Lemont Not-For-Profit Organization To Host Annual Earth Day Summit

LEMONT, IL — A local not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to restoring the environment will host its annual Earth Day Summit later this month as the group hopes to raise awareness of how local residents can care for their surroundings.

The Forge Charitable Adventures will host the summit from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Forge: Lemont Quarries, which is one of the largest aerial adventure parks in the country. The summit is designed to bring local families together and provide them with education as to how they can better care for the environment, organizers said.

The Summit will feature a wide range of programming and activities. State and local government representatives, including Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Illinois State Senator John Curran, and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White will discuss local sustainability efforts with summit attendees, organizers said.

In addition, representatives from companies and organizations ranging from the Nature Conservancy to Tesla will be presenting on the event’s main stage. The event will also include a performance by the Jesse White Tumblers.

The Summit will also host several interactive activities including several including “Beekeeping 101” and “Building a sustainable garden,” and Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab and Education will be on site with live birds of prey and education tables, organizers said.

“The Forge Charitable Adventures has quickly become a leader in environmental sustainability and recreation, and the Earth Day Summit will be a fantastic way to spread those efforts to the larger community,” Preckwinkle said in a news release. “I’m looking forward to

seeing people from all over Cook County come together to celebrate our planet and invest in the environment.”

Local families will also have the chance to go on nature walks to learn about the history of the Lemont Quarries and how native and invasive species have impacted the area. There will also be service project opportunities such as trail clearing (led by The Nature Conservancy) and nature clean-up (led by Friends of the Forest Preserves), which will help clear additional public-access trails and preserve the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area.

“We want to teach people about our planet and show them how they can invest in it,” said Jeremie Bacon, co-founder of The Forge Charitable Adventures. “Our annual Earth Day Summit is an opportunity for visitors to see firsthand the beauty of nature and understand how they can contribute to maintaining our environment for future generations to enjoy.”

Since 2019, TFCA has worked to enhance infrastructure, develop and maintain trails, restore the environment, and provide free public programming. For more information about the organization and the Earth Day Summit, visit the Forge Charitable Adventures website.