Judy Beck Grant Awarded to Eight Recipients
Since its launch in 2020, The Judy Beck Grant has supported numerous projects throughout Glenview to help promote conservation, bolster our natural ecosystems and beautify public spaces. In 2023, the grant will be awarded to eight new local projects, totaling $12,890.
The Beck Family Foundation received 13 applications with diverse and innovative project ideas. The Beck Family Foundation and Hurvis Family launched the Judy Beck Grant program to support generations of new conservation leaders to continue the great work and legacy of building and strengthening our local community.
A dedicated environmentalist, Beck served as a park board commissioner for 32 years, was a village natural resources commissioner and a member of the Glenview/Glencoe League of Women Voters. In addition to her local leadership, Judy also worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 30 years, and served as the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Board President in 1994 and was named IAPD Commissioner of the year in 1996.
The grant program is available to non-profit groups or individuals with projects focusing on environmental conservation, sustainability, community engagement or youth development. To date, the Judy Beck Grant has supported 20 local projects totaling an investment of $34,712 towards a brighter, greener future for Glenview. All of the 2023 winning projects, outlined below, will make an impact in the community.
2023 Winning Projects
Launch of Natural Habitat Glenview
The purpose of Natural Habitat Glenview is to help our community become healthier, greener, and more wildlife friendly. Changes to lands and waters mean wildlife are losing the habitats they once knew; every habitat garden helps replenish resources for wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds, and amphibians. Through education and collaboration, Greener Glenview seeks to support individual properties in becoming Certified Wildlife Habitats through the National Wildlife Federation, with an ultimate goal of Glenview being named the second Illinois municipality to achieve certification as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat.
Glenview Community Church Nursery School Rainbow Garden
The Glenview Community Church Nursery School (GCCNS) Rainbow Garden project seeks to expose children ages 2-6 to the benefits of gardening through hands-on exploration and sensory input, with an added emphasis on community service through garden donations to the community food pantry. This garden will allow students to be outside in nature while learning about vegetables and how to take care of a garden. Educational opportunities related to the garden are also anticipated to have an impact on their nutritional development outside of school.
Indigenous Medicine & Pollinator Garden programs
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is developing an Indigenous Medicine and Pollinator Garden to grow native plants that are also part of regional Indigenous tribes’ medicinal practices. This garden was created for the North Shore and greater Chicagoland Native American community to access, plant, and harvest traditional medicine in an otherwise urban setting where access to these medicines is limited and traditional land stewardship practices cannot be exercised. The museum seeks to develop programs that will educate the public and local school groups on traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge, environmental conservation, as well as practices of food sovereignty. This project seeks to inspire a lasting appreciation for the North Shore’s natural ecology and Indigenous history.
Historic Wagner Farm Beekeeping Expansion
The Be@the Farm Partnership between TrueNorth and the Glenview Park District has been an avenue for hundreds of student farmers to learn about agriculture for over the past decade. Be@the Farm is seeking to expand Historic Wagner Farm’s beekeeping operation to allow for more visitors to assist with and learn about the beekeeping process. As part of this expansion, a honey extractor will be purchased in order to increase beekeeping efficiencies and the visitor experience. While visitors observe honey being extracted, beekeepers will be able to share valuable information about the importance of the honey bees.
Hidden in Plain Sight: How Noise, Artificial Light and Traffic Impact the Environment and Human Health
Noise, artificial light, and traffic can impact wildlife habitats, plant communities, air quality, and human health. Through a series of one-hour seminars provided by Greener Glenview, community members will learn how these pollutants impact their daily lives.
Birding with Friends
Birding is a great skill and can be a gateway into recognizing and appreciating a wider natural world. This project seeks to increase accessibility to birdwatching through investment in equipment and guides for interpretation during guided bird watching walks at The Grove, which is host to many migrating birds such as ducks, geese, blackbirds, warblers, sparrows, thrushes, and shorebirds.
The Discovery and Learning through Multicultural Play Project
Park Center Preschool is seeking to enhance multicultural education for early learners through the procurement of educational materials and development of lesson plans utilizing these materials. As Park Center Preschool aligns itself with developmentally appropriate practices based on the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, they recognize the importance of providing play-based activities that incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the curriculum. Children’s awareness and respect for diversity are increased when their teachers are equipped with the necessary tools to engage their minds in culturally significant experiences.
Grove Green Girls Program and Community Outreach at The Grove
In 2022, the restoration team at The Grove launched an expanded volunteer program that incorporated more community involvement. In 2023, the team is seeking to develop two volunteer groups: Grove Green Girls and The Enclave at The Grove. Grove Green Girls will provide young women with the opportunity to explore the natural world while promoting personal and professional development through engaging, hands-on activities and meaningful experiences. The Enclave at The Grove collaboration will replace invasive plants with native shrubs that would provide habitat for native wildlife and vital food and cover for migratory birds.
