Edgewater Environmental Coalition
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2/4/21 Newsletter: February with the Edgewater Environmental Coalition ⛄

2/4/2021

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Hello EEC friends, community members, and environmental stewards. Below in this message you will find the February 10th agenda with associated materials, community connections, save the dates, and in case you missed it. 

On Wednesday, we will be discussing and strategizing upcoming actions and projects as well as taking space to build out conversations and actions following our waste town hall.

Join us to start the brainstorm on: green space, the lakefront, outreach, and Earth Day. Plus, continued town hall discussion: What follow-ups should we take? How do we continue the conversation with the presenters, innovators, and attendees? 

We look forward to seeing you soon!

MEETING AGENDA

View the agenda below for our monthly meeting on Zoom. We strive to keep the meetings to an hour and sometimes the conversation extends us to an hour and a half. 

Meeting ID: 829 1770 2982 
By Computer: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82917702982 
By Phone: +13126266799,,82917702982# US

We look forward to seeing you!

VIEW AGENDA AT THIS LINK
SIGN IN SHEET

Save the dates.​
​
RECURRING TOWN HALLS: TUESDAY EVENINGS

RSVP HERE

2/22-2/26: DEMCOMED WEEK OF ACTION:
FEB 22ND-26TH 
MORE INFORMATION FORTHCOMING.

NEXT EEC MORNING MEETING: 3/10/21, 9AM

3/27: EARTH HOUR
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 8:30 TO 9:30PM 
​
Community Connections

SPRING 2021 SUSTAINABILITY TRAINING SERIES

Chicago Conservation Corps (C3)
You Care. Do Something. We'll Help. 
Spring 2021 Sustainability Leadership Training Series
 
The Chicago Conservation Corps is now recruiting for its Spring 2021 Sustainability Leadership Training Series. Learn from community and environmental leaders about urban sustainability challenges and opportunities for change, then lead a sustainability service project in your community with support and resources from the Nature Museum.

More information at this link.

SPRING TREEKEEPERS COURSE

Registration is now open for the Spring TreeKeepers Course! Like last year's courses, it will be done remotely on Tuesday evenings and Thursday evenings in March.

Please sign up soon as it will fill up fast.​

READY FOR 100 #POWERUP

In fall 2020, the RF100 Chicago team hosted our #PowerUp series, four community webinars to learn what issues matter most to Chicagoans for a just transition to 100% clean energy. Each session focused on a single topic: Better Health, Jobs, Saving Money, and Electric Transportation.

At each session, raised the important fact that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our communities. With this in mind, we spent time to explore questions, suggestions and ideas with one another about how we pursue a clean energy future using principles and themes of social and economic justice.

We’re happy to share this first summary from our #PowerUp series and we look forward to updating it as well!

https://readyfor100chi.org/powerup/​

In Case You Missed It

WASTE TOWN HALL
View post-meeting recap and materials here​.

TREE PLANTING SIGN UP​
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Brand Refresh Process & Story

1/14/2021

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We begin 2021 with a new name, mission, vision, and logo. In coalition as community members and environmental stewards! 
In 1990, we started as Edgewater Beautiful as a committee at the Edgewater Community Council with a neighborhood-wide clean up that brought together passionate neighbors that cared for our land, water, air, and wildlife. 
In 2008, we emerged as the Edgewater Environmental Sustainability Project. In 2010 completed the neighborhood's first climate action plan by dedicated and evolving individuals and neighbors. 
Over the last decade, the project grew into a sustained organization. 2020 provided an opportunity to reflect on our future. A team of long-time and brand-new volunteers came together to dream, strategize, and plan our refresh.
Renamed as the Edgewater Environmental Coalition, we enter a new era. Rooted in the history of our community and coalescing as community members and environmental stewards we are advancing a future of sustaining our water, land, food, air, and wildlife.

Our Goals of the Brand Refresh: 

  1. Rebrand refresh 
    1. Refreshed name, mission, vision, logo, tagline, and website
    2. Revisit and redfin who we are, what we stand for, why important
    3. Improve consistency, clarity, and alignment between values, goals, and our brand/presence
    4. Effectively position ourselves with our networks and partner orgs, etc
  2. Impact our goals, mission, and plans
  3. Engage in outreach efforts and make connections
    1. Use this time we have now to get outreach, ideas, surveys, and connections lined up, good incubation moment now, take new information in
  4. Replenish funds (low priority, “nice to have”)

Our process:

February:

  • Team kick off 
June: 

  • COVID pivot, New Era, New Decade | Created an evaluation process
  • Collaborative, participatory |  Sign up opened |  Direct outreach
  • Critiques pros/cons of current |  went through brainstorming questions > workshopped candidates > wordsmithed results > put options out for votes
August:

