MCGM meets Sat. Feb 6, 2010 at the Oak Park Conservatory
615 Garfield Street, Oak Park

The Conservatory was established in 1914 and has over 3000 plants. It is the third largest conservatory in the Chicago area. Self Guided Audio tours are available all day and there will be several docent tours during the day as well. The Fern Room, Tropical Room and The Desert room will be pleasant respites from winter. We will meet in a modern conference room on the premises.
Note: This is not the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago!

Schedule
9:00 AM Meet and Greet with refreshments

9:30 Worship followed by Worship with attention to business

Noon A simple lunch of pizza will be served. A donation will be requested to pay for lunch. Also, anyone wishing to contribute a salad, desert or covered dish will be appreciated.

1 PM Reconciliation Ecology with a Chicago Area Focus presented by Adrian Fisher
As Friends reflect about our role in and care of creation, we might reflect on our own practices in our gardens and backyards. This workshop will encourage participants to consider gardening and landscaping from a Quaker-centered spiritual and ecological point of view, focused on the Chicago region. Practicing reconciliation ecology in our backyards reduces use of non-renewable resources, increases bio-diversity, and helps lower the gardener’s carbon footprint, while helping heal our bio-region. There will be activities, practical advice and discussion

3 PM adjourn

All Day Child Care, Children and Youth Activities inside and out! Led by Marti Matthews and Patricia McMillen, details below.

Other opportunities at the end of the formal meeting include: (details will be available on site)

*further viewing of the plants until 4 PM, photography encouraged
*visit Ernest Hemingway Birthplace
*visit Frank Lloyd Wright studio and home
*visit Ten Thousand Villages store for special Valentine gifts—and help struggling artisans at the same time

Driving Directions
By Car: Take the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) to Austin Avenue, exit south (turn left) and then immediately turn right (west) onto Garfield. Proceed west on Garfield past East Avenue (the third stop sign.) The Conservatory is on the south side of Garfield, just after East Avenue. Free Parking is available on the street directly in front of the Conservatory, and to the side of along East Avenue
By public transportation: Take the CTA Congress “L” Blue Line to the Oak Park Avenue station, then exit either the East Avenue or Oak Park Avenue entrances. The Conservatory is on the southwest corner of East and Garfield, which is a three minute walk from Oak Park Avenue.

Child Care.
Children who are potty-trained and have no-contagious diseases will be welcome at the MCGM February Meeting at Oak Park Conservatory. Parents are requested to bring warm clothes and snow-proof footwear for children’s use in outdoor activities, which will take place in the early afternoon (after lunch, during Adrian’s presentation), weather permitting. Morning (indoor) activities will key off the Conservatory’s youth programs, which include themed, self-guided tours of the Conservatory (February is Chocolate Month, by the way), child-friendly introductions to resident plant and animal life (which include lovebirds, Cockatiels, turtles, fish…), and simple craft projects. Patricia McMillen and Marti Matthews will supervise MCGM youth during these activities, and are putting plans in place for Quaker-specific indoor and outdoor games in a separate Conservatory room reserved for the purpose, possibly including “teaching moments” regarding Fair Trade and organic chocolate production. We’ll also provide a snack. Names, ages and allergy/activity/food preference information in advance {(708) 386 2907 for Patricia McMillen} would be much appreciated, but bring your children even if you haven’t called ahead!