Dickson-Murst Farm Garden Book Club

Dickson-Murst Farm Garden Book ClubWednesday, October 29th4:30pm “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer   Dickson-Murst Farm2550 Dickson RdMontgomery, IL, 60538   Gather and chat by the Dickson-Murst Farm gardens about the 2025 read “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall ......More

Dickson-Murst Farm Garden Book ClubWednesday, October 29th4:30pm “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer   Dickson-Murst Farm2550 Dickson RdMontgomery, IL, 60538   Gather and chat by the Dickson-Murst Farm gardens about the 2025 read “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer on Wednesday, October 29th. This event is free and all are encouraged to join. Refreshments and fresh air provided.  

Dickson-Murst Farm, 2550 Dickson Road, Montgomery, IL, 60538, United States

Winter Chloride Watchers Training

Winter Chloride Watchers TrainingWednesday, October 29th6:30 — 8:00pm Hinsdale Public Library20 E Maple StHinsdale, IL 60521     Understanding how chlorides impact our local streams starts with measuring their presence in the water — and that’s where you come in! As a ......More

Winter Chloride Watchers TrainingWednesday, October 29th6:30 — 8:00pm Hinsdale Public Library20 E Maple StHinsdale, IL 60521     Understanding how chlorides impact our local streams starts with measuring their presence in the water — and that’s where you come in! As a volunteer Winter Chloride Watcher, you’ll learn the basics of chloride monitoring and take part in water testing at a local river or stream. With this data, we will gain a clearer picture of how chlorides affect aquatic life and how Salt Smart winter practices can reduce the amount of chlorides that reach waterways.   2025 Training Sessions:Wednesday, October 15th6:30 — 8:00pmHybrid – In-Person and Virtual (Zoom), The Conservation Foundation, McDonald Farm, Clow House, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd, Naperville, IL 60565 Tuesday, October 21st6:30 — 8:00pmVirtual (Zoom) Wednesday, October 29th6:30 — 8:00pmHinsdale Public Library, 20 E Maple St, Hinsdale, IL 60521Sponsored by DuPage County Stormwater Management   Learn more about Winter Chloride Watchers and register for a training session here.   This event is sponsored by:  

Green Earth Harvest Farm Stand

Green Earth HarvestFarm StandThursdaysJune through October3:00 – 6:00pm 10S404 Knoch Knolls RdNaperville, IL 60565You’ll find us down the drive inside our barn!   Visit our weekly farm stand on Thursday afternoons to bring home fresh, local, certified organic veggies al......More

Green Earth HarvestFarm StandThursdaysJune through October3:00 – 6:00pm 10S404 Knoch Knolls RdNaperville, IL 60565You’ll find us down the drive inside our barn!   Visit our weekly farm stand on Thursday afternoons to bring home fresh, local, certified organic veggies all summer long!   Green Earth Harvest’s farm stands feature our delicious, freshly-harvested produce, sustainably and organically grown on McDonald Farm. You’ll find our rich, raw honey from the hives on our farm, and, most days, Hufendick Farm’s free-range, local eggs and specialty bouquets from Sweet Pea’s Stems, with occasional gourmet mushrooms from Fae Forest Fungi. The harvest menu selections change each week based on which seasonal crops are ready to be harvested, but you’ll always find something delicious to take home for true farm-to-table enjoyment. We look forward to seeing you on the farm! Follow Green Earth Harvest on Facebook or Instagram for our weekly farm stand harvest menu.   UPick Fields UPick fields are always weather permitting. With ten varieties of cherry tomatoes, green bean varieties in purple, yellow, and green, the must-try, tropical fruit-tasting ground cherries, and fresh basil filling our UPick fields, we will be offering a limited number of UPick tickets each week to our farm stand folks. View last year’s details here and plan an outing to the farm in August to get out of the house and into the fields to savor all of summer’s delights!   Learn more about the farm stand and Green Earth Harvest here!   Please contact us at (630) 428-4500 x154 with any questions.  

