formerly citizens' greener Evanston

In a few short decades we must rapidly accelerate our progress on two monumental and intertwined challenges:

Minimizing Greenhouse Gases
Maximizing Ecological Abundance

We Evanstonians are building on our town’s record of leadership in tackling these challenges.

Our Programs

We at Climate Action Evanston help speed progress through our programs. 

Beyond Waste Program symbol

Beyond Waste

In nature there is no waste: outputs from living things circle back to become useful inputs to other living things. This program works to speed up progress in extending the useful life of items and making more of Evanston's outputs valuable inputs.

program home page
Edible Evanston Program Symbol

Edible Evanston

Regenerative agriculture practices produce an abundance of nutritious foods, sequester carbon in soil, and heal ecosystems degraded by industrial agriculture. This program creates local community around adopting these practices and equitably sharing the resulting bounty.

program home page
Energy Program symbol

Energy

Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced through improved energy efficiency, reduced fossil fuel consumption, and the use of renewable energy. This program works to speed the transition to more efficient use of electricity to cook food, heat spaces, heat water, dry clothes, and power vehicles.

program home page

Environmental Justice Evanston

The harms caused by climate change and ecosystem degradation and the benefits derived from taking action to address them tend to be unfairly distributed. This program seeks to make them accrue equitably throughout Evanston.

program home page

Natural Habitat Evanston

Conventional lawns and garden practices waste water, emit carbon and poison birds and pollinators whose populations are in dramatic decline. Natural Habitat works to return vibrant, buzzing life to Evanston public and private-owned landscapes.

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Upcoming Events

Preventing Bird Collisions - Problem Window Tips

Part of the Going Green Series Spring Migration season is here! Let's learn how we can prevent bird collisions at home with some simple tips. Attend this virtual session with Leslie Shad from Natural Habitat Evanston to learn how to support migrating birds by keeping your windows visible and collision-free. Additionally, if you have problem windows where birds have hit, take a photo and bring it to the discussion to get some valuable tips.

Register.Register.
Mar 29
Wed
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
zoom

Environmental Justice Evanston Monthly Meetings

Join us for our monthly meetings. We meet (currently on Zoom) on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-6:30pm. Email us at ej@greenerevanston.org. We'd love to have you join us! Please let us know if you want to attend so we can send you the Zoom link.

Mar 29
Wed
5:30 pm
6:30 pm

10th Annual Seed Swap

Get free seeds and share your saved seeds.
A Work/Giveaway/Swap Event

Learn MoreLearn More
Apr 1
Sat
12:30 pm
Robert Crown Center

Food Forest Volunteering: Sunday

Individuals working together with supervision to maintain the food forest. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
A 1st Sunday monthly Work and Learn Event

Learn MoreLearn More
Apr 2
Sun
11:00 am
Eggleston Park Food Forest

Butterflies & Bees. North Shore Village Network

Butterflies & Bees. Simple ways to take action for climate, community health and biodiversity: Plant native, and swap out our lawns. Also, what is the buzz about leaves, keystone plants, and more. Leslie Shad, lead of Natural Habitat Evanston, will share and discuss.

North Shore Village Network

Monday, April 3⋅1:30 – 3:00pm

RegisterRegister
Apr 3
Mon
1:30 pm
3:00 pm
zoom

North Shore Mosquito Abatement District meeting

NSMAD Board Meetings, unless otherwise noted, take place on Thursdays at 7:00 PM at our office, located at 117 Northfield Road, Northfield. Listen in or Comment to learn more about how mosquito spraying impacts you and your garden.

More InfoMore Info
Apr 6
Thu
7:00 pm
8:30 pm
117 Northfield Road, Northfield

Collecting Mulch for plantings

Help us collect mulch for our upcoming tree plantings. With 3-4 helpers, we should load up quickly.

Sign up!Sign up!
Apr 11
Tue
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
James Park, parking lot in SW corner, Evanston

Kingsley School Tree Planting

Looking for helpers to plant trees at Kingsley. 1  chinquapin, 1 redbud

SIgnupSIgnup
Apr 14
Fri
11:15 am
12:45 pm
Kingsley School, 2300 Green Bay Rd, Evanston

Collecting Mulch for plantings

Help us collect more mulch for our upcoming tree plantings. With 3-4 helpers, we should load up quickly.

Sign up!Sign up!
Apr 18
Tue
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
James Park, parking lot in SW corner, Evanston

Larimer Park renovations meeting

Community meeting scheduled for April 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Nichols Middle School.

Larimer Park community meetingLarimer Park community meeting
Apr 18
Tue
6:00 pm
Nichols Middle School, 800 Greenleaf Street • Evanston, IL 60202

Natural Habitat Evanston Meeting - open to all interested

Share and hear all we are working on, and how to get involved.

Register.Register.
Apr 19
Wed
5:30 pm
7:00 pm
zoom

Earth Day Event

Celebrate Earth Day with us! Stop by our table and learn more about how environmental justice affects your life. We'll have a playbook to help you take action against any environmental inequities that affect you.

