Fox Valley Sustainability Network hosted its first film screening webinar. The webinar featured a screening of the 76-minute documentary ‘Microplastic Madness’ followed by a panel discussion around plastic initiatives and policies that exist and are in the works locally, regionally and nationally.

Resources

Discussion

Host a Screening

Mobility and Rideshare | September 24, 2020

Mobility Trends: 2020 and Beyond - Alvaro Villagran

Kane County Trends in Mobility - Jacqueline Forbes

Access to Water Trails, Boosting Economics & Cultural Participation - Karen Miller

Hal Honeyman

Local, Resilient and Equitable Food System| August 8, 2020

Mighty Greens Farm - Katie Palomares

Fishy Green Organic Farm - Ashley Keller

Conservation Foundation - Jason Halm

Farmland Protection Manager with Kane County - Janice Hill

Building Food and Farm System Resilience in Kane County - Matthew Tansley

Illinois Stewardship Alliance - Liz Moran

Economic Development | July 6, 2020

CMAP Climate Trends and Strategies - Michael Isaacson, MPH, Assistant Director for Community Health Kane County

Kane County Regional Economic Development Update - Chris Toth, Planner, Kane County Development & Community Services Department

Economic Development During COVID-19 - John Harris, Principal, a5 Branding & Digital

Positive Impacts of Sustainability - Karen Miller, Executive Planner, Kane County

Batavia Case Study - Jamie Saam, Member Board Of Directors at Batavia Chamber of Commerce

Village of Montgomery Case Study - Jerad Chipman

Aurora Case Study - Alex Minnella, Planner, City of Aurora

Village of Oswego Case Study - Corinna Cole, Economic Development Director, Village of Oswego

Flooding and Green Infrastructure | May 6, 2020

CMAP Climate Trends and Strategies - Jared Patton, Associate Planner, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Kane County Storm Water Ordinance - Jodie Wollnik, Director of Environmental & Water Resources, Kane County

Village of Montgomery Green Infrastructure - Jerad Chipman, Senior Planner, Village of Montgomery

Solar Energy Movement | February 31, 2020

Property Assessed Clean Energy and Kane County Energy Efficiency Program - Chris Toth, The Illinois Energy Conservation Authority

Solar and Funding Resources - Chris Lindgren, Park District of Oak Park

Case studies on the reuse of buildings and building materials - Edith Makra, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

Fox Metro Solar Project Highlights - Eric Peterson, GRNE Solar

Elevate’s Solar For All Program - Vetia Hill, Elevate Energy

Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment | November 21, 2019

Case studies on the reuse of buildings and building materials - Jeff Orduno, Urban Equities

Adaptive reuse and historic preservation - Mike Poulakidas, Fox Valley Developers

Sustainable architecture and building passive homes - Tom Bassett-Dilley, Tom Bassett-Dilley Architects

Elevate’s energy efficiency programs and their process targeting non-profits and public institutions - Vetia Hill, Elevate Energy

ComEd’s new construction program and energy efficiency upgrades for residents - Hanh Pham, ComEd

Plastics Pollution: Tackling a Global Issue Locally | September 25, 2019

Intro to plastics pollution & How the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County are tackling single-use plastics - Cynthia Kanner, Executive Director, Environmental Defenders of McHenry County

How Oak Park instituted a .10 cent bag fee on all single-use plastic bags and its effects on the community - Mindy Agnew, Sustainability Coordinator, Village of Oak Park

Transportation Forum | July 31, 2019

Bike Share Programs Across Kane, McHenry and Kendall Counties
Kane County presentation- Ryan Peterson, Transportation Planner/Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator, Kane County
McHenry County presentation - Jaki Berggren, Executive Director, McHenry County Convention & Visitors Bureau

CMAP OnTo 2050 Regional Transportation Priorities - Lindsay Bayley, Senior Planner, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)

Chicago Metro Bicycle and Walkable Community Initiatives - Maggie Melin, Advocacy Manager, Active Transportation Alliance

Green Infrastructure Forum | March 20, 2019

The Fox Valley Sustainability Network held a Green Infrastructure Forum on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at Midwest Groundcovers in St. Charles, IL. We discussed the programs and municipalities in the Fox Valley that have implemented green infrastructure plans and improvements they have made in their communities.

Natural Areas Assurance Program - Dan Lobbes, Director of Land Protection & Kane County Director, The Conservation Foundation

Oak Ecosystem Recovery Plan - M. Ross Alexander, PhD, Oak Ecosystem Recovery Program Coordinator, Morton Arboretum

Case Studies in the Fox Valley Region - Tom Price, Principal Civil Engineer & Hydrologist, Conservation Design Forum

Case Study: Montgomery, IL - Christopher J. Ott, P.E., CPII, Senior Project Engineer I, Engineering Enterprises, Inc.

Waste Reduction Forum | May 23, 2019

The Fox Valley Sustainability Network held a Waste Forum on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at Village Hall in Montgomery, IL. We discussed the programs and municipalities in the Fox Valley and surrounding areas that are utilizing waste reduction practices to make a healthier tomorrow.