McDonald Farm, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd, Naperville, IL, 60565, United States

Strengthening Local Food Systems & Living Sustainably featuring Robin Greenfield

Strengthening Local Food Systems & Living Sustainablyfeaturing Robin Greenfield, Activist & ForagerSaturday, November 1st1:30 — 4:30pmDoors open at 1:00pm Stevenson Hall2nd Floor of Wentz Science Center131 S Loomis StNaperville, IL 60540   The Conservation Foundation a......More

Strengthening Local Food Systems & Living Sustainablyfeaturing Robin Greenfield, Activist & ForagerSaturday, November 1st1:30 — 4:30pmDoors open at 1:00pm Stevenson Hall2nd Floor of Wentz Science Center131 S Loomis StNaperville, IL 60540   The Conservation Foundation and North Central College are pleased to present: Strengthening Local Food Systems & Living Sustainably featuring Robin Greenfield, Activist & Forager. The Earth can provide us with everything we need. Activist Forager Robin Greenfield believes this with all his heart and is putting this love and devotion for Earth into bold action. For one year he will be foraging every bite of his food and medicine. “Nature” will be his garden, his pantry and his pharmacy.To bring this message to the people, he is traveling from his homeland of Northern Wisconsin, speaking in communities across the country. He will embody a relationship of reciprocity with Earth during his community visits, bringing a spotlight to the food and medicine that is growing freely and abundantly all around us, as well as enthusiastically inviting communities to join him in a grassroots, collaborative effort to plant 1 million Community Fruit Trees over the next decade.This event will also include a presentation by The Conservation Foundation about their work creating a place where local farmers, community members, and local organizations who value responsibly grown, healthy food come together to do their part to support local farming, increase food access, connect with the land, and delight in exploring the seasonal, certified organic harvest.   Schedule:Dreams of a Just Web of Life: The Resonant Visions of Kate Raworth and Robin Wall KimmererPresented by Dr. Shelley L. Birdsong, Professor of Religion, Department of Environmental Studies at North Central CollegeSustainability envisions an alignment of the spheres of ecology, economy, and equity. This alignment requires a radical culture shift, catalyzed by alternative narratives and images that move away from individualism, consumerism, and linear thinking and toward kincentric values, reciprocity, and systems thinking. Dr. Birdsong will share holistic approaches for living sustainably in ways that support all living beings. Growing Food in Concert with Nature – Healthy Land, Healthy Food, Healthy CommunitiesPresented by Jennifer Hammer, Vice President of Land & Watershed Programs at The Conservation FoundationThe Conservation Foundation operates a 60-acre certified organic farm in Naperville, growing healthy food surrounded by wetland and prairie in concert with nature. We are building a broad community connecting people with nature and food at the McDonald Farm through programs like farm share subscriptions, a farm stand, kids summer camps, and our newest Farm to Pantry initiative providing over 25,000 pounds of food to local pantries each year. Living Sustainably in the City of NapervillePresented by Ben Mjolsness, Sustainability Manager at the City of NapervilleCity of Naperville staff will provide a brief overview of the City’s sustainability priorities and how the City engages residents through incentives, creative programming, and strategic partnership. Staff will discuss how residents can get involved and make a difference, highlighting the City’s Food Scrap Composting Program and Conservation@Home partnership with The Conservation Foundation. Feed People and Soils, Not LandfillsPresented by Amy Bartucci, Administrator at the Illinois Food Scrap & Composting CoalitionLearn about statewide efforts that are increasing climate action strategies and strengthening communities. Healthy, resilient soils and people rely on coordinated wasted food action and collaboration. Attendees will be able to “see” themselves in food recovery and composting and better understand how every community can help prevent wasted food and advance the diversion of all organics, at all scales, in Illinois. Sign up to take home a FREE kitchen countertop compost pail after the event. Living Sustainability and Fine-Tuning RecyclingPresented by Marta Keane, Will County Recycling/Solid Waste Coordinator at Will County GreenWillCountyGreen.com is a website created in 2010 to provide 24-hour access to a variety of reuse, recycling, composting, energy and water conservation practices. Recycling, one of the foundations of sustainable living, has become very confusing for most people due to changes over the past 20 years and media attention on failures in the system. Together, we can rebuild confidence and make our efforts count. Earth Provides Us with Everything We NeedPresented by Robin Greenfield, Environmental Activist & ForagerRobin Greenfield is foraging 100% of his food and medicine for an entire year! Is it possible to eat in harmony with Earth and live in reciprocity? Join us for an eye opening exploration of food sovereignty through the food and medicine that is growing abundantly all around us. Now is the time to embrace community, grow our relationships and develop our skills! Post-Event Book SigningAfter the event, Robin Greenfield will have his Food Freedom book available on a donation basis and will be doing book signings.   Location & ParkingThe event is located at the Wentz Science Center (#19 on the map). Once there, either take the stairs or elevator to the 2nd floor to Stevenson Hall. For event parking, attendees can park in North Central College Parking Lots G, F, and I or in the City of Naperville Central Parking Garage (highlighted in yellow on the map) or attendees can park on the streets. Accessible parking is just south of Wentz Science Center (highlighted in blue on the map).   In partnership with:  

