What We Do

We achieve this through the following avenues.

The Evanston Environmental Association is the Ecology Center's non-profit partner, supporting the Center with fundraising, volunteer, and programming efforts. In 1974, the Evanston Ecology Center was built and donated to the City of Evanston by a group of citizens who believed the city would benefit greatly from a facility dedicated to environmental education and awareness. Those citizens formally organized themselves as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1976 and became the Evanston Environmental Association. For more information about the history of the EEA, click here.

The EEA's current fundraising initiative is to bring an accessible non-motorized boat launch back to the North Shore Channel at the Evanston Ecology Center in the Ladd Arboretum. Learn more about the Canoe Launch and support our work. 

The Evanston Environmental Association in partnership with the Evanston Garden Walk Committee proudly offer summer camp scholarships for Ecology Center facilitated summer camps. Every summer the Evanston Ecology Center offers  innovative, nature focused summer camps to encourage children and middle-schoolers to understand the world around them in a fun environment. Additionally, there is a counselor-in-training program for those aspiring to be future camp counselors. 

Omohundro Award

In 1999, the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA) created an annual award honoring Charlotte Omohundro for her 25 years of service to the EEA and Evanston Ecology Center.  Her efforts on behalf of those two institutions then continued on until 2006. We continue to recognize the recipients of the award given in her name who best exemplify Charlotte’s remarkable dedication to service within Evanston’s environmental community.

SAGE

With a mission to promote a healthy future for our children, SAGE (Schools Are Gardening in Evanston)provides opportunities for children to engage in experiential learning in the fresh air, for planting, harvesting and tasting fresh foods they have grown themselves, and for giving back to others when donating surplus produce to local food pantries.