Today Is The day --

Recycling Drive accepts fluorescent tubes, electronics, Styrofoam™, more!

Today is the day -- December 8th,-- the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County will conduct a recycling collection for fluorescent tubes, Styrofoam™, electronics, and batteries from 9 a.m. until noon at the Farm Bureau parking lot, 1102 McConnell Road, in Woodstock. They continue to collect certain items which are not usually accepted by curbside programs, and which would be harmful to the environment if put in a landfill.

The Defenders’ Recycling Drive accepts household batteries, car batteries, lithium and button batteries. The Defenders also collect fluorescent tubes, clean Styrofoam™, VHS & Cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, packing peanuts and re-usable, unpopped bubble wrap. A donation is requested for fluorescent bulbs and batteries that are brought in to offset the costs involved in processing these items.

Electronics, such as computers, phones, printers, clean microwaves, and electronic toys, are accepted. TVs and computer monitors will be accepted for a donation of $10-$35.

If you’d like more information about what the Defenders do,  go to def@owc.net

Recycling Event Saturday

On Saturday, May 12^th, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County will conduct a recycling collection for fluorescent tubes, Styrofoam™, electronics, and batteries from 9 a.m. until noon at the Metra Station parking lot, 4005 Main Street, in McHenry.

The Defenders’ Recycling Drive accepts rechargeable batteries, car batteries, lithium and button batteries. The Defenders also collect fluorescent tubes, clean white Styrofoam™, VHS & Cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, packing peanuts and re-usable, unpopped bubble wrap. A donation is requested for fluorescent bulbs and batteries that are brought in to offset the costs involved in processing these items.

As of January 1, it is no longer legal for individuals to dispose of unwanted electronics in their regular trash and it is illegal for Illinois landfills to accept them. The Defenders continue to fill this need. Electronics such as computers, phones, printers, clean microwaves, and electronic toys, are accepted. TVs and computer monitors will be accepted for a donation of $25-$35. At the McHenry collection, the Defenders also accept and pay for aluminum cans.

The Defenders hold a recycling drive on the second Saturday of each month, alternating between McHenry in odd-numbered months and Woodstock in even-numbered months.  Area residents may drive up and drop off their recyclables with Defenders’ volunteers, who help to unload and sort the materials.

For more information about the recycling schedule and types of materials accepted at each location, or to access the Green Guide recycling directory which is put out annually by the Lou Marchi Total Recycling Institute at MCC, visit the Defenders’ website at http://www.mcdef.org/recycling_information.htm or phone 815-338-0393.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The group provides the community with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.  For more information, visit www.mcdef.org or call 815-338-0393.

Green Wednesday Coming Next Week

In McHenry County, the first Wednesday of each month is Green Wednesday! On January 4th, from 5pm - 7pm, the McHenry County Green Drinks group gets together upstairs at Duke's Alehouse & Kitchen, 110 N Main Street in Crystal Lake. Everyone is welcome - make new connections, learn new environmental information, and have fun!

This should be a great program - Lane Linnenkohl will speak about his experiences in sustainable farming with minimal technology (yeah - horses!) after 10 years of living the life. Come and hear (and see) some of the highlights.

Preset drink menu includes fun, food and friends, info and inspiration, business and pleasure. Come talk about “greening” the future with others. Must be 21 to purchase alcohol - non-alcoholic drinks are available, of course!

There will be an information table set up, and you are welcome to bring information about your green products and services each month to share.

Additional parking is available at the train station.

To be added to their email list, send a note to: GreenDrinks@mcdefenders.net or friend them on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/GreenDrinksMcHenryCounty

If you’d like more information about this topic, access www.mcdef.org. To schedule an interview, contact the office at 815-338-0393 or e-mail mcdef@owc.net.

Green Wednesday Provides Communication Ideas

In McHenry County, the first Wednesday of each month is Green Wednesday. The public is invited to Duke's Alehouse & Kitchen, 110 N Main Street in Crystal Lake for Green Drinks on Wednesday, November 2nd from 5:00-7:00 pm for a presentation on “Eco-Media and the Eco-Community: Options in Getting Your Message Out”

A panel of Chicago area eco-media leaders will discuss the importance of good communication in promoting your company/brand and the importance of controlling your own message.  They will explain how sustainable businesses are leveraging digital and experiential marketing to expand awareness of their brands and their green practices.  Lastly, they will cover the more traditional media perspective on the importance of developing a true relationship with local media, whether advertising is part of that relationship or not.

Panelists for the evening:

Shannan Hofman Bunting is a professional communicator, project manager and media relations expert with a focus on green practices and businesses. As the founder of Solstice Communications, Shannan is responsible for strategic planning, account supervision, media relations and creative direction for the agency’s diverse clients—which range from small, local companies such as City Provisions, Greenhouse Loft, Logan Square Kitchen, SmallBar to global leaders such as Sears, Kmart and Target.

Shannon Downey is a digital and social media strategist who for 5 years has run the successful marketing company, Pivotal Production. With a client list that ranges from local non-profits like Growing Home Inc to massive global brands like Chiquita Banana, Pivotal has been paving the way in innovative and sustainable marketing.

