Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The Park Forest Sustainability Office kicks off Earth Month with an Annual Community Cleanup on Saturday. And there’s more.
Earth Month 2024: Annual Community Cleanup Day
The Village Sustainability Office encourages residents to join in the Park Forest Annual Community Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. Registration is through scanning the QR code on the flyer above or online at the village website.
This event helps pick up trash that has accumulated throughout the village over the winter months. Participants will receive the necessary equipment, including safety vests and eye protection.
Registrants will meet in front of the village hall to receive their assignments. Some tasks are within walking distance, while other volunteers may opt for a location that requires travel by car. The village will not be providing transportation to these locations but will rely on volunteers using their vehicles.
After receiving their assignments, volunteers will receive a breakfast of coffee, donuts, and breakfast sandwiches. They will then depart for their assignment. The village will supply reusable travel coffee cups for those who wish. The Park Forest & Richton Park Neighborhood Network is sponsoring breakfast.,
The event will run rain or shine. Participants should dress for the weather. Children under the age of 14 must be with an adult.
Park Forest Sustainability Coordinator Carrie Malfeo encourages as many people as possible to the event. She understands, however, that residents may not be able to attend this day. She encourages everyone to grab a friend and have their own “cleanup day” by picking up trash at a local park or street nearby.
For more information, call the Park Forest Sustainability Department at (708) 503-9372.
Southland Local Food System Expo
The Park Forest Environment Commission presents its Third Annual Southland Local Food System Expo on Saturday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dining on the Green, 350 Main Street in Park Forest.
Visitors can stop by the booths of local farmers and growers and learn about locally produced foods. A variety of vendors will also be on hand to exhibit their products.
Those interested can sign up to be part of a “Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) farm. CSA members invest in a local farm and, in return, receive periodic shares of the products harvested by the farm.
The Expo also features a raffle. Winners receive prizes offered by the exhibitors. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Park Forest Seed Library.
Earth Month: Home Composter Bins Offered
128-gallon home composter bins are for sale by the village for $68. The bins are recycled plastic. They have a lid to keep out pests. Each bin comes with a composting “recipe book.” The book has tips on how to effectively compost. This includes a list of materials that are safe to compost. The bins are for composting yard waste as well as discarded food items such as fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, and tea bags. They are not for meat, dairy products, or bones.
Purchase bins by scanning the QR code on the flyer above or by visiting the online site.
Pick-up of the bins is on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Park Forest Village Hall parking lot. The pick-up is in conjunction with the village’s shredding and drug take-back event which takes place at the same time and location. The bins come in two pieces and are easy to assemble. They should fit in most cars.
In the event purchasers are unable to make the pick-up on that day, they should contact the Sustainability Office at 708-503-9372 to make other arrangements.
Earth Month Shredding & Drug Take-Back Event
Park Forest holds its next Shredding & Drug Take-Back event on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event is held in the Village Hall parking lot. Vehicles should enter at Main Street off Orchard Drive.
There is a limit of two boxes of paper per vehicle. No three-ring binders or plastic sleeves are permitted. The drug take-back does not allow the drop-off of liquid drugs or any sharps. Volunteers are on hand to unload boxes from vehicles. The paper shredding will be on site.
Residents unable to drop off their unwanted drugs during the event can always do so at the drop-off box located in the lobby of the Park Forest Police Department, 200 Lakewood Boulevard.
