If you're having trouble viewing this email, you cansee it online.
Food Security Squad
June 7th, 10:00 to 11:30 AM
Food Security Squad delivered 533 tomato seedlings to the People’s Resource Center the week of 5/19. Another 61 pepper/tomato seedlings were donated to the Glen House Food Pantry plus 17lbs. of canned / packaged food items. A big thank you to all the seedling growers (9 SD members) and people who donated food items and their time! Both food pantries were so happy to receive the seedlings for distribution to their clients.
On Tuesday, 5/20, I was fortunate to be passing out seedlings at the mobile food pantry at Leman Middle School in West Chicago and saw first-hand the excitement the plant distribution created. It was great that Maria joined me and was able to use Spanish to explain how to care for the plants. Written instructions in both English and Spanish were also handed out with each of the tomato seedlings. The instructions were created by Dave and proofread by Maria & her daughter. It really took a village to make this sub-project so successful!
Next, we will focus on our food drive Saturday, June 7th, from 10:00 – 11:30 am at the Sustain DuPage Garden. All donations will benefit the Glen House Food Pantry (Glen Ellyn).
We will be accepting cans, boxes or containers of the following items:
-Canned goods – fruits, veggies and soups, especially low-salt or no sugar added
-High Protein – peanut butter, tuna, beans, and canned chicken, chili, or stew
-Whole Grains – whole wheat pasta, brown rice, cereal
No fresh or refrigerated items at this drive please.
Please note that the Food Security Squad donation season for fresh produce will start around June 25th, depending on produce availability. Watch for updates in WhatsApp.
When donating produce please remember the following:
-Wipe off soil and/or dew; do not wash
oFood pantries have no way to clean off soil and washing may promote decomposition
-Visually inspect each item for serious bruising, insect damage and ripeness
oOverripe, mushy or seriously blemished produce should not be donated
-Place items to be donated in the SD garden in the box located by the arbor on Wednesdays between 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Summer Solstice Gathering June 20th, 5:00 to 8:00 PM
Celebrate the longest day and the shortest night in our hemisphere, honoring the sun and its season with us at the Sustain DuPage Garden.
At 5pm, we’ll share a potluck meal. The Theosophical Society’s campus is vegetarian and alcohol-free. Please label the ingredients of any dish you bring to share.
We’ll have a few sun-themed crafts suitable for all ages or simply come to enjoy the good company.
If you have an instrument and would like to grace us with your talents, feel welcome to do so!
Sustain DuPage continues its interpretive nature walk series with local plant expert Pat Armstrong at one of our most biodiverse forest preserves: Greene Valley. In this outdoor walk, Pat will focus on how to identify over 50 edible wild trees, shrubs and plants in late spring through summer, such as Cattails, Juneberries, Hazel Nuts, Beebalms, Redbuds, and Aronias (and possibly 1 very special plant that we would like to keep as a surprise!) Cost: $30 ($27 for Sustain DuPage Members) Click here to learn more and purchase tickets
Park Talk and Stewardship Walk
June 30th, 6:00 to 8:00 PM
How often do you get to tour a park with its founder? Sustain DuPage is lucky to have Jan Smith, a true DuPage sustainability pioneer, personally give us a FREE tour of her namesake park in Carol Stream. The Jan Smith Park: Native Plant Museum is both a prairie as well as a monarch way station. Join us for a pleasant summer evening walk through the park as we learn about its history, the plants, as well as how to maintain a native landscape. Jan has been a champion of native habitats and organic gardens since the 1970s and remains an active force in DuPage County in spreading this information and stewarding techniques.
The first half of this tour will be informational, and in the second half we will get hands-on stewardship experience, working in the park to identify and remove unwelcome or invasive species. Please note you are not required to participate in the hands-on portion in order to attend this event.
Park your car at the Heritage Presbyterian Church located at 965 Kuhn Road, across from Glenbard North High School. To reach the park, it's a short walk north to the corner of Kuhn and Lies. The park itself is located at 925 Kuhn Rd, Carol Stream, IL 60188.
What to bring: Personal comfort items: Insect repellent, water, garden gloves, hat, tools for digging out quack grass if you have one (Sustain DuPage will also be supplying trowels, shovels, and other hand tools).
This is a FREE event, but we do ask that you RSVP here or email info@sustaindupage.com so we can bring the correct number of tools.
Member Swap
June 22nd, 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Sustain DuPage is hosting a members-only swap meet. Bring something(s) you no longer need and, with some luck, leave with something(s) you do need! You can count on the good company and snacks that you've come to expect from our gatherings!
We'll send an email soon to members with registration info and some guidelines, and previews of some items that will be on offer.
In the discussion after our spring movie in the garden, Plastic People, it was decided to create a group thread for DOFS, or DuPagers Organizing For Sustainability, our Policy Reform focus area.
This will be a place people can share about upcoming legislative information- local, regional, state and federal votes. We want this to be a safe place for those of all political leanings to promote the writing of witness slips and the like for topics like plastic reduction, henkeeping policy, right to garden, etc.
