Green Resources/Links
Here are some green resources that we've found to be useful in covering sustainability-related topics for students/families and teachers/staff.
Know of a green gem that is not on here? Please send it to the Green Team!
Zero Waste & Waste-Free Lunch
- "Nudging Recycling from Less Waste to None," The New York Times, 19 October 2009.
- ""Lunch with a Conscience," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 September 2009.
- Beye School students show proper zero waste sorting "etiquette!" (Two YouTube clips)
- About Waste-Free lunches
- Packing a Waste-Free lunch, from the Environmental Protection Agency
- Waste-Free lunch tips from Reuseit.com
- On healthy school lunches: target="_blank"Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Fridays 8PM Central on ABC.
- Healthy lunch ideas by Care2 here and here.
- Healthy lunch ideas from author & family nutrition expert Annabelle Karmel.
- Order healthy school lunches for delivery by Gourmet Gorilla.
- 130+ years in the making, Beye is sustainable because it is a walkable, community-centered school.
- More about why walkable community-centered schools are sustainable.
- Beye and other Illinois schools support indoor air quality by adhering to the Illinois Green Cleaning Schools act.
Sustainable Oak Park
The Villages of Oak Park & River Forest, together with the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, are working on a building and implementing a plan for a sustainable OPRF. Please help by learning more about PlanItGreen, watching the YouTube video introduction, and reading the draft sustainability plan.
Earth Day
- The History of Earth Day (occurs annually on Apr 22)
- Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day
- Celebrating Earth Day with Kids
Multimedia
- National Geographic: green kids videos
- The Environment, free audio & video course downloads from Open University on iTunes U.
- There is a "Green Media Center" in the Beye School library! Learn how to check out books or DVDs.
- List of family-oriented films from the 2010 Environmental Film Fest in Washington, DC. (Try your library or Netflix to borrow these titles.)
- Complete list of 155 films from the 2010 Environmental Film Fest in Washington, DC (many appropriate for adult viewers only). Archive of films from 2004-2009 Festival.
- Little Locavores blog: "family food fresh from the farmer's market."
Green Parenting/Green Families
- http://www.kiwimagonline.com/
- http://www.thegreenmama.com/services/classes
- http://www.thegreenmama.com/blog
Green Baby
Kids & Nature
- http://www.kidsoutside.info/
- http://www.greensugarpress.com
- http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/WebCams/
Greener Food (CSAs/Farmers Markets/Seasonal Cooking)
- http://www.localharvest.org
- http://www.ediblecommunities.com/chicago/
- http://www.thevillagegreener.com/home/food/learn.html
- http://www.thevillagegreener.com/home/food/csas/learn.html
- http://static.foodnews.org/pdf/EWG-shoppers-guide.pdf
- http://www.sheddaquarium.org/pdf/Right_Bite_wallet_guide.pdf
- http://www.harvesteating.com/
- http://biggreencookbook.com/
- http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/beet-recipes
- http://www.mondaycampaigns.org/the-kids-cook-monday/
- http://www.mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday/
Recycle/Reuse/Conserve
- http://www.earth911.com
- http://www.reuseit.com
- http://www.freecycle.org
- http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php
- http://www.ewg.org/health/report/bottledwater--scorecard
- http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/services/energy_aware_hec.html
- http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/greenenergy/whattoknow/efficiency.cfm
Green Home (Energy, Household, Lawn/Garden, Composting, Avoiding Toxins, etc)
- http://www.greenirene.com/green-home-services.aspx
- http://nationshomeinspections.com/energy.php
- http://ghexperts.com/
- http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/
- http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html
- http://organicgardening.com/
- http://www.kidsgardening.com/
- http://urbanext.illinois.edu/homecomposting/
- http://www.ewg.org/health
- http://environment.yale.edu/magazine/fall2009/the-problem-with-plastics/
- http://lifewithoutplastic.com/
- http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecomii_healthy_living/52/10-environmental-toxins-to-avoid.html
Green Chicago
- http://www.mindfulmetropolis.com
- http://www.afreshsqueeze.com
- http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/doe/provdrs/ccgt.html
Greener Buying/Shopping
- http://www.betterworldbooks.com
- http://changingthepresent.org/
- http://www.goodguide.com
- http://www.biggreenpurse.com/
Green Courses/Podcasts
- http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/environment/id385770407
- http://www.ted.com/talks/tags/id/70
- http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/doe/provdrs/ccgt/svcs/green_tech_u.html
- http://www.thegreenmama.com/services/classes
- http://www.ecoachievers.com/
- http://www.greenbuild365.org/
- http://www.biodiversity911.org/EducationalResources/EducationalResources.html (for kids)
General/Other
GREEN EVENTS FOR SCHOOLS, FAMILIES, KIDS.
- Apr 22 (every year): Earth Day!
- Apr 29: Arbor Day
- Events at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago.
- Events at Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
- Find a green event in the Chicago area with afreshsqueeze.com's online events calendar.
Other
Celebrate a green halloween: tips for parents, kids, schools.

