It's Oaktober!

To Celebrate Oak Awareness Month we will be hosting 30 alumni from the Class of 1977 for a Maine East oak savanna work day.  They will be cutting out invasive species, maintaining our trail, and building us another bench for our outdoor classroom. Shortly after they leave we will be co-sponsoring an event along with Go Green Park Ridge that we're calling an Oaktober Blitz!

Oak trees are being threatened by invasive species, diseases, and are not commonly replaced. Yet oaks are a keystone species! A variety of wildlife depends on oaks to survive including 557 types of caterpillars which help feed birds and other animals. A 25 inch diameter oak tree can also intercept 3,492 gallons of storm water per year, reducing storm runoff and flooding.

This Oaktober Blitz is a citizen science effort that will document old oak communities in Park Ridge by marking, measuring, and identifying the tree species. 

Teams will meet at Maine East’s Oak Savanna (Dee & Dempster entrance) for a kickoff presentation by The Morton Arboretum. Maine East Rhythm Project (MERP) will provide some inspiration and entertainment as you arrive! Attendees will be with a trained leader and sent to various sites to document information about oak trees. Teams will be recognized for finding the largest diameter tree and also documenting the most trees.

Driving from Maine East to one additional location will need to be a part of this event (unless you're a Maine East student), so please be aware that children cannot be simply dropped off. Locations will include Northwest Park, Oakton Park, Maine East, and more!

Sign up as an individual or with a group of friends or family. Credit for service hours will be given.

AND - stop by the Maine East Oak Savanna (Dempster & Dee) any time between 8am and 1pm to pick up a FREE OAK TREE! We have 50 to give away! (c/o MWRD)

Salsa-making Competition 2017

The Ecology Club teamed up with the Latino Club and the CONNECT mentoring program to throw down a bunch of delectable salsa and guacamole concoctions for our annual salsa competition. We pulled fresh herbs and vegetables right out of our school garden located just steps from East's newly remodeled Foods classroom. Fun & tasty annual tradition!  Thanks to Mr. Roubitchek for coming over to judge - tough job.

Service Learning 2016-17

This year's AP Environmental Science projects got a late start - but you know what is said...   better late than not at all!

1. Vegetable garden is being prepped and planted after a few-year hiatus.  APES students are working with the special education department on this project.

2. Digging up unwanted trees in our butterfly garden.  A group is working on a design and grant proposal for a professional educational sign.

3. Oak savanna - we've got a group working on another bench to help complete seating for our outdoor classroom by the pond in our 1-acre oak savanna. Now we just need a path that requires less maintenance and a huge work day (!) to remove the invasive buckthorn, etc.  We only made a small dent in the trail improvement this spring but a group of Maine East alumni will be helping us out in October!

4. Data collection about carbon sequestration value of trees in our oak savanna.

5. Native plant awareness and sale - May 29th from 10 - 2pm near the Dee & Dempster entrance by the oak savanna.  Here is our Facebook event for the sale.

6. Bird bath and feeder for butterfly garden - a creative design to repurpose old materials :)

7. Climate science student survey and awareness campaign.

8. And more - stay tuned...