Author: Caroline Williams

Let’s Celebrate October with Stamps!

Posted on by Caroline Williams in Info, Inspiration, News

Oaktober

October is the month to celebrate Oaktober in the state of Illinois. It was established in 2015 after Governor Bruce Rauner declared October as Oak Awareness Month to honor the importance of oak trees in our state. This initiative resulted from the dedicated efforts of the tree community, coordinated by the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) at the Morton Arboretum.

Often referred to as the “Kings of Biodiversity,” oak trees support approximately 2,300 species, including birds, insects, and fungi. Oak trees hold significant cultural and historical meaning. The Morton Arboretum wrote, “Oaks contribute greatly to communities and cultures around the world. Mature oaks provide shade and cooling in urban landscapes, and their great size imparts a sense of strength and inspiration.”

Additionally, the National Park Service stated, “It’s hard to talk about oak trees without slipping into tales of myth and legend. Oaks appear so often in the story of humanity that it could scarcely have been written without them—literally.”

In the U.S., an oak tree known as the Charter Oak played a significant role in the history of American independence and the fight against the British. It is depicted on the Connecticut Tercentenary commemorative stamp, which was first offered for sale at the post office in Hartford, Connecticut, on April 26, 1935.

The Charter Oak was an enormous white oak tree growing on Wyllys Hill in Hartford, Connecticut, from around the 12th or 13th century until it fell during a storm in 1856. In 1662, Connecticut colonists hid the Royal Charter of Connecticut within the tree’s hollow to thwart its confiscation by the English governor-general.

A picture of an oak tree was also used by the United Nations on stamps to symbolize World Refugee Year in 1960, which were issued by 70 countries. Here are two of them from Costa Rica and Guinea, West Africa.

There are many stamps from around the world that feature oak trees, oak leaves, or acorns. An article titled “Oaks on Postage Stamps,” published by the International Oak Society, showcases over 100 oak-related stamps.

As someone currently working in the field of tree equity with the Chicago Muslims Green Team, I am a proud owner of several stamps related to trees from the Muslim world. Here are stamps from the UAR (United Arab Republic), which at that time was the union of Egypt and Syria. They commemorate the celebration of the Tree Festival in 1967 and Tree Day in 1959.

The other stamps are from Lebanon, depicting cedar trees, the iconic evergreen conifers native to the region, known for their height, longevity, and historical significance. Cedar trees are a national symbol of Lebanon, also featured on the country’s flag, and have been used for construction and in religious texts for thousands of years.

I am also pleased to have recently acquired the First Day Cover of the 5th World Forestry Congress, issued by the United Nations in New York in 1960. The Congress was held in Seattle, Washington, that year.

According to the organizer, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the most recent World Forestry Congress took place in Seoul, South Korea, in 2022 under the theme “Building a Green, Healthy, and Resilient Future with Forests.” The next Congress will be held in Peru in 2027. President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, said the election comes “in recognition of our nation’s commitment to conservation, the sustainable management of our forests, and the fight against climate change.”

Hispanic Heritage Month

In the field of trees, we often discuss how the American native trees are more favorable to be planted because they are generally more resilient. The Hispanic Heritage Month also can tell stories about the resiliency of the native people in the American continent. It is celebrated nationally in the U.S. from September 15 to October 15.

According to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, it began as a week-long celebration in 1968 under President Johnson and was expanded to a month by President Reagan 20 years later, in 1988. The month-long celebration provides more time to properly recognize the significant contributions that Hispanic/Latino Americans have made to the United States.

Additionally, according to the American Immigration Council, in the last decade, the Hispanic community grew by more than 20 percent, reaching 65.1 million in 2023. U.S.-born Hispanics grew by 25 percent. Hispanic communities fuel every sector of American life. They have always been here, and will continue to be here, shaping the present and the future of this country.

A commemorative stamp honoring Hispanic Heritage Month was issued in October 1984 to recognize all Hispanic Americans from various walks of life. In 2023, the USPS published a booklet titled “Hispanic People and Events in U.S. Postage Stamps“. It celebrates many Hispanic individuals, places, and achievements, including explorers, pioneers, statesmen, athletes, entertainers, artists, and educators—people who have made a difference in our culture and history.