Tim Winkler is one of the co-founders of Mindful Metropolis magazine and is a seniors consultative sales rep, and also handles marketing, partnerships, and social media for Mindful Metropolis. Mindful Metropolis is the only metro Chicago-wide publication that focuses exclusively on sustainable living, natural health, and wellness. 

Preset drink menu includes fun, food and friends, info and inspiration, business and pleasure. Come talk about “greening” the future with others. Must be 21 to purchase alcohol - non-alcoholic drinks are available, of course.

You are welcome to bring information about your green products and services to share at the information table.

Additional parking is available at the train station.

To be added to their email list, send a note to: GreenDrinks@mcdefenders.net or “like” them on FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/GreenDrinksMcHenryCounty  

Time For The Next Green Drinks Gathering

Join the next Green Drinks gathering at Duke’s Alehouse & Kitchen, 110 N Main Street in Crystal Lake, on September 7th from 5:00-7:00 pm to learn more about how community members in southeastern McHenry County have been working together to help protect water quality in lakes, streams, and wetlands, and protect both the quality and quantity of groundwater resources needed for drinking water supply.  This collaboration is part of an initiative to develop a watershed action plan for the Silver Creek and Sleepy Hollow Creek watersheds. 

A watershed is an area of land that drains water into a common place, like a stream. Watershed planning is a collaborative, community supported approach to protecting water quality and watershed health.  Lynn Rotunno, Watershed Coordinator for the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, will discuss how this planning effort is providing an opportunity for community members from multiple jurisdictions to share information and work together to address common water resource challenges in ways that more closely match the flow of water.

“Over 120 community members from across the watersheds are participating in this planning effort to help develop a watershed plan with strong community input,” said Defenders’ Watershed Coordinator Lynn Rotunno.

In addition to protecting water quality and quantity, watershed planning can identify ways to help restore aquatic habitat and other natural resources, prevent flooding in communities, and address other water resource-related concerns important to communities. The watershed action plan will include planning goals and specific project recommendations to protect water quality and watershed health. Projects identified in the plan can become eligible for state and federal funding to help local groups and individuals implement those projects.

Communities within the watersheds include Oakwood Hills, Prairie Grove, and portions of Bull Valley, Cary, Crystal Lake, McHenry, and nearby areas of unincorporated McHenry County. The Silver Creek and Sleepy Hollow Creek watersheds are home to significant resources, including five dedicated Illinois Nature Preserves, rich farmland, several parks and preserves, and lakes enjoyed by community members as a source of recreation. Both the Silver Creek and Sleepy Hollow Creek watersheds drain to the Fox River. Working to protect these watersheds will support local communities and help restore Fox River water quality and wildlife habitat.

Planning meetings are being held in the watersheds through December of 2011 and are coordinated by The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. All meetings are open to the public.

For more information, visit http://foxriverecosystem.org/planning.htm, send an e-mail to watershedinfo@mcdefenders.net, or call the Defenders office at 815-338-0393.

These planning projects are funded by Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act by way of a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Water, to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). Watershed planning oversight is the responsibility of CMAP. Planning Partners include the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, and the Fox River Study Group.

To be added to our email list, send a note to: GreenDrinks@mcdefenders.net or friend us on FaceBook

The Blue Box Mystery

McHenry County Defenders are again collecting donated books to be sold in their new Green Spot resale shop on the Woodstock Square. And it is just in time for the holidays!

However there is an unsolved mystery of what happened to the first donation drop box. In March the group opened the "Green Spot", a small resale corner inside their downtown office, to help support the group's programs and operations. A nearby municipality gave the organization a big, blue donation bin that was set next to the sidewalk. It soon started filling with donated books. "It was like Christmas every day," explained Roy Asplund, the group's vice-president. Then one day the big blue bin disappeared. "We still have no idea who took it or why, says Asplund.

In October the Defenders moved to new quarters in the Woodstock Square Mall and opened their "Green Spot" in its own retail space at the 110 S. Johnson Street building. They also had more shelves to fill and a need for a donation box more than ever, but commercial bins were too costly.

Thanks to the hard work of local carpenter, Delbert Douglass, and the cooperation of their new neighbor, Home State Bank's Woodstock Banking Center, they have a new donation box. Douglass, a skilled craftsman and lifelong Woodstock resident built a sturdy drop box using donated or recycled materials and contributing his labor.

Now, just in time for the holidays, the Defenders have a beautiful new donation bin, thanks to the hard work of local carpenter Delbert Douglass and the cooperation of their new neighbor, the Home State Bank’s Woodstock Banking Center.

After learning of the missing bin, Douglass, a skilled craftsman and a lifelong Woodstock resident, agreed to build the Defenders a new, sturdy drop box to collect book donations. Contributing his labor and using donated or recycled materials, he worked for nearly two months to finish the project, a well-crafted, weather-proof book bin standing in space provided by the neighbor, Home State Bank.

The bin is designed to receive only books. Asplund explains that items such as magazines, CDs, videos, toys or collectibles may be damaged if dropped into the box. These may be donated inside the Green Spot store during business hours.

The Green Spot is open Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. where good-quality used books, magazines, CDs and videos as well as new and used gifts items are available. All donations are tax-deductible and all proceeds support the local environmental group, a citizen-based, 501c3 not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation and improvement of our natural environment. For information, visit www.mcdef.org or email: mcdef.outreach@gmail.com.