Kane County recycling initiatives - Jennifer Jarland, Kane County Recycling Program Coordinator

Curbside residential food scrap composting for municipalities - Jennifer Nelson, Zero Waste Program Manager, Seven Generations Ahead

Northern Illinois Food Bank waste reduction and food recovery work - Chad Steward, Food Sourcing Retail and Strategy Specialist

Solar Energy Forum | February 8, 2019

Start of the Illinois Solar Journey - Mark Burger, Solar Consultant, Seven Generations Ahead

Community Solar Clearinghouse Solution: Initial Assessment Review - Mark Pruitt, Principal, Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network

An Opportunity to “Solarize Chicagoland” - Christina Uzzo, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, Citizen’s Utility Board

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and Kane Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP) - Mark Van Kerkhoff, Kane County Development and Community Services

Illinois Solar For All - Delmar Gillus, Chief Operating Officer, Elevate Energy

Solar and Renewable Energy Forum | January 18, 2018

The Fox Valley Sustainability Network's Solar held a Renewable Energy Forum at Waubonsee Community College. We heard from many speakers advocating for solar and renewable resource policies and programs including Gary Cuneen, MeLena Hessel, Mark Burger, Mark Pruitt, Karen Miller, Andris Slokenbergs and Abby Beck.

We initiated a solar developer and institution match-making session for the second half of the forum. During this attendees were encouraged to mingle with solar developers, companies and organizations to learn more about what they do and how they might work together on upcoming and future solar and renewable energy projects.

Future Energy Jobs Act and Solar Models Overview - SolSmart, Rooftop, Community Solar, Utility-Scale - MeLena Hessel, Policy Advocate, Environmental Law & Policy Center

Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) Updates - Mark Burger, Solar Consultant, Seven Generations Ahead

Municipal Aggregation Opportunities - Mark Pruitt, Principal, Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network

Kane County Zoning and Criteria for Solar Sites - Karen Miller, Executive Planner, Kane County Development & Community Services Department

Solar Group Buy Program in Kane County - Andris Slokenbergs, Solar Advocate

Green Business & Economic Development Forum | November 15, 2017

The Fox Valley Sustainability Network's Solar held a Green Business and Economic Development Forum, November 15th at Waubonsee Community College Campus in Downtown Aurora.

We had a packed house to learn about Regional Active Mobility Program (RAMP) and discuss the importance of sustainable business and attracting green industries to the Fox Valley. We also received updates on the Future Energy Jobs Act and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)'s planning in the Fox River Corridor.

View the notes from this event here.

Energy Forum | June 21, 2017

The Fox Valley Sustainability Network's Solar held a Energy Forum on June 21, 2017.

Communities Harnessing the Sun: Becoming Solar Ready Through SolSmart - Zach Greene, Project Manager, The SolSmart Foundation

The Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) Primer - Mark Pruitt, Principal, Illinois Community Choice Aggregation Network

NREL Assistance to Communities Moving Toward a Renewable Energy Future - Elizabeth Doris, Principal Laboratory Program Manager: State, Local, and Tribal Program, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Case Study: Elgin's New 1.2 Megawatt Solar Project - Ken Buckman, CEO, Rainy Investments

GreenTown Fox Valley | April 27, 2017

The Fox Valley Sustainability Network's Solar held GreenTown Fox Valley at Two Brothers Roundhouse in downtown Aurora on Thursday, April 27, 2017.

Event photos

Food and Waste Forum | February 8, 2017

Kane County Local Agriculture and the Developing Kane County Food Hub Project - Matthew Tansley, Land Use Planner, Kane County

The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition and Regional/Statewide Composting Policy and Projects - Jen Nelson, Zero Waste Program Manager, Seven Generations Ahead

Healthy and Local Food Initiatives: Great Illinois Apple Crunch, Harvest of the Month and Illinois Farm to School Network - Diane Chapeta, Illinois Farm to School Network Coordinator, Seven Generations Ahead & Lydia Mills, Illinois Farm to School Network State Lead, Seven Generations Ahead

Transportation Forum | December 7, 2016

Setting the Stage: National Mobility Priorities and Trends - Tim Frisbie, Shared-Use Mobility Center

Case Studies: Creating a Bicycle and Pedestrian Friendly Community in the Fox Valley - Heather Schady, Active Transportation Alliance

What's New With Wayfinding in Kane and Kendall Counties - Patrick Knapp, Kane County Department of Transportation

The Expansion of Bike Sharing in the Region - Eric Gallt, City of Aurora

Economic Development Forum | October 7, 2016

Event Overview

Sustainable Economic Development Success stories to Lead the Fox Valley Region - Cecilia Govrik, Kane County & Chris Toth, Kane County

A Plan for Current and Future Generations - Mark Vankerkhoff, Kane County Development and Community Services

The Fox River Corridor Plan: Increasing Access to the Fox River, Improving Water Quality and Enhancing Downtowns - Brian Daly, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Implementing the Fox River Corridor Plan in Algonquin - Ben Masion, Village of Algonquin & Katie Parkhurst, Village of Algonquin

Past Event Presentations

FVSN Solar Forum: Solar Oppurtunities for Residents | May 17, 2022

FVSN Solar Forum: Solar Oppurtunities for Community Institutions | April 19, 2022

EV's and Climate Smart Transportation: How Electric Vehicles Will Change Our Lives and Landscape | February 22, 2022

Let’s Grow Healthier Together in the Fox Valley: Building Local, Resilient and Equitable Food Systems | August 17, 2021

Why Reducing Carbon Emissions in Buildings Matters — And How to Do It | June 29, 2021

Equity and Sustainability in the Fox Valley | April 30, 2021

‘Microplastic Madness’ Screening' | November 18, 2020