch butterfly. Although it's still winter and there is not much to tend to outside until the soil begins to thaw, now is a great time to begin planning your native garden. Residents are encouraged to use our guide to native garden planning to get started on transforming your outdoor space into a corridor for wildlife! Check it out at https://www.northbrook.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/4574/wintergardenprep?bidId=.
The best way to care for trees weighed down by heavy snow is to be prepared before the blizzard hits. Major snowfall and ice storms can cause bending and damage, especially to smaller or younger trees. Proper dormant pruning creates a strong, healthy, and structurally sound tree that is more likely to weather a storm successfully. It is best to trim back low-hanging, damaged, or broken branches when plants are not actively growing in winter. Learn more from the Chicago Botanic Garden.
There is a common misconception that a modern car needs to idle for a few minutes in winter before you start driving. Auto experts today say that you should warm up the car for no more than 30 seconds, and the engine will warm up faster being driven. It is better for your car AND the environment to turn the engine off and on again as opposed to idling.
Show some love for Mother Nature by caring for a live holiday tree rather than a cut one. The Village explains the care and keeping of a potted evergreen tree in this article. With proper conditions, your tree can survive inside to ring in the holiday season. When festivities have ended, the holiday spirit is still alive as you watch your evergreen grow planted outside!
Household lighting is important in these dark winter months. If you haven't switched to LED bulbs, now is the time. LED bulbs last much longer than incandescent bulbs, and they put out the same amount of light using significantly less energy. That's great for the environment, and it can save you lots of money in the long-term on your electricity bill. Even though LED bulbs have a larger upfront cost compared to incandescent bulbs, the LED is still the less expensive option after less than a year of use. In the meantime, you'll enjoy less heat production and longer bulb life.
You may be experiencing growing energy bills this winter as we spend more time at home, and heating your home already makes up almost half of the energy used! Investing in a #SmartThermostat is a quick way to conserve energy while you’re sleeping or out for a walk. Also, replacing the furnace filters keeps the furnace working efficiently. ComEd is offering $100 rebates on smart thermostats. Check out ComEd Heating Rebates and Smart Thermostat Rebates at ComEd.com/Rebates for savings in your home.
February 2 is World Wetlands Day. In Northbrook, we are privileged to live at the intersection of three vital ecosystem types (prairies, woodlands, and wetlands). Wetlands native to the Chicago region are home to animals such as beavers, river otters, frogs, turtles, birds, and more. From providing crucial habitat to the filtration and absorption of stormwater, take a moment today to appreciate all that our wetlands have to offer. The Village encourages residents to incorporate wetland plants such as swamp milkweed and blue flag iris (pictured respectively) into your outdoor spaces for a broad range of ecosystem benefits. Visit https://www.northbrook.il.us/868/Water to learn about Northbrook’s rain garden subsidy program.
Soil pollution occurs as a result of improper disposal of waste and can seriously harm our animal cohabitants in Northbrook’s ecosystem. Ever wonder where the turtles and snakes observed in Northbrook’s natural areas go for winter? They hibernate in soil underground! Garter snakes (commonly spotted at Somme Prairie Nature Reserve in the summertime) actually knot themselves together to maintain warmth in groups of sometimes thousands! If you love animals please do your part in preventing littering.
January 5 is National Bird Day! Did you know several owl species come to Illinois from the North to spend the winters? Take advantage of the different ecosystems Northbrook has to offer and try to spot some of the owls that call Illinois home in these winter months. Look for signs of Northern saw-whet owls (left) in Cedar trees and Short-eared owls (right) in open grassland fields. The Great horned owl (middle) is very common in Northbrook, recognizable by the male’s deep hoots for courting in December. By January, the females can be found sitting on their eggs in old squirrel or hawks’ nests high up in trees. Happy birding! Another great way to support native birds is by planting native plants that attract insects, food for our flying friends!
Plan ahead to cut down on waste this gift-giving season by reusing and recycling! Collecting the comics section of the newspaper, especially the colored comics on Sundays, is a great way to reduce and recycle without sacrificing aesthetics. Another option is to use cloth wrapping and encourage the recipient to wash and reuse this outer layer. Remain eco-friendly when you spread holiday cheer this year!
Beyond wearing an extra layer, there a few simple steps to take to conserve energy in heating your home before turning up the thermostat. Indoor air gets drier in winter months, which makes retaining heat more difficult. Humidifiers moisten the air and consequently allow for a better heat conservation. Houseplants are also great humidifiers because they naturally release moisture in the air through a process called evapotranspiration. Another tip is to set a ceiling fan to run clockwise on low speed. This will redistribute hear in your living space. Since warm air rises, the fan’s clockwise rotation will push the heat downward allowing for a more even distribution of heat.