Winners Of Environmental Sustainability Awards In Glenview Announced

GLENVIEW, IL — For the seventh straight year, winners in three categories were announced for the Environment & Natural Resources Commission’s Environmental Sustainability Awards program. The awards were presented at Tuesday night’s Glenview Village Board meeting by Chris Newman and Scott Daniels, of the commission.

“It’s always terrific to see so much great work being done for sustainability in our community,” Village President Mike Jenny said. “We really appreciate everybody’s efforts.”

Nominations were sought for actions taken between Jan. 1 to Dec. 1, 2024, from any organization — including businesses, schools, houses of worship and volunteer groups – that serve the Glenview community.

Innovation – Glenview Public Library

The Glenview Public Library transformed its rooftop terrace into a sustainable native habitat. Native plants were carefully selected to attract essential pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. The project was also expanded to include vital features such as a water source for birds and insects, bee hotels to offer shelter, and an even greater variety of native flora. These enhancements ensure that the terrace supports the full life cycle of pollinators, creating a thriving miniature prairie. Comfortable new furniture funded by the Friends of Glenview Public Library was also added, inviting patrons to relax and immerse themselves in this serene natural environment.

Innovation – Glenview Park District and Greener Glenview

The Glenview Park District and Greener Glenview teamed up for the second annual SportSwap event in August 2024. Ahead of the event, residents could swap gently used sports equipment for vouchers, which participants could use along with cash to purchase reusable sports equipment at bargain prices. Items not purchased were donated to Goodwill, and proceeds from the event were donated to the Glenview Park Foundation. SportSwap offered residents a unique, sustainable option for keeping hundreds of items out of the landfill and provided a new way to think about the value of used items of all kinds. The event raised $1,034 for the Glenview Park Foundation’s Youth Leisureship Program.

Leadership – Attea Middle School and Greener Glenview

As part of her research into providing a more sustainable environment for declining insects and birds, an Attea Middle School student took the initiative to consult with Greener Glenview’s Native Habitat Project coordinators. She then proposed creating a Pollinator Garden on school grounds to Attea’s principal and to its Environmental Club and Hope Club. These groups collaborated to install and maintain habitat-providing native plants in an area that had previously not offered native habitat. They also received certification of the new native habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. This garden now provides support and shelter for a wide variety of pollinators and joins the corridor of native habitats across Glenview.