National Stamp Collecting

I first learned that October is the National Stamp Collecting Month from the American Philatelic Society (APS) Newsletter. Stamps were invented in 1837 as a means for people to pay for their mail, and it wasn’t long after that that people started collecting them. I have been collecting stamps since I was young, growing up in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia.

In the 80-90s, there was no internet and email there. We relied on mails addressed to our home. Every time the postman delivered a mail, I was always excited to see what kind of stamp was affixed on the envelope, so I could add it to my collection. It was a cheap hobby for me and a form of recycling.

The Smithsonian National Postal Museum wrote, “What can you call a hobby which teaches so much—in addition to providing fun and pleasure? Stamp collecting helps instruct the collector in geography, biography, history, culture and art. Stamps are miniature gateways to the world.” That is the main reason why I love collecting stamps!

The stamps I have here feature those from 1972 and 1986, celebrating the stamp-collecting hobby. The other stamps commemorate the International Philatelic Exhibition in Washington, D.C. in 1966, Philadelphia in 1976, and Chicago in 1986.

There is a concern that stamp collecting is a dying hobby. New generations prefer using emails over mailing letters. They also tend to collect trendy items like Pokémon or baseball cards. Hopefully, there will always be a generation who appreciates vintage or antique items like postage stamps and recognizes the opportunities that stamps can offer to expand their international horizons. For example, they can connect with collectors around the world at the APS or attend the next World Stamp Expo in Boston.

A Stir-fry Veggie, Baby Papayas, Monarchs, and Bees

Posted on by Caroline Williams in Close to Nature, Green Idea, Inspiration

Earlier this year, I picked up neglected plants from the street and got free plants from a nearby community garden for my backyard. However, my schedule was full of activities including travelling abroad, and I didn’t have much time to care for them during spring and summer. Alhamdulillah, everything grows on its own, allowing me to enjoy a small harvest while letting the family of rabbits enjoy the rest.

From the harvest, I cooked a stir-fry using basic Indonesian ingredients (shallots, garlic, soy sauce, and sambal). I love it, and I appreciate that I can simply go to my backyard and pick the veggies to cook.

My biggest achievement so far is my papaya plant. I have been growing it in a pot from seed since 2021. I keep it indoors during the winter and let it thrive outdoors during the summer. This year, baby papayas are growing on the plant. Unfortunately, winter is coming soon, and I am not sure if it will survive.

Baby Papaya

Another thing I was excited about was my milkweed plant attracting Monarchs again. Last year, no Monarch showed up due to construction next to my backyard. In previous years, a family of Monarchs enjoyed my milkweed. I also love my native plant, the Goldenrod, which bursts with beautiful yellow color and attracts bees.

I am grateful to be inspired and have learned so much from Muslim community about planting and gardening—something I once thought I was not capable of doing.

I was inspired to start growing plants after the Chicago Muslims Green Team organized the 2020 Green Ramadan online campaign during the COVID pandemic, which included sharing our eco-friendly practices in our everyday lives via Zoom. At that time, I shared my love for recycling art and crafts, while others shared their passion for gardening and growing things from food scraps. I love that we can learn so much from each other in our community about how to go green and back to nature.

A Reflection on Justice Outside’s Unite and Ignite Conference

Posted on by Caroline Williams in Advocacy, CMGT News, Environmental Justice, Info, Inspiration, Public Transportation

The Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) is a small and young nonprofit. This October, we will be a 5-year-old 501(c)(3) organization. We are humble and grateful to have been given the chance to attend Justice Outside’s Unite and Ignite Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from September 22 to 24.

CMGT was represented by CEO Dr. Layalee Beirat and me, Tree Equity Program Manager. It was our first time visiting Philadelphia, and we were happy to learn that there are many Muslims in the city. We made great connections with local Muslims at the conference.

On the first day, I explored the city’s public transportation while CEO Beirat attended the Exclusive Pre-Conference Gathering for Grantees Only. I usually judge a city I visited based on the quality of its public transportation. I do not drive and I travel everywhere by bus or train. For me, it’s the best way to experience a city like a local does. I was impressed with the options available and I was excited to try the SEPTA trolley lines (T), something we do not have in Chicago. It is the descendant of a pre-World War II streetcar system. 