Be Salt Smart and Protect Your Native Landscaping

Be Salt Smart and Protect Your Native LandscapingTuesday, November 4th12:00 — 1:00pm   Winters in Northeastern Illinois bring the challenge of dealing with snow and ice, which generally means using salt. While we need to keep everyone safe, salt is very damaging to bot......More

Be Salt Smart and Protect Your Native LandscapingTuesday, November 4th12:00 — 1:00pm   Winters in Northeastern Illinois bring the challenge of dealing with snow and ice, which generally means using salt. While we need to keep everyone safe, salt is very damaging to both our natural and built environments. Once salt goes down, it doesn’t go away. Excess salt harms plants and soil, degrades our rivers, wetlands and groundwater, and damages vehicles and buildings. Learn from the Salt Smart Collaborative about practices that use less salt as well as salt-tolerant plant selections you can use to protect your home or business while not sacrificing safety during the winter. Speaker:Hanna Miller is a Watershed Project Manager at The Conservation Foundation working on reducing the impacts of chlorides. She is the workgroup coordinator for the Chicago Area Waterways Chloride Workgroup and the co-coordinator for the Salt Smart Collaborative. Hanna graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in Geoscience. Outside of work, Hanna can often be found cycling along one of the many waterways in the Chicago area.   Thanks to our sponsor:  

Conservation On Tap

Next Gen Advisory Council’s Conservation On TapTuesday, November 4th6:00 — 8:00pm   Bubblehouse Brewing Company2121 Ogden AveUnit ALisle, IL 60532   Registration is NOT required! Conservation on Tap is a series hosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Next Gen Advisory C......More

Next Gen Advisory Council’s Conservation On TapTuesday, November 4th6:00 — 8:00pm   Bubblehouse Brewing Company2121 Ogden AveUnit ALisle, IL 60532   Registration is NOT required! Conservation on Tap is a series hosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Next Gen Advisory Council. It is designed to introduce folks to different aspects of local conservation and provide an opportunity for networking in a casual, drop-in setting. A different guest speaker provides a quick presentation on a conservation topic, usually focused on different career tracks available for those looking to work in this industry. Join us at Bubblehouse Brewing Company in Lisle the first Tuesday of the month from October through March! November Speaker:Anna Sanders Lee, Owner of Down Home Flower Farm Topic:From Seed to Seed: Regenerative Flower FarmingDown Home Flower Farm is a small regenerative flower farm in Elburn, IL. Owner Anna Sanders Lee will walk through an entire season of farming and describe the practices in place on the farm to support soil health, reduce plastic use, provide biodiversity, and produce beautiful blooms.   Sponsored by:  

Bubblehouse Brewing Company, 2121 Ogden Ave, Unit A, Lisle, IL, 60532, United States

Empower Her Plate

Empower Her Plate:Centering Diverse Voices at the Intersection of Food Justice and Environmental EquityFriday, November 7th12:00 — 1:00pm Hosted on Zoom Hosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Inclusion Council, speaker Dr. Vidya Bommi presents Empower Her Plate, a dis......More

Empower Her Plate:Centering Diverse Voices at the Intersection of Food Justice and Environmental EquityFriday, November 7th12:00 — 1:00pm Hosted on Zoom Hosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Inclusion Council, speaker Dr. Vidya Bommi presents Empower Her Plate, a dissertation proposal that addresses food insecurity through the lens of gender, sustainability, and social capital. Rooted in a community garden model, this initiative empowers women by increasing access to fresh food, cultivating practical skills, and fostering strong social networks that build resilience and collective agency. The project uplifts diverse voices often marginalized in environmental spaces, positioning food justice as a pathway to equity and inclusion.   Dr. Vidya Bommi is a social work educator, practitioner, and researcher with extensive experience in field education, curriculum development, and community-based practice. She has been in private practice in Naperville for nearly 20 years, bringing a strong background in community health to her work with individuals and families. Her scholarship, including her dissertation Empower Her Plate, focuses on food insecurity, empowerment, and social capital among women. In addition to her academic and clinical work, Dr. Bommi serves on the Inclusion Council at The Conservation Foundation, where she advances equity and inclusion in environmental and community initiatives.  