Apr 22
Sat
10:00 am
12:00 pm
The Ecology Center

Willard School Tree planting

Move 1 oak, plant 2 oaks

RegisterRegister
Apr 23
Sun
1:00 pm
3:00 pm
Willard School, 2700 Hurd Avenue • Evanston, IL 60201

Walker School Tree planting

Plant 2 Oaks

RegisterRegister
Apr 29
Sat
1:00 pm
3:00 pm
Walker School, 3601 Church Street • Evanston, IL 60203

Oakton School Tree Planting

Planting Chinquapin Oak (Quercus Muehlenbergii 3, Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis 4, Persimmon Diospyros virginiana 3

RegisterRegister
May 3
Wed
1:00 pm
3:00 pm
Oakton School, 436 RIdge Ave, Evanston, IL

ETHS Tree Planting

Planting 2  hackberry, 2 hickory, 1 pecan, 1 linden, 1 sweet gum, Red, swamp white or bur  oaks - heritage we can add however many we want

RegisterRegister
May 4
Thu
10:00 am
12:00 pm
ETHS, 1600 Dodge, Evanston, IL

Walker School Tree Planting

Planting Bur Oak 1, Redbud 1, Bald Cypress 1, Ironwood 1, River birch 1

RegisterRegister
May 6
Sat
10:00 am
12:00 pm
Walker School, 3601 Church St, Skokie, IL

LIncolnwood School Tree Planting

Planting 4 Blue Beech Carpinus caroliniana, 2 River birch Betula nigra, 4 Swamp white oak Quercus bicolor

RegisterRegister
May 6
Sat
1:00 pm
4:00 pm
Lincolnwood School, 2600 Colfax St, Evanston, IL

Dewey School Tree Planting

Planting 4 Blue Beech Carpinus caroliniana, 2 River birch Betula nigra, 4 Swamp white oak Quercus bicolor

RegisterRegister
May 11
Thu
3:45 pm
5:00 pm
Dewey School, 1551 Wesley Avenue, Evanston, IL

North Shore Mosquito Abatement District meeting

NSMAD Board Meetings, unless otherwise noted, take place on Thursdays at 7:00 PM at our office, located at 117 Northfield Road, Northfield. Listen in or Comment to learn more about how mosquito spraying impacts you and your garden.

More InfoMore Info
May 11
Thu
7:00 pm
8:30 pm
117 Northfield Road, Northfield

Natural Habitat Evanston Members Meeting

Share and hear all we are working on, and how to get involved.

RegisterRegister
May 17
Wed
5:30 pm
6:30 pm
zoom

You're Needed! Here Are Some Involvement Opportunities

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Volunteer

Our programs are always seeking volunteers. Visit their home pages to learn more about the opportunities they offer.

Although we’re a volunteer organization, we have expenses. Increasing our revenues allows us to budget to do more. Help us build the capacity to better support all our programs, or target your donation to a specific program.

More About Us

Climate Action Evanston volunteers collaborate with the City, local businesses, faith communities, residents and others to accelerate climate action throughout Evanston Illinois. Formerly Citizens' Greener Evanston, we started in 2008 and worked with the City on its first climate plan.

Some Successes

Our Board of Directors

Karen Bireta

Waste Reduction Program Lead
Lives in Ward 9
Karen Bireta
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

Attending an Earth Day event in 5th Grade, we simulated an oil spill and explored ways to clean it up. That was the day I realized I wanted to focus on the environment and find better solutions for our planet.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

Interested in getting more involved with our local community of climate action champions and bringing the vision of a Circular City to Evanston.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

Launching composting for my condo building. It started with just a 5-gallon bucket for my family and over time successfully expanded to a 32-gallon tote for our entire condo building!

Joel Freeman

Energy Program Lead
Lives in Ward 7
Joel Freeman
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

My involvement with building energy efficiency began in the 1980s. Reducing building energy was primarily an economic consideration then, along with resource preservation. The connection of buildings to GHG emissions and global climate change made water, energy, and grid use an elevated priority.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

I participated early in the predecessor organization, Network for Evanston's Future, and was co-chair of the Mayor’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan Working Group that produced the CARP document. Climate Action Evanston was a natural fit to continue the pursuit of Evanston's climate action goals.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

To my home I've added attic insulation, new windows, rooftop solar, and electric cooking appliances. Heat pump water and space heating soon to follow. I initiated use of a composting service at home and at my work place. Owned hybrid cars for 13+ years. Work project energy savings received awards.

Jerri Garl

Environmental Justice Program Lead
Lives in Ward 8
Jerri Garl
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

The future of my children and grandchildren has always been my motivation to fight for change. Throughout my career as a state and federal regulator, I worked to shape environmental policies that support climate mitigation and resilience.  It's the most important challenge of our lifetime.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

EJE is committed to bringing a climate equity lens to improve the quality of life in our community and to advance opportunities for full public engagement in local decision-making, especially in under-served neighborhoods, which are hardest hit by climate change.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

As a former member of the Environment Board, we helped get the Climate Emergency Resolution passed by City Council. This resolution underscored the importance of environmental equity and environmental justice in CARP implementation, to ensure the future health and well-being of future generations.