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

The conference took place at the historic Crystal Tea Room, located in the Wanamaker Building. It opened in 1911 and was designed to be a grand dining space featuring chandeliers and classic architecture. When I arrived, I felt a sense of luxury and a high class of sophistication, usually enjoyed by European aristocrats. I imagine that, in the past, as an immigrant and a person of color, I would not have been allowed to enter the room. But here I was, with other people like me, many of whom run community urban and rural farms, dealing with soil and dirt in outdoor setting and wearing different kind of clothes that match our personalities. We were there enjoying a good breakfast and getting to know each other. For me, this is a sign of progress.

The opening remarks by Ronda Chapman, Kim Bailey, and Michelle Barakat from Justice Outside, followed by with keynote speaker Daniel Hunter from Choose Democracy, were inspiring. We were reminded of the importance of being united in turning our anger into a positive force for change. A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was displayed: ‘The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.’

In his speech titled “Noncooperation and Authoritarianism,” Daniel Hunter identified what authoritarians do. One of them is, ‘The Autocrat Won’t Leave.’ This is unfortunately true.

I have been thinking that the U.S. will be 250 years old next year and is still facing the threat of authoritarianism, with their mission to make white supremacism great again. Compare that to many countries that are less than 100 years old, which gained independence in the mid-1900s after centuries of opposing Western colonization and supremacism.

I came from Indonesia, a country that fought for freedom from three centuries of Western colonialism and gained independence in 1945. As a student in Indonesia, I experienced living under a dictatorship that was in power for almost three decades and was forced to resign after massive protests and political, social, and economic unrest throughout the country in the late ’90s. I have heard that authoritarianism is making a comeback there.

For me, the fight against authoritarianism is a long struggle that may never end in our very short lifetimes. But it defines who we are. Are we simply accepting injustice, or are we standing against it? 

One thing we must not forget in our struggle is to keep joy in our lives, as it is a form of resilience. I was happy to discover that joy was a theme shared at this conference. I could feel how everyone works with love and passion for their communities. I learned a lot from a session titled “Joy Is Strategy: Centering Black and Brown Communities Through Festivals, Culture, and Land-Based Healing.”

In this fun, interactive workshop led by Teria Powell from Building Bridges in Washington, D.C., we explored how culturally rooted festivals can be powerful tools for environmental justice, healing, and land connection, using case studies from Washington, D.C. During the workshop, we literally had to get up from our chairs, connect with another participant, and write a letter to our colleague about one thing we will do in the next 30 days to move our work forward. The letter will be sent to our addresses via snail mail, not electronic mail.

Another inspiring session I attended was titled “Beyond Representation: Challenging Exceptionalism in Outdoor Recreation Practices and Culture,” led by David Malana from Color the Water in L.A. and Hanan Robinson from the Build Love Advocacy Center in Arizona.

Hanan emphasized the importance of free access to outdoor activities for everyone, including gear that fits our body shapes. This reminded me of the barriers I used to have in my mind, such as thinking my legs were too short for rock or wall climbing. Additionally, at our recent wall climbing event in Chicago, two young Muslim girls demonstrated great climbing skills. Their parents told us that if we had not organized this event, they would not have come out.

David talked about bringing the joy of surfing to Black Lives Matter activists and reminded us that Indigenous Americans were experts in surfing, using gear made from natural materials. He also highlighted how surfing was part of social, cultural, and community activities, as seen in Hawaii, before being whitewashed by colonizers and transformed into a competitive sport dominated by Westerners.

I also attended an informative workshop titled “Represent Your Community: Environmental Commissions 101.” Speakers Jonathan Tyrrell and Karyn Bigelow from the Next 100 Coalition shared facts about environmental commissions that make decisions regarding millions to billions of dollars in local, state, and federal funding, directly impacting outdoor access, public health, and the local environment. However, community representation is often significantly lacking in these spaces.

In this session, we first learned how to identify the commissioners, and we were encouraged to attend their public meetings to represent our community. I fully support this initiative because, since 2018, I have been attending these public meetings. I also joined the City Bureau Documenters to receive training and get paid to write reports or live-tweet from the meetings. This is just one of many ways to contribute to our society, to represent and empower our communities.

Overall, the conference lived up to its title, “Unite and Ignite.” I felt fired up joining Assata’s Chant with our fists in the air:

It is our duty to fight for our freedom!
It is our duty to win!
We must love and support one another!
We have nothing to lose but our chains!

