Implementing Our Vision of a Greener Wheaton

“Greening” Wheaton will not be easy—there is so much that needs to be done.

There are many benefits to a greener and more sustainable Wheaton, but we will enjoy these benefits only when we have educated and engaged the Wheaton community. 

What does greening Wheaton mean?  It can mean many things, including improving air and water quality, creating a more walkable community, building and managing sustainable buildings, providing public recycling, encouraging green collar jobs, planting many more trees, and many, many more things.

Being visibly green is especially important. Sustainable landscaping is one particularly effective way to be visibly green. By using sustainable landscaping practices, homeowners and businesses can help significantly address two serious environmental problems in Wheaton: excessive polluted stormwater runoff and the loss of natural habitat. 

GreenWheaton hopes that the , a place of learning, can use its grounds to also help educate residents on what they can do to help “green” Wheaton.

One “visibly green” idea is to create a pollinator garden or a conservation landscape garden on the grounds with educational signage. Before we can turn the Wheaton Library grounds into an area that demonstrates green landscaping practices, we need to get the existing landscaping under control.

GreenWheaton has started organizing workdays to clean up the grounds and provide some basic landscaping maintenance. Our second workday at the Wheaton library was held during the morning of July 17. Six volunteers focused on the northwest section of the grounds at Georgia and Hermitage Avenues. In less than two hours we removed exotic invasive vines and trees that were taking over the landscaped areas, removed dead branches and picked up litter from the grounds. 

Though we still more work to do, we are making progress. And with enough community support, the effort will not be insurmountable.

Our next work day is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, during the county’s Community Service Week. Tentatively we are planning on organizing cleanup efforts at the Wheaton Library and Veteran’s Park.

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