Chuck Heisinger

Treasurer
Lives in Ward 2
Chuck Heisinger
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

There are many issues to be addressed in this world, but this one stands alone because it threatens our very existence. Rich, poor, white, black—we are all threatened by a climate spiraling into dangerous territory.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

In my case, “What” is “Who” — my wife. She has watched me care for the Evanston YMCA Camp Echo orchard for 20 years and she knows what I do for a living—financial consulting, so she suggested this as a natural fit. She was right.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

I am a newcomer, but my contribution has been to provide insight for the board on how the organization’s money is received and spent.

Jerry Herst

Lives in Ward 8
Jerry Herst
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

I was at the first Earth Day in 1970, became involved in Outdoor Education. I discovered the beauty and intricacies of the natural world and our connection to it and learned of threats posed by climate change. I have been involved in climate activism ever since.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

In 2001, my wife and I organized the Green Team at our synagogue, JRC, affirming caring for the earth as a Jewish value. I served on the building team and, in 2008, JRC became the first House of Worship ever to earn LEED Platinum Certification! In 2015 I was invited to join the CGE board.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

HOME 2006-solar thermal hot water; 2013-Energy Star certificate insulation; 2019-solar PV; 2022-heat pump replaced gas furnace; 1989-2022-landscaped with native plantings. WORK insulating window coverings for cold in winter/heat in summer. PLAY co-steward, Clark Street Beach Bird Sanctuary.

Ken Kastman

Edible Evanston Program Lead
Lives in Ward 6
Ken Kastman
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

My training as a Geotechnical Engineer has always connected me to the earth. The focus on soils morphed into Environmental Engineering as damage to the earth and the climate became apparent, and new engineering solutions and actions were needed.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

I was a member of Edible Evanston, spawned from the “Ten Big Ideas” initiative from the Evanston Centennial Celebration in 2013. Edible Evanston’s mission dovetailed well with CGE, the predecessor organization of Climate Action Evanston, and we were accepted as a formal program.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

Along with four other co-leaders, Edible Evanston has created the Eggleston Park Food Forest, taking a half-acre grassy field into a permaculture-based perennial orchard and food forest. The food forest demonstrates how people can help mitigate climate action and be more resilient.

Peter Laundy

Lives in Ward 3
Peter Laundy
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

Concern that we humans are acting too slowly to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss, and hometown pride in Evanston's leadership in taking action.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

Encouragement to join from the founder of its predecessor organization, its mission, and seeing it as a way to fulfill my desire to get off the sidelines and take action.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

Winning a unanimous City Council vote to overturn the denial of solar panels on our home's rooftop, leading to rewritten historic district rooftop solar rules. Also our lawnless garden. It's low maintenance, and integrates habitat value and landscape architecture.

Lauren Marquez Viso

Vice President
Lives in Ward 2
Lauren Marquez Viso
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

I have a deep connection to the natural world and feel profoundly connected to the earth. We have one precious planet and I feel compelled to protect it with every fiber of my being. This was reinforced with the birth of my son and I elevated my service in honor of him and all living things.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

After attending Climate Reality Leader training in 2017, I came back to Evanston with a strategy to focus and engage in climate action at the local level. I wanted to offer my talents and energy to a community-based organization that I knew was making a difference addressing climate change.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

I was appointed by the Mayor of Evanston to co-lead the Climate Action Resiliency Plan working group in 2018. Our talented group of volunteers created an historic plan with ambitious climate action and resiliency goals. I have continued guiding city climate policy through advocacy and activism.

Jean Saunders

Lives in Ward 4
Jean Saunders
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

When I was 12, my father gave me Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.  Learning about the damage chemicals like DDT (once considered harmless!) did to wildlife and birds sparked my environmental passion.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

CARP. Evanston Climate Action and Resilience Plan and an interest to work on the implementation of the plan.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

We try to take more and more small steps - eliminating driving trips, composting more organic waste, and being mindful that more than just Monday can be meatless.

Leslie Shad

Natural Habitat Program Lead
Lives in Ward 3
Leslie Shad
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

When I realized around 2008 how climate change impacts the chemistry of the ocean, it brought home how far-reaching climate chaos is to ecosystems and all species.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

A friend invited me to a rain garden discussion in her home, followed by engaging me in building weatherizations and then starting Natural Habitat Evanston.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

My husband agreed to our converting our yard to native grasses and pollinator plants. I am happy whenever I am in our garden.

Chuck Wasserburg

Vice President
Lives in Ward 2
Chuck Wasserburg
What moved you to get involved in climate action?

I grew up in Southern California where smog was thick, so I knew what pollution could do, and there was no way to avoid that humans caused it. At the same time, I could backpack in the foothills, so, even though I scoffed at tree-huggers, I got a good sense of my place in the natural world.

What led you to Climate Action Evanston?

While I appreciated what national and global groups were doing to raise awareness and combat the issue, the scope of the problem seemed too huge for me to make any difference. So I set out to learn about groups in Evanston that were trying to have an impact locally - and found out about CGE.

Any personal success in Climate Action you'd care to share?

We installed rooftop solar and heat pumps in our home and have composting service. While living in a condo here, I successfully advocated to get composting service for the entire building.