The City of Chicago offers classes on "Green" topics at the Chicago Center for Green Technology and at other locations around the area.

TITLE: Sustainable Backyard Workshop
DATE: September 17, 2011
TIME: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
SPEAKERS: Lyndon Valicenti and Daniel Swick, Consultants to Chicago Department of Environment
COST: FREE
LOCATION: the Chicago Center for Green Technology
445 N. Sacramento Blvd.,
Chicago, IL 60612
RSVP: Pre-registration is not required. Please arrive early, seating is limited.

Want to make your frontyard and backyard more environmentally sustainable? The GreenTech U Sustainable Backyard Workshop can show you how.

This workshop covers everything you need to know to plant a tree, install a rain barrel, set up a compost bin, and more. You will also learn about the City of Chicago's rebate program and how Chicago residents can recieve up to 50% off of their next tree, native plant, rain barrel or compost bin purchase.

Fall is a great time to plant a native garden and add some trees in your yard!

***Disclaimer: no goods or services have been received in exchange for this event listing. This site's editor is a graduate of the C3 program and is happy to post the listing for this excellent Chicago Green Tech U event.***

Summer is a great time to get out on a bicycle for a scenic ride around town. Two women step out of the bicycle rental shop on 22nd Street, near Virginia Avenue N.W. in Washington D.C. on a summer Sunday in 1942, to do just that.

Image courtesy of Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. A bicycle rental shop on 22nd Street, near Virginia Avenue N.W., on Sunday Digital ID: (intermediary roll film) fsa 8c36429 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8c36429 - Reproduction Number: LC-USF34-100286-D (b&w film neg.) - Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

The image is from the U.S. Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Black & White Photographs Collection, in the United States Library of Congress.

In 1942, John Ferrell photographed two boys riding across the ford on their bicycles in Rock Creek Park, Washington D.C.

What better way to get around than on your bicycle, and what better way to cross a ford than on your bicycle with your feet on the handlebars.

Great fun! I can hear the joyful laughter.

Image courtesy of Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. Boys riding bicycles across the ford in Rock Creek Park Digital ID: (intermediary roll film) fsa 8b37466 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b37466 - Reproduction Number: LC-USF34-011533-D (b&w film neg.) - Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

The image is from the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection, in the United States Library of Congress.

The color lithograph poster of a woman riding a bicycle is an advertisement for the Overman Wheel Company's Victor bicycles. It is in the art nouveau style.

The poster was created in Boston, MA. and first published by the Forbes Co. in 1896.

In the poster, the woman riding the bicyle is in a long black dress.

How she managed to keep her dress out of the bicycle chain while riding the bicycle is a mystery.

Image courtesy of Library of Congress. Victor Bicycles Overman Wheel Co. - Digital ID: (digital file from color film copy transparency) cph 3g07173 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3g07173 - Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-7173 (color film copy transparency) - Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

The image is from the Overman Wheel Co., Boston, New York, Detroit, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, [and] Portland, Ore. - Promotional goal: U.S. D41. 1896. It is now in the United States Library of Congress.