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Tribute to Linda Lutz |
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When she joined the Ecology Center, they had one camp, Wildflower, which had been started in the late 1970’s with about two dozen campers. Today the camp program has six different camps and something like 450 campers. That’s quite an accomplishment! When Linda was beginning her second decade with the Ecology Center, the EEA board voted, with Linda’s support and guidance, to investigate the possibility of expanding the Ecology Center facility. The space could only accommodate one program at a time, and that included sharing space with the Center’s Critters. “It would be kind of embarrassing,” says Linda, “to have a public meeting or educational program going on and hear the guinea pigs squeaking and the mice running around in the background.” With Linda’s help, the EEA board made a proposal to the City of Evanston in 1998 for a new addition. Linda spent the next six years selecting architects, meeting with the public (12 meetings!), wrestling with contractors, testing soil, working with the city, and getting grants and loans. But her work paid off. The official groundbreaking ceremony was in June 2001, and by October 2004 we celebrated the Grand Opening. The new addition holds 112 people in its lovely 1,800 square feet, and boasts a massive wood-burning fireplace and vaulted ceiling with exposed wood beams as well as ADA-compliant bathroom facilities. Yay, Linda! Some of her many other accomplishments include:
Mostly, though, Linda is proud of the work she has done “integrating what we do with the community.” She says the Ecology Center interacts with hundreds of families: “Whether it’s to help with leaf collection, do an internship or community service, attend a camp or program, we’ve really embraced the community and created a lot of partnerships.” Charles Smith, long time EEA board member, Ladd Arboretum Committee member and friend, has collaborated with Linda on many projects. “Because of Linda’s hard work and good management the Evanston Ecology Center will continue to serve our community with wonderful youth camps, a beautiful new meeting facility and of course our 17 acre woods. I am grateful for Linda’s leadership and friendship.” As a consistent champion of the Ecology Center, Charles says when there were attempts to cut programs or reduce resources Linda found a way to eliminate or reduce the cuts and find new resources. “Linda has been a good steward for the Ladd Arboretum, Environment Board, the Evanston Environmental Association and all things green. With foresight and vision she saw the big picture and was able to balance the interests of all who strived for a greener Evanston.” Karen Taira, one of two Environmental Educators at the Ecology Center, says, “Linda has been the single most influential person in my 12 year career at the Ecology Center. She manages the Ecology Center with the perfect balance of what’s best for the staff and what’s best for the Center and the City. She is a great advocate for the staff and leads with a positive and diplomatic style. She will be truly missed by all.” Beth Cullen, office manager at the Ecology Center since 2001, says, “Because of Linda’s leadership, the Ecology Center is a fun and happy place to work. It’s like being part of a great extended family! She is never afraid of trying new things and always encourages the EcoStaff to stretch our wings and fly. She has mentored many Ecology Center employees over her 20 years of service with the City of Evanston; and many come back to visit or call to say “hi.” It has been my pleasure and privilege to work with this amazing person for the last seven years.” But there’s more to Linda then all this. She is married, with two almost-grown boys. She’s an avid outdoorswoman, knitter and photographer, and recently began taking classes on fabric dyeing. Says Beth, “Linda is generous in sharing her creations with the Ecostaff: we are decked out all winter in her amazing “Luna Knits”, and staff parties are never complete without a Linda-inspired craft project.” Linda got her BS in Anthropology/Sociology from Kalamazoo College and her MS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan. She taught and directed residential environmental education facilities in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire for five years, and was Manager of Education at the Chicago Botanic Garden for four years. She also taught Junior High science for two years. In addition, Linda is very active in the community. She is a member of the Traveler’s Garden Club, the National Parks and Recreation Association, Rotary Club of Evanston, the American Canoeing Association, and she’s the current president of the Evanston Garden Council. We will all miss her, but wish her well as she
searches for her next adventure. As Linda says, with a grin on her
face, no matter how hard the day has been, “Rock ‘n
Roll!”
By now you’re anticipating the warmth of slow-paced summer days and are ready to spend more time outdoors. Consider our citizen scientist opportunities to paddle on the canal on June 21 and be part of the CHEERS study, which focuses on water quality, or to be an Urban Bird Monitor on July 20.
I’d
like to thank you for your commitment and support of the Ecology
Center, Evanston
Linda Lutz, Ecology Center Coordinator P. S. Our multi-purpose room is available for rental for workshops, meetings, retreats and seminars. The 1,400 square foot space is well-lighted, has a pull-down screen for projection, and ample space for tables and chairs. Should you be interested in renting the space, please contact us and request our rental packet. Click here for a complete list of all our exciting and fun Summer 2008 programs. For other fun and exciting Evanston programs, click this link for the City of Evanston's Arts & Recreation Magazine. Click here for a description of our very popular summer camp program, or follow this link to be connected to the City of Evanston's 2008 Summer Camp Guide. Read about our fabulous Ecology Center camps - Wildflower, Kinglet, EcoQuest, EcoExplorer, and Summer Summit Camps. Please make sure you read the Important Information section too.