Warning: Nuclear Waste in America!

Posted on by Caroline Williams in Advocacy, Environmental Justice, Info, News, Waste Management

Yesterday (3/18), I first learned from CHEJ (The Center for Health, Environment & Justice) about Radioactive waste from The Manhattan Project affecting Americans in St. Louis, Missouri (MO).

The secret project that was started in 1942 to produce nuclear bomb left behind toxic waste buried in the landfill, contaminates the American land, water, and air.

In 2012, a group of mothers in St Louis founded a nonprofit organization, “Just Moms STL” after they smelled intense odors from the burning of nuclear waste escaped off the landfill.

Read their story here: https://justmomsstl.org/about/our-story/

For years, they have raised concerns about potential links between radioactive waste and increased rates of cancer and autoimmune diseases among residents.

This area is majority Republicans. Recently, on March 17, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) finally secured pledge from Trump appointed EPA leader, Lee Zeldin to clean up radioactive waste after decades of neglect from the American’s ruling party, Democratic and Republican.

This is an undeniable proof that environmental issues ARE NOT political issues. It is affecting every American.

If Republicans are truly “American First!” MAGA, they should fix this ASAP. Stop sending our taxpayers money to support other countries’ wars and stop the assault on environmental movements. We have to work on this together, regardless of our faith or political views.

By the way, St. Louis, MO is our state, Illinois’ next-door neighbor!

Picture from JustMomsSTL.org

Watch “How the push for the atomic bomb led to long-lasting nuclear waste problems in St. Louis“.

My First Day of Ramadan at the Wild Things Conference

Posted on by Caroline Williams in Close to Nature, CMGT News, Conservation, Environmental Justice, Inspiration, Youth

On March 1, 2025, I attended the 29th Annual Wild Things Conference in Rosemont, IL. It is the the largest conservation gathering in the Midwest, regularly drawing nearly 2,000 of nature enthusiasts, hosted by the Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves.

Honestly, I was hesitant to attend it because it was also the first day of Ramadan. I usually have a headache on my first day of fasting, so I did not think I could survive and enjoy being in the crowd. Turned out, I was wrong. I had so much fun there meeting people and gaining new interesting knowledge.

The booklets from Wild Things Conference in 2019 and 2025.

Previously, I attended the 23rd Wild Things Conference in February 2019. At that time, I knew only a couple of people. This year, I saw so many familiar faces. The Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) sent three members to the conference, myself as the Board President, CEO Layalee Beirat, and Outdoor Recreation Program Manager, Sara Siddique. I am grateful to receive a scholarship and travel reimbursement to attend the conference.

From the agenda, I saw many interesting topics related to my passion, Community Science. I attended the session, “Expanding and Democratizing Science Trough Teen-created Research Projects” presented by David Bild, Community Science Manager at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences.

David Bild presents Expanding and Democratizing Science Trough Teen-created Research Projects.

Bild presented an interesting summer STEM program for teens. It is a 6-week paid internship that engages 30 Chicago high school students in lab and field-based activities focused on urban ecology to develop their critical learning and skills.

This topic represents my idealism on science that everyone, including youths can have fun applying the scientific method to appreciate nature.

I first learned about Community Science in 2018 from Bild when I attended the Chicago Conservation Corps training at the Nature Museum. My educational background is Physics, so I am naturally interested in anything related to science.

My interest in Community Science grew as far as getting a scholarship to attend the 2019 Citizen Science Association’s Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. I became an Ambassador for the Citizen Science Asia and wrote a report, “The Importance of Regional Citizen Science Organizations“.

I also organized Citizen Science events for CMGT, the 2020 Introduction to Citizen Science Workshop at Nature Museum and the 2021 Community Building with Zooniverse Webinar with Adler Planetarium. I am still determined to spread awareness about Citizen Science or Community Science. I am glad to find out at the conference that the topic is still being discussed and keeps expanding.

The next Community Science session I attended was “Plants of Concern: Community Science Rare Plant Monitoring in Action” presented by the Chicago Botanic Garden. Whenever I explore the outdoor,

I love taking pictures of wild flowers because they represent beauty and resiliency in nature. It was awesome to learn about beautiful rare plants in Illinois