OAKtober recap
We are putting a wrap on our OAKtober events! On Wednesday night, Go Green Glen Ellyn members gathered with others in the community to attend the "Trees on Tap" event at Two Hound Red, sponsored by the Village Environmental Commission. A full house of enthusiastic tree lovers engaged with an expert panel to learn about the trees in Glen Ellyn, all the benefits they provide, and how to protect them. It was a wonderful way to wrap up the last 3 weeks of events! We hope you were able to attend our signature OAKtoberfest event but if not, we are sharing a few words and pictures below!
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The biggest OAKtoberfest thank you needs to go first to Mother Nature, who provided us with a gorgeous, summer like day for our event! We had 370 attendees join us at Maryknoll Park to learn from area organizations, listen to music, make crafts, have fun, play platform tennis, enjoy donuts and cider, support pediatric cancer awareness, and simply enjoy a beautiful day in the park with other residents.
We would like to thank all of our partners and vendors for the day: Glen Ellyn Public Library, Homegrown Gardens, Branch Gardens, Two Hound Red, SCARCE, The Conservation Foundation, Forest Preserve of DuPage County, Friends of the East Branch DuPage River Trail, School of Rock, League of Women Voters Glen Ellyn, Prairie Food Co-Op, International Dark Skies Association, University of Illinois Extension, Master Gardener program, Kristin Malone, Yoga Instructor, Glen House Food Pantry, of course, our wonderful co-host the Glen Ellyn Park District.
We would also like to acknowledge Clyde's Donuts, Glen Oak Cafe, and the Morton Arboretum for their donations in-kind to the event. Thank you to Two Hound Red which will be donating back a portion of the beer sales from the day to Go Green Glen Ellyn!
We could never have done it without our amazing volunteers! Thank you to members of the Glenbard West Key Club, Ellie M, Ally S, Kaitlyn S, Angelina N, and Sam L. Thank you to community members Barbara K, Jennifer G, Amy L, Kristen H, Meghan B, Brandee M, Carol G, Mike F, Renae F, Sarah A, Emily H, Kristin M, Kim E, Billy Joe M, Justin C, Devin M and Bruce B.
Finally thank you to Layla Eloa, who donated her time as a professional photographer to capture our special day! You can get a peek at some of the photos below, and view the full gallery.
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OAKtober is coming to a close, but you can hug a tree all year long!
Check out these tree resources from the Chicago Region Trees Initiative! They offer helpful resources including tree care tips, canopy maps, and ways to get involved in our community and learn more about trees.
Ready to curl up with a good tree-themed book? The Nature of Oaks by Doug Tallamy is a non-fiction read that follows the lifecycle of the author's oak tree throughout the seasons. For a powerful and compelling fiction read, I recommend The Overstory by Richard Powers - a beautifully written novel that will change how you see trees.