  • Future survey | Created Slack channel & Freedcamp project | Planned out activities to complete | Competitor branding research completed
September, October, November:. and December: Meetings, meetings, meetings
  • Follow-up calls from survey | Evening meeting on strategy evaluation & updates | updates/shares at monthly meetings |  Futures team meetings
  • November: New mission & vision finalized by future’s steering committee | announcement & survey on new name | started working on logo
December: 
  • New name finalized by futures steering committee front top ranked choice from survey
  • ELPC Grant & contracted Turnstone Strategies 
  • Logo design process
January:

  • Public announcement | Coordinating updates and communications | Making name official with government
Ongoing: Strategic intentions for next 5-10 years | Annual Vision Check Ins

Special thanks to:

Burton
Tricia
Renee
Robert
Allen
Killian
Nick
Nathan
Killian 
Nina 
Helen 
Bob D 
Tom 
Anne 
Thom
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Spring 2020 Intern Blog

7/9/2020

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As my four months working with the Edgewater Environmental Sustainability Project come to an end, I am amazed at how much I have learned about the intersection of environment and community. My internship began over a cup of coffee, learning the ropes of  what the organization does; act as a political and organization liaison, fight for an inclusive community, observe environmental burdens and injustices, and campaign for innovative solutions.The uniqueness of my position due to COVID-19 has taught me of how integral continuous communication and avid dedication are to making any sort of environmental or social change. And although it was unconventional, I found that my role as an intern with EESP is the perfect combination of my two potential career tracks; sustainability and communications. 

EESP has allowed me to produce guides, research, and projects I am extremely proud of. My first project was a “Green Building'' guide— the goal to create a concise resource for homeowners, contractors, and anyone else who seeked information on what a green building is, as well as available grants and certificates for them. I also collaborated with EESP members on a virtual event for home sustainability, which provided resources for homeowners to incorporate sustainability into their lives through products, services, and companies. The Litter Free Edgewater Campaign is an initiative created to reduce litter in Edgewater, which consists of media campaigning and “Saturday Clean Ups.” Alongside the project leads and EESP’s waste team, I created branded content such as flyers and social posts to share this idea with Edgewater and surrounding neighborhoods. Currently, I am in the process of an initiative to implement composting programs in Edgewater high rise buildings, through providing resources and best practices as well as encouraging the creation of building green teams. In addition to these larger projects, I welcomed new members via email, took minutes and summarized the monthly meetings, curated newsletters, and gathered research on topics such as utility burden, city cooling centers, and beach reopening best practices during COVID-19.

I was consistently challenged to be innovative, confident, and flexible when working on projects and collaborating with other members of the organization. I have gained such a diverse understanding of what sustainability truly is through attending EESP meetings and events, and collaborating with dedicated, driven members on various different projects. What I have learned during my internship will stay with me throughout my entire career, and continuously remind me that passion fuels progress. 

As I bid my internship farewell I look forward to taking on a new role in the organization — a member and collaborator within the Edgewater community. I was lucky enough that my first apartment was an ivy-coated brick building in a neighborhood adorned with green corners and friendly neighbors, and I am eager to play a role in making my new found home one that serves both people and the planet. What a rewarding feeling it is to be fighting for the earth as well as my neighborhood, and EESP allows me to do just that. ☺️

​
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The Edgewater Environmental Sustainability Project (EESP) is an all volunteer group - and a partner of the Overhead Project, a 501(c)3 non profit group.(EIN 46-4457047) (See Note for link  information). Donations to EESP are tax deductible under IRS rules.*
​
Use the button above to donate via a secure PayPal link.

 Or, you may also donate directly via check:
​Make checks payable to the Overhead Project, Inc./EESP Partnership. 

​                          Thank You!
​*Check with your accountant if you have any questions.
______________________________________________
Note:  More details regarding the Overhead Project and the partnership with EESP under its 501(c)3 umbrella, can be found by clicking on the following link then > Projects:
​ http://www.overheadproject.org  



Donations are welcome. Here are a few of our activities & projects:
  • Educational presentations & speakers on the environment & sustainable issues. 
  • Grants for beautification;
  • Energy efficiency assistance;
  • Radon monitoring devices;
  • Spring Clean & Green events;
  • Tree audits & trimming events;
  •  Waste/Recycling Initiatives 
  • Social Media Outreach
  • ​Renewable Energy projects
  • Earth Day & Arbor Day Events with local school partners
  • Collaboration with local block clubs, schools, religious groups & public officials to educate & encourage sustainability.  
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EEC is a proud affiliate of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC)
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