about us
Our Mission
To make Evanston a more environmentally just, sustainable, and resilient community.
Our Vision
We envision Evanston building on the recognition it already receives as one of the most environmentally sustainable cities in the country.
Overview
CGE volunteers collaborate with the City, other eco-organizations in Evanston, local businesses, the faith community, residents and others to make Evanston a more sustainable community – environmentally, economically, and socially – and to address climate change by dramatically reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
We are a 501 (c)(3) organization with more than 2,700 members.
We were formed in 2008 by volunteers who worked with the City on its first climate action plan. Since then, we have played a lead role in securing voter approval of the Community Choice Aggregation referendum in March 2012 and in encouraging the City Council to contract for 100 percent renewable electricity for aggregation participants.
Roles we play among Evanston's eco-involved organizations
CGE is an umbrella organization with six environmental sustainablity-related interest areas: energy, food, natural habitat, transportation, waste and water. Within interest areas we have several programs that were formally independent, like Edible Evanston, and those that we have spawned, like Watershed Collective.
We also serve key functions in relation to both independent eco-organizations operating in Evanston as well as government entities in Peoria and at City Hall.
We provide visibility for activities of independent eco-organizations operating within Evanston in our monthly member email newsletter. On our home page we promote their volunteering opportunities and list their scheduled calendar events. We also informally track activities to maximize effectiveness and minimize unnecessary duplication.
We track state environmental legislative activity to write letters and make phone calls to support or oppose pending legislation, and to encourage Evanstonians to do so as well.
Finally, we track what is going on in city agencies, committees and at City Council to maximize the city's implementation of Evanston's 2018 Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) to meet its aggressive climate goals.
Our programs
We create community around places of sustainable local food production education, growing and sharing in Evanston
Edible Evanston
Our Mission
We create community centered around places of local food production throughout Evanston, and support food growers and provide opportunities for education and sharing food.
Our Vision
Inspiring and supporting a culture of sustainable food growing and sharing throughout the Evanston community.
Our Initiatives
Who We Are
Edible Evanston originated in 2013 as one of Evanston150’s top 10 ideas, part of Evanston’s 150th anniversary celebration to look at how to improve the next 150 years. Beginning as a grassroots volunteer group, in 2014 Edible Evanston became a program of the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Citizens’ Greener Evanston (CGE). We encourage people to grow and share food in the community and believe that gardening is a universal truth, people can connect through their successes, struggles, and finally through the food we grow and share. Growing more of our own food can help us be a more resilient community.
Get Involved
We are a CGE Program lead by a five person Executive Committee, with various subcommittees as needed to accomplish our initiatives. We have regularly scheduled “Work-and-Learn” days at the Food Forest throughout the year. Our Produce Sharing Program, conducted in concert with the Evanston Community Gardeners Program, collects excess produce from community gardeners and delivers to local food pantries weekly during the growing season.
We welcome individuals in the community to join us with their physical, mental, and financial support. See our website for our current schedules and updates on activities you can get involved with.
Note that the hover effect and link to a lightbox that are implemented on the Edible Evanston Program would be done on the other items as well.
Our people
Board Members on the Executive Committee
Rachel Rosner, President
Lauren Marquez Viso, Vice President
Christie Klimas, Treasurer
Chuck Wasserburg, Secretary
Other Board Members
Sara Diggs
Bea Echeverria (Beyond Waste Evanston)
Joel Freeman
Jerry Herst
Susan Kaplan
Ken Kastman (Edible Evanston)
Peter Laundy
Barbara Miller (Go Evanston)
Jean Saunders
Allison Sloan (Natural Habitat Evanston)
Jeff Smith
Clare Tallon-Rouen (Watershed Collective)
Ann Terry
Student Board Members
Lily Aaron
Jacob Brodsky
Mia Houseworth
Sarika Waikar