Dayton Bluffs Preserve Workday

Dayton Bluffs Preserve WorkdaySaturday, November 8th8:00am – 12:00pm   2997 IL-71Ottawa, IL 61350   Be ready for a workday with The Conservation Foundation! View tips on how to prepare.   A partnership of The Conservation Foundation and the City of Ottawa created the Da......More

Dayton Bluffs Preserve WorkdaySaturday, November 8th8:00am – 12:00pm   2997 IL-71Ottawa, IL 61350   Be ready for a workday with The Conservation Foundation! View tips on how to prepare.   A partnership of The Conservation Foundation and the City of Ottawa created the Dayton Bluffs Preserve, which features 100 acres of prairie, 150 acres of woodlands, rugged ravines, water cascades, and the beautiful Fox River. Work activities vary throughout the year and include collecting native seeds, removal of invasive trees and shrubs, trail maintenance, planting and seeding native species, and controlling weeds. If you plan to bring a group, please contact us at [email protected].  

Dayton Bluffs Preserve, 2997 Illinois Route 71, Ottawa, IL, 61350, United States

5th Annual Trivia Night

5th Annual Trivia NightHosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Next Gen and Inclusion Councils Wednesday, November 12th6:30pm $125 per team of 6 or $25 per person Two Brothers Roundhouse205 N BroadwayAurora, IL 60505   Come enjoy a fun night of trivia hosted by The Con......More

5th Annual Trivia NightHosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Next Gen and Inclusion Councils Wednesday, November 12th6:30pm $125 per team of 6 or $25 per person Two Brothers Roundhouse205 N BroadwayAurora, IL 60505   Come enjoy a fun night of trivia hosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Next Generation Advisory Council and Inclusion Council. These two advisory groups engage a younger and more diverse demographic and foster future leadership in conservation. The members bring new perspectives to our organization while advancing our mission and helping us further understand the needs of the communities we serve. The 5th Annual Trivia Night Fundraiser helps support our Next Gen and Inclusion Council’s programs and further the mission of bringing nature to all! Question categories will include local trivia, pop culture, history, science, and, of course, conservation and nature. Doors open at 6:30pm and trivia starts at 7:00pm.   Thanks to our sponsor:  

Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N Broadway, Aurora, IL, 60505, United States

The Seeds of Action Environmental Film Series

The Seeds of Action Environmental Film Series:The PollinatorsThursday, November 13th6:00 — 8:30pm Fountaindale Public Library300 W. Briarcliff RoadBolingbrook, IL, 60440     Held in partnership with Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook, this four-part monthly fil......More

The Seeds of Action Environmental Film Series:The PollinatorsThursday, November 13th6:00 — 8:30pm Fountaindale Public Library300 W. Briarcliff RoadBolingbrook, IL, 60440     Held in partnership with Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook, this four-part monthly film series features movies that collectively tell a story about the interconnectedness of biodiversity, human, environmental, soil, and animal health, regenerative agriculture, and a sustainable food system. Each event will be held at Fountaindale Public Library and consist of the film screening followed by a moderated panelist discussion. Participants will take home an item that will help them implement lessons learned from the film. Each event requires advance registration through Fountaindale Public Library’s website. Panelists:Beth Peluse, Conservation@Home Program Manager at The Conservation FoundationSteve Archer II of Archer Urban Farms Initiative LLC, Vice President of the Cook DuPage Beekeepers Association, Executive Director of The Stein Learning Gardens, Toastmasters VP of Membership, & Bridgeport VFW TrusteeVeronica Porter, Owner of Ask Aunt V Film Series Schedule:Thursday, September 18thThursday, October 9thThursday, November 13thThursday, December 4th