Woodridge Park District is Going Green!
The Woodridge Park District is making progress towards its green efforts in the community, parks, and facility operations. An environmental committee, Green Guides, composed of employees from each department of the park district, was formed in December 2009 and is helping to further the district's environmental stewardship.
Green Efforts in the Community
Rain Barrel Sale
| This spring, the Green Guides committee, in cooperation with The Conservation Foundation, is selling rain barrels to help homeowners lower their water bills and help conserve water. Order your rain barrel at the Community Center by Wednesday, May 12 and pickup your rain barrel at Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park on Saturday, May 22 anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. |
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Download a .PDF of the Rain Barrel Order Form
Watch an instructional video on rain barrel installation and The Conservation Foundation
Athletic Shoe Collection
| It all began in September 2008 with an empty box and a challenge by Dan Peboontom, Athletic Supervisor for the Woodridge Park District, to collect over a 1,000 pairs of athletic shoes. Four months passed and over 1,500 pairs of athletic shoes were donated by area residents. All shoes collected will be sent to Nike Corporation and ground into surfaces used for playgrounds, track and field and basketball courts as a part of their Nike Go Places program, formerly known as Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program. |
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Because of the positive response, the park district will continue to collect athletic shoes at the Community Center, 2600 Center Drive, as part of an ongoing recycling effort.
Cell Phones for Soldiers
| Woodridge Park District is collecting cell phones on behalf of Cell Phones for Soldiers to help keep the 150,000 troops serving overseas connected with their families. Local residents can support the collection drive by donating their unused cell phones and accessories at the Woodridge Park District Community Center at 2600 Center Drive, Woodridge. Please remove your SIM card before donating. The donated phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each phone – enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad. |
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Green Efforts in the Parks
Recycling Bins at Community Parks
| Recyling bins were installed at the Community Center, Castaldo Park, and Echo Point Park in the Summer 2008. We encourage residents to use the recycling bins when visiting these community parks. If a recycling bin is not available at the park you are visiting, we encourage you to recycle your trash at home. |
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Community Clean-Up
Each year the Parks Department of the Woodridge Park District organizes a community-wide clean-up of the parks and surrounding areas. In 2009 over 200 volunteers helped to clean-up 4 yards of trash and 1 yard of recyclables.
The 2010 Community Clean Up the Parks Day took place on Saturday, April 17 with volunteers from 26 family & business groups. |
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Green Efforts at Park District Facilities
Community Center
Green Audit and Employee Education
| In March 2009, the park district began working with S.C.A.R.C.E. (School and Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education) organization to learn about ways that the district can conserve energy, create less waste, and be more earth-friendly. An audit of the Community Center and Village Greens was completed and some recommendations have already been implemented. All park district employees participated in a training session in December 2009 to learn ways that they can reduce, reuse, and recyle at work and at home. |
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Green Bulletin Board
| A bulletin board keeps Park District employees informed about upcoming "Green" events in the community and surrounding areas. It also serves as an information board for educating employees about ways to conserve energy, protect the environment, and do their part in the 3 Rs (Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse) at home and in the office. |
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Recycle
- Employees bring in used alkaline batteries and plastic bags. Monthly trips are made to the recycling center to recycle all donations.
- Employees bring in magazines and other bulk paper to contribute to District 68 paper and magazine recycling collection efforts.
Reuse
- Staff purchases recycled products whenever possible, including copy paper, bathroom tissue, paper towels, and garbage bags.
Village Greens Golf Course
Village Greens of Woodridge has received certification in Environmental Planning from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), an international program administered by Audubon International designed to help landowners preserve and enhance the environmental quality of their property. The plan was developed by Brandon Evans, General Manager, who is also recognized for his effort to plan for environmental stewardship.
By joining and participating in the ACSP, Village Greens of Woodridge will be involved in projects that enhance habitat for wildlife and preserve natural resources for the benefit of the local community. These projects may include: placing nesting boxes for cavity-nesting birds such as bluebirds and swallows, utilizing integrated pest management techniques, conserving water, and maintaining food and cover for wildlife.
In early summer 2009, Village Greens Golf Course was the 1st prize international winner for the most golfers taking the Green Golfer pledge through the Audobon Society. This program encourages golf courses to take an active role in showing support for the environmental excellence on golf courses around the world. Over 500 golfers at Village Greens Golf Course have already taken the Green Golfer pledge of "I value the nature of the game and accept my responsibility to ensure that golf courses are managed in harmony with the environment." To take the Green Golfer pledge visit the Village Greens Golf Couse website at www.villagegreensgolf.com
Maintenance Building
Our maintenance staff is doing their part to reduce and recycle. The park district participates in fluorescent lamp recycling with Fluorecyle, Inc. This program responsibly recycles the flourescent bulbs which helps keep dangerous mecury out of landfills and decreases the chance for mecury vapors to be released into the environment. The maintenance staff also recycles scrap metal on a regular basis to reduce waste in landfills and to give the scrap metal new life in re-used metal products.
Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park
Rain barrels were installed by the new locker room adjacent to the Bullfrog Bayou splash playground. Rain water is collected from the roof into the barrels which water the plant material along the building.
The facility is also equipped with high efficiency (89%) pool heaters which surpass the standard heaters (80+%). This high efficiency heater uses less energy to operate. |
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Websites for More Information About Going Green
The following links will proceed to another website. We cannot endorse the content, products, or services provided on third-party sites hyperlinked from this page. We also cannot endorse or guarantee the products, information, or recommendations provided on third party sites hyperlinked from these pages.
www.bookrescue.org
The website for the S.C.A.R.C.E. organization located in Glen Ellyn, IL and serving Dupage County. Sign-up for their monthly e-newsletter that provides information about upcoming green events and recycling programs in the Chicagoland area.
Earth911.com
This website provides resources for you to responsibly recycyle or reuse an item you no longer want.
www.ecofont.com
This website provides a free download of EcoFont. Make this your default font and save up to 25% ink when printing.
www.thegreenguide.com
This website, brought to you by National Geographic magazine, provides you with green buying guides and helpful hints for living green.
www. thedailygreen.com
The Daily Green features daily news, tips, seasonal recipes and community photos. The feature articles cover a variety of topics, including gardening, nutrition and food safety; saving money and energy at home, in the car and everywhere else; the latest research about global warming and the health risks of chemicals and toxic toys; as well as unique topics you'll find nowhere else.
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© 2008 Woodridge Park District
