Earth Day is April 22, and this year’s theme is Our Power, Our Planet.
The library offers events, information, and resources focused on sustainability and environmental issues all year. In April, we kick it up a notch with our community partners to learn and take action.
Below, find events for all ages, including film screenings, sewing and crafting, and the second annual Oak Park Eco-Extravaganza. You’ll also find staff-curated collections of books focused on the climate crisis, urban foraging, native gardening, and more for Earth Month 2025.
Earth Month events
Join us for these special Earth Month events in April, and see more upcoming sustainability events on the library calendar. Click on the name of each event for more information and registration.
Movie Matinee: A Plastic Ocean
Wednesday, April 2, 1 pm, Main Library
This documentary explores the full impact of plastic pollution on the world’s oceans via nature footage and interviews with conservationists, while also discussing possible solutions to the crisis.
2nd Annual Oak Park Eco-Extravaganza: Community Voices, Sustainable Choices
Saturday, April 5, 10 am-noon, Main Library
Come to learn, play, and connect with community groups working in the sustainability space while enjoying local treats. This Earth Month community kickoff event for all ages is hosted in partnership with One Earth Local, Climate Ready Community Outreach Oak Park (COOP) and the Village of Oak Park.
Sew Simple: Introduction to Hand Sewing
Tuesday, April 8, 5 pm, Main Library (grades 6-8)
Learn the basics of hand sewing! Stop in to learn how to sew patches and buttons onto clothing.
Movie Matinee: River
Wednesday, April 9, 1 pm, Main Library
This film explores the timeless relationship between human civilization and Earth’s rivers. Spanning six continents, this visual and musical tour-de-force is celebratory, cautionary, and ultimately hopeful. Narrated by Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe, with music by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Radiohead.
Illinois Libraries Present: The Art of Foraging With Alexis Nikole Nelson
Thursday, April 10, 7 pm, virtual on Zoom
Alexis Nikole Nelson is a forager and an outdoor educator using her platforms, TikTok account @alexisnikole and Instagram page @blackforager, to celebrate all the edible plants hiding in plain sight. She peels back historical layers on African American and Indigenous food traditions that have traditionally been repressed and empowers those living in food deserts with greater self-sufficiency.
Movie Matinee: The Lake at the Bottom of the World
Wednesday, April 16, 1 pm, Main Library
In this documentary, an international team of scientists explores a subglacial lake buried 3,600 feet beneath the Antarctic ice to reveal hidden truths about our planet’s dynamic past. As they struggle against the ferocity of the ice and wind, they consider how our relationship with nature—and one another—impacts humanity’s future.
Bird Making Workshop: Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene
Thursday, April 17, 4-6 pm, Oak Park Public Library, Main Library
Join us in this upcycled bird making workshop that will help contribute to raising awareness about bird collision deaths. The birds made will be part of the Idea Box exhibit Crossing Paths: Migrating Birds and You, created by the Brooks Earth Action Team (BEAT) led by Laura Stamp. After their stay in the Idea Box (May 1-12), the birds will be mailed to artist Holly Greenberg to become part of her project to make 10,836 birds.
Earth Day Upcycle Crafts
Tuesday, April 22, 3:30-5 pm, Main Library (kids & families)
It’s Earth Day! Celebrate by making something new from something old by repurposing recyclables. We’ll provide a variety of art materials and recyclables and we’ll have ideas to help you get started! All ages welcome; young children require adult supervision.
One Earth Film Festival: Every Little Thing
Wednesday, April 23, 6 pm, Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St.
Author and wildlife rehabber Terry Masear has an ambitious goal: to save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles. But the path to survival is fraught with danger. This heart-expanding Sundance hit introduces audiences to Terry’s diminutive patients through breathtaking slow-motion photography and emotional storytelling.
Doors open at 6 pm and film screening begins at 6:30 pm. Hosted in partnership with One Earth Collective and the Village of Oak Park.
One Earth Film Festival: Cafeteria Man
Saturday, April 26, 10:30 am-1:30 pm, Main Library
The USDA estimates 32 million school kids consume up to 50% of their calories at school, contributing to the obesity epidemic among young people. What does it take to reform school lunch programs and provide healthful, tasty meals to our nation’s kids? Cafeteria Man takes a behind-the-scenes look at Tony Geraci’s sweeping, tenacious efforts to kick-start school lunch reform in Baltimore’s schools, a large urban district that serves 83,000 students.
Doors open at 10:30 am and film screening begins at 11 am. Designed with middle school, high school, and general adult audiences in mind. Hosted in partnership with One Earth Collective and the Village of Oak Park.
Dig deeper into eco-friendly living with these books