Grant Update: Grant Helps Youth Attend Summer Camp The Lighthouse Rotary Club of Evanston donated $1,250 to the Evanston Environmental Association so additional Evanston youth could attend 2007 Ecology Center summer camp programs. Your donation made a real difference in the lives of Evanston children! First Ever Evanston Green Living Festival On Saturday, October 6 we hosted the first ever Evanston Green Living Festival (click here for brochure). The Evanston Green Living Festival is co-sponsored by the Evanston Environmental Association, the City of Evanston, ComEd and Northwestern University. For more information, call 847-448-8256. From natural pet products to electric cars, this FREE family festival explored new products and technologies that will help protect the environment and improve everyone's quality of life. It taught how being kinder to Mother Earth may actually save you time and money!
Schedule of Presenters
Don't miss out on this great opportunity to learn more about how to live Greenly! Click here to see what's in store for the Ladd Arboretum long term. A Message from the Director of Parks/Forestry and Recreation What will Evanston’s lakefront look like in 5, 10 or 20 years? One of Evanston’s greatest treasures is its beautiful lakefront, which stretches almost four and a half miles between our borders with Chicago and Wilmette. The City of Evanston is in the early stages of developing a longrange plan to determine what improvements will be made to the land adjacent to Lake Michigan. The area west of the lake includes five public swimming beaches, a dog beach, a boat launch ramp and a sailing beach, large parks with pathways and picnic areas, several restrooms and a Beach Office. Some stretches of the lakefront have large boulders protecting the shoreline from erosion, while Lake Michigan meets the shore with sandy beaches in other areas. Each year thousands of visitors come to swim, picnic, listen to free concerts, attend art festivals, boat, jog, blade, walk, bicycle or just enjoy the views! Other than the Dempster Street Beach Office renovation, it has been decades since a major improvement project was completed in the lakefront area. Several years ago, knowing that extensive work would be required to improve the restrooms and the heavilyused lakefront pathways, the Parks/Forestry and Recreation Department added lakefront redevelopment to the City of Evanston’s long-range Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Similar large projects, such as the James Park renovation, have been accomplished by completing the renovation in phases, drawing money from several fiscal years’ budgets as it is needed. Another advantage of a protracted timetable is that the Department has the opportunity to apply for grants throughout the process. A good example is that staff applied for grants to help fund the lakefront bike path construction project. In June 2006 the City received notice that $550,000 in funding was awarded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) for implementation of the lakefront bike/pedestrian path and lighting system. However, before construction planning could begin, staff wanted to make sure the new path would be part of a cohesive, comprehensive master plan for moving people to the lakefront as well as between lakefront amenities. A visioning process for the lakefront was conducted from November 2006 through January 2007 with a focus group consisting of elected officials, community groups, interest groups, residents and staff. Those involved in the visioning process provided outstanding participation. The process defined a list of guiding goals and objectives for the master planning effort. The Executive Summary is reprinted on the facing page. Extensive information on the Visioning Process outcomes is available on the City’s Web site at www.cityofevanston.org/lakefrontplan. The next step in the process was issuing a Request for Statement of Qualifications in February 2007 to obtain professional consultant services to develop the Master Plan for the lakefront. Master Plan work will likely get under way this Summer. If you were unable to participate in the Visioning Workshop in January, don’t worry. There will be additional opportunities for citizens to become involved in the lakefront Master Planning process through public meetings. Look for notices in the local newspapers, as well as flyers and posters around town, or call us at the City of Evanston Parks/Forestry and Recreation Department at 847/448-8043. There will be additional opportunities for citizens to become involved in the lakefront Master Planning process through public meetings. Douglas J. Gaynor, Director The Tree City USA designation is awarded annually by the National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. In order to be designated as a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards: have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance. In 2006, the City of Evanston was designated as a Tree City USA for the twenty-third consecutive year. Staff's intention is to make it twenty-four years in a row for 2007. There are only 11 other communities within Illinois that have a longer consecutive streak than Evanston. Additionally, Illinois has the second highest number of Tree City USA communities in the nation. Not only does the City of Evanston meet the standards listed above, but we exceed the minimums in most cases. Since Evanston is not the only community that exceeds the basic standards, the National Arbor Day Foundation wanted to be able to recognize these achievements. In 1997, the Foundation created the annual Growth Award as an additional recognition for those communities that go above and beyond the standards of the Tree City USA designation. Beginning in 1997, the City of Evanston has received the Growth Award for eight of the ten years it has been eligible. John Rosenow, the National Arbor Day Foundation's president has said, "An effective community forestry program is an ongoing process of renewal and improvement - a program of tree planting and care that continues through the years. The Tree City USA award is an excellent indication that there is a solid foundation for that process of improvement." Between these two awards, this is an impressive track record not only for the residents of Evanston, who support our forestry activities, but also for the elected officials, who approve the funds to make our work possible, as well as the employees, who carry out the work on a day-to-day basis. I am proud to be the one who actually receives this award in person, but the award really goes to everyone involved. As part of the awards ceremony this year, I was asked to speak (along with delegates from Wilmette and Winnetka) to the other community representatives about Evanston's experience related to the infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer. I discovered that much is still being learned about this destructive insect pest, and I hope to update you in the future on our progress to control the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer. Paul D'Agostino Multi-Purpose Room is Paid Off!
Our new Multi-Purpose Room in use for the dedication of the Grady Bird Sanctuary. The beautiful rug you see was purchased with money donated by the Strout family. It is a tree rug with lots of realistic animals and other natural things throughout. At the annual meeting of the Evanston Environmental Association on December 2, we (literally) burned the mortgage in our fabulous fireplace and celebrated with s'mores! Marking the end of a long but exciting journey, we are happy to announce that the Evanston Environmental Association just made the final payment on the new Multi-Purpose Room. The EEA is very proud to have privately funded the project and are deeply appreciative of the many donors, including the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Museum Capital Grants program (who gave us a grant of $73,000). The final cost was $800,000. A heartfelt Thank You! and Hurrah! 
January 8, 2007 City Council meting where we make the pay-off, with (left to right) Jean Esch (EEA Board), Evanston Mayor Lorraine Morton, Marti Bjornson (EEA Board), Elizabeth O'Connor (EEA Board President), Linda Lutz (Ecology Center Coordinator), Gordon Guth (EEA Board), and Jan Weeks (EEA Board). The journey began a decade ago, when the EEA Board reviewed the needs of the Ecology Center. Programs were flourishing and the Ecology Center had one room for programs, public meetings, animal exhibits, and educational classes. The Board researched their financial situation and made a proposal to the City of Evanston in 1998 for a new addition to the Ecology Center.
The Multi-Purpose Room and exhibit hallway are available for adult rentals. At 1,800 square feet, it holds 112 people, and offers such amenities as a massive wood-burning fireplace, a vaulted ceiling with exposed wood beams, water and ADA-compliant bathroom facilities. Click here for more information, or call us at (847) 448-8256 to reserve it today!
Photos from Grady Bird Sanctuary Dedication September 2006
Evanston residents can rent garden plots from mid-March through mid-November through the Evanston Community Garden Rental Program. Click here for more information on this fabulous program.
Take advantage of all of the EEA's great membership benefits, including discounts on classes, camps, bookstore and birdseed purchases, and the newsletter. Give a membership as a gift and a new gift membership letter will be sent out promptly listing you as the gift giver. Not
all Batteries are Hazardous Waste Many Evanston residents return used household batteries for recycling to the local fire station or the Evanston Ecology Center to keep toxic chemicals from our environment. Good stewardship practices by the manufacturers of batteries have produced the batteries without toxic chemicals. Battery companies have worked to eliminate mercury in the manufacturing of the most commonly used batteries: alkaline, manganese, carbon zinc, and reuseable carbon zinc. Current recommendations state there is no toxicity to alkaline and these other types of batteries. They do not need to be recycled, and can be disposed of safely in the trash. The cost of recycling batteries in Evanston has been paid for by Keep Evanston Beautiful, Inc. (KEB) with the goal of reducing toxic wastes in landfills. The non-toxic batteries compromise 80% of the batteries that KEB pays to have recycled. This is a significant cost to KEB, and an evaluation of the need for sponsorship of household battery recycling is being conducted. At this point in time batteries will no longer be collected at the fire station and Ecology Center drop off points. Do NOT dispose of button, lithium, nickel-cadmium (rechargeable), sealed lead acid in the trash. These batteries contain toxic chemicals and are considered household hazardous waste. Household hazardous waste collections are sponsored by the Illinois EPA, and the schedule is available on their website. Check sources at KEB's website or call 847/448-8256 ext 105. Birthday
Party Rentals Become an EEA Member - Make A Difference! The Evanston Environmental Association is an independent yet dedicated non-profit organization that provides financial support and advocacy for environmental and ecological issues of importance to the Evanston community. Join the EEA to sustain and promote the health and growth of the programs offered by the Ecology Center. Click here for more information, or to join today! Evanston Environmental Association Board Elizabeth O'Connor, president Click here for a copy of the EEA's annual report. The Ecology Center is open as follows: Memorial Day
through Labor Day - Monday through Friday 9:00am-4:30pm Let the Ecology
Center staff help your group earn their badge, pin or patch! Programs
can be tailored to the specific needs of your group. For information
call at 847/448-8256. What should I do with old paint or household products? Household hazardous waste disposal in Illinois is done in line with guidelines set by the Illinois Department of the Environment. For more information on the Household Hazardous Waste Collections call The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) at (847)336-9340, or visit the The Solid Waste Agency of Cook County (SWANCC) website, or visit the Illinois EPA website.
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