Articles and Information
School Programs
Loan Box Program
Fire Circle Permits
Resources on the Web

Articles and Information
Written by the trained naturalists of the Ladd Arboretum and the Evanston Ecology Center.

Click on the links below to read more.

We're updating our web collection all the time, so keep checking back for other great pieces.

Animal Tracks
by Linda Lutz, Director, Evanston Ecology Center

River otter hind paw.

Chicago's Winter Birds
by Wayne Svoboda

Keep Drinking Water Clean
by Union of Concerned Scientists, distributed by the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

Lewis and Clark
by Linda Lutz, Director, Evanston Ecology Center

Nesting Birds...
by Linda Lutz, Director, Evanston Ecology Center

The State of Recycling
by Tracy Hubbard, Keep Evanston Beautiful

Technically speaking: Salts, Chlorides and Deicers
by Jeff Swano, Director, Salt Creek Watershed Network

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School Programs

Through its School Program, the Evanston Ecology Center strives to foster a greater appreciation, awareness and knowledge of the natural environment and our interdependence with it. This specific program provides school children with field trips which provide interdisciplinary learning and introduces them to major ecological issues.

Click here for more information on these fabulous programs.

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Loan Box Program

Our loan box program provides materials and activities that can be used to introduce or reinforce facts, concepts, or principals in the school curriculum.

Click here for more information on this excellent resource.

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Fire Circle Permits

Fire Circle Permits Open burning is not permitted in Evanston for any reason unless the Evanston Fire Prevention Bureau gives approval. A special permit will be issued for any open burning activity in Evanston.

The Cement Fire Ring is located at the Lakefront area next to the Evanston Art Center. In order to request a permit for the use of the bonfire ring, you must first telephone the Ecology Center at 847.448.8256 to schedule an available date for the use of the ring. Only one fire permit is issued for each date.

There is a $30 fee for residents or a $60 fee for non-residents. Proof of residency must be provided to receive the resident rate. The fee must be paid at the time the permit date is confirmed. After the date is scheduled, you may fill out the form on-line and send it, via the submit button on the form, to Evanston Fire and Life Safety Services Headquarters. The approved permit will be returned to you via email. Permits may only be issued to the person requesting the permit. You must acknowledge that you have read and understand the rules and regulations. The application must include some form of identification, either Driver's License or Social Security Number. Please allow 7-10 working days to receive your permit after you have submitted the form.

To fill out a permit application online, click here.

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Resources on the Web
Environmental education links, connections to area nature centers and resources, government agencies, and points of interest in and around Evanston, Illinois.

Chicago Area Environmental Organizations

Chicago Botanic Garden
23 spectacular gardens on 385 acres, the Garden is a place of ever-changing beauty that you can stroll through daily.

North Park Village Nature Center
The Chicago Department of Environment's North Park Village Nature Center is located on the northwest side of Chicago and includes a forty-six acre nature preserve and educational facility.

The Morton Arboretum
The mission of The Morton Arboretum is to collect and study trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world, to display them across naturally beautiful landscapes for people to study and enjoy, and to learn how to grow them in ways that enhance our environment.

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation
Located in Prospect Heights, an inspirational organization which focuses on the rehabilitation and re-introduction of injured animals into the wild.

Chicago Wilderness
An unprecedented partnership of 92 public and private organizations that have joined forces to protect, restore and manage over 200,000 acres of protected lands in the Chicago metro area.

North Branch Restoration Project
The North Branch Restoration Project is working to restore and manage the few remaining savannas, woodlands, forests and prairies along the North Branch of the Chicago River in the Cook County Forest Preserves.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of the Illinois EPA is to safeguard environmental quality, consistent with the social and economic needs of the State, so as to protect health, welfare, property and the quality of life.

Lake Forest Open Lands Association
This is a not-for-profit land conservation trust in northeastern Illinois. They own or manage over 700 acres of savanna, woodland and prairie within the city of Lake Forest.

Evanston, Illinois

City of Evanston
Located just north of Chicago, Evanston has a stunning natural setting on Lake Michigan with unique business districts, attractive homes on tree-lined streets, and pleasant public parks.

Evanston Information Server
A service of the Evanston Public Library, the Evanston Information Server is a guide for residents, visitors, and virtual travelers to many of the amenities, services, and recreations provided both at the Library and in and around Evanston, Illinois. This is an amazing resource for anyone wanting to find almost anything in, or about, Evanston.

Keep Evanston Beautiful
Keep Evanston Beautiful endeavors to provide educational programs for all Evanston residents in order to promote the responsible use of our natural resources through the three 'R's - reduce, reuse, recycle. They also encourage the aesthetic improvement of our community through litter prevention and landscaping.

Government Resources Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County
The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) is a unit of local government and a not-for-profit corporation. This organization is the contact point for Household Hazardous Waste Collections for the Evanston area.

Evanston Energy Future
Evanston Energy Future is committed to a local energy policy which decreases energy demand - with its harmful environmental impacts - and shifts energy supply toward solar, wind and other renewable sources. It seeks to capture the jobs and economic development benefits of this energy conversion for the local economy.

Other Organizations

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
A vibrant and united regional community of Unitarian Universalists working for social justice. Their mission is to provide leadership and coordination for effective social action that reflects Unitarian Universalist values in the region.

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