Pictured above is Norfolk Spinach at the Sustain DuPage garden May 28th. Weather has been great for cool weather crops, so keep on harvesting and enjoying this delicious variety! Once the days start to warm up, spinach will bolt (go to seed). You'll know when this happens because it will grow a long stalk up the middle of the plant. Here is a great 90 second video that will help you feel confident about the process of saving seed. Note the seeds located on the lowest portion of the branch ripen first, and maturity progresses up the stalks. At maturity, seeds turn from green to tannish brown.
Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Bean if you planted your seeds mid-May, you likely have tiny sprouts. Be sure to protect your seedlings with protective collars (DIY video here). If you haven't planted yet, do it NOW. Plant in a sunny location near a sturdy trellis. For seed saving, it is important that you plant Cherokee at least 10 feet from any other bean to prevent cross-pollination. Many gardeners soak bean seeds 8-12 hours to soften the seed coat before planting which can lead to faster germination. Keep your newly planted beans moist and watch for sprouts in 8-10 days.
Thank you to everyone who made our third annual plant swap such a success! We had our biggest crowd yet of participants and the "Garden Gurus" got rave reviews for their helpfulness and energy. We're already thinking of ways to make next year even better!
Turners
June 5th, 7:00 PM
Turners group will meet Thursday, June 5th, at 7PM in the Sustain DuPage Garden to discuss Nature's Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy. This book outlines a grassroots, home-grown approach to conservation. Join us to discuss how homeowners can turn their yards into conservation corridors to provide wildlife habitats. Several libraries in our area have copies of this book.
06/02/25 6:30 PM Darian Organic Garden Club - Lady Bird Johnson, Portrayed by Leslie Goddard - Learn about Lady Bird Johnson's passion for wildflowers and her work as advocate for the environment. Indian Prairie Public Library. Register here.
06/05/25 7 PM DuPage Organic Garden Club - Native Pollinators - Honey bees tend to get a majority of the attention when it comes to pollination, but many insects play an essential role. To celebrate Pollinator Month, a Master Gardener from the University of Illinois Extension will discuss the importance of various native pollinators and how to make your landscape attractive to them. Carol Stream Public Library. Register here.
06/16/25 6:30 PM Lombard Garden Club Special Event - Monarch Butterflies and Pollinators - Guest speaker Lonnie Morris will share the many ways everyone can help monarchs and endangered pollinators thrive and survive in our yards and communities. All are welcome. Helen Plum Library, Lombard.
06/18/25 10:00 AM DuPage Monarch Project - Flight, Buzz, and Bloom: Exploring the World of Butterflies, Bees, and Native Plants - Celebrate Pollinator Week with an update on monarch butterflies, fun facts about honey bees and native bees and discovering how garden clubs are cultivating change for pollinators. All are welcome. Helen Plum Library, Lombard.
06/27/25 1:00 PM Lombard Garden Club - Gardening for Life - Join us for insights on the right plants, ergonomic tools, raised beds and vertical systems to use in mechanics. Guest speaker Marilyn Joyner will help us practice the stretching exercises she uses. All are welcome. Helen Plum Library, Lombard.
Coming up in Sustain DuPage
07/07/25 West Branch DuPage Wood Fen educational walk with Pat Armstrong.
07/13/25 Sustain DuPage Member Only Annual Picnic hosted by our board member and Compost Crew Organizer, Stasia Richter.
07/26/25 Saving Monarchs Annual Garden Party don't miss this chance to tour a local yard to learn about monarchs, wildlife, native plants and more!
Date
Sustain DuPage Event Details
6/4
Garden Workday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. @SD Garden Also on these dates: 6/11, 6/18, 6/25 Join us as we tend our quarter acre garden space by working communally using sustainable gardening practices.
6/7
Garden Workday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. @SD Garden Also on these dates: 6/14, 6/21, 6/28 Join us as we tend our quarter acre garden space by working communally using sustainable gardening practices.
6/7
FSS Food Drive - Saturday 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. See article above..
6/12
Leadership Meeting Thursday 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Active members are allowed to attend and observe via Zoom. For the link and details, email our general mailbox.
6/15
Creators Father's Day Craft and Chat 2PM in the garden. RSVP to Kate here.
6/20
Solstice Gathering - Friday 5:00 - 8:00 PM in the SD Garden. See article above.
6/22
Member Swap - Saturday 1:00 - 3:-- PM in the SD Garden. See article above.
Derby Tea Party - Sunday 1:00- 3:00 PM in the Garden. Contact Kate here.
If your organization's event falls within the mission of Sustain DuPage and you'd like to advertise it in our newsletter, please contact us at info@sustaindupage.com.
Sustain DuPage is a 501c3 nonprofit organization run completely on volunteer time and effort. One hundred percent of donations go back into our projects. Because we are a volunteer organization, we ask for your patience if it takes longer than 3 business days to return your email or correspondence.
