Want to find out what your neighbors are doing to make their homes green? Want to learn how to do it? An event coming up on Saturday, Sept. 28, can supply good resources to answer all those questions — and more.
For the third consecutive year, the Oak Park-River Forest area will play host to the Green Living & Learning Tour. The day is free and open to the public.
The initiatives are sponsored by Green Community Connections, a group that focuses on sustainability issues in the Oak Park-River Forest area. Participants can sign up for one guided tour during each of three time slots. Held from 1 to 5 p.m., visits will be at homes that have become more energy-efficient or use renewable energy.
A highlight could well be the tour of a Frank Lloyd Wright home that uses geothermal for HVAC and sports other energy-efficient features, said Sally Stovall, a volunteer organizer who is heading up the tour project initiative. Participants can visit a home to see how an energy audit has lowered costs and improved a home’s comfort level.
In River Forest, visitors can see the first certified passive home, a construction model that is insulated and uses design features to make it highly efficient. The home’s architect, Tom Bassett-Dilly, will conduct the tour, Stovall said.
Water conservation methods are also on display. At one, all the rainwater is being captured and used by the homeowner in various ways, Stovall said. “They are saving in terms of water, reducing flooding and replenishing the natural water cycle.”
Other guided home tours will show how a family has supplied all the makings of homes for birds, butterflies and other wildlife to raise their young.
From noon to 4:30, various spots around Oak Park and River Forest will offer quick snapshots in such topics as how to go green in a condo, how to reuse items in need of repair. Bike safety will also be a focus. Cheney Mansion will provide a tour of its native gardens.
At the River Forest Public Library, youngsters and oldsters can explore how to build a butterfly habitat and get down and dirty with worm composting.
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Sugar Beet Co-op will host a harvest picnic at the northwest corner of Field Park.
To reserve space for any of the tours or for more information, go to greencommunityconnections.org and click on Green Tour tab at the top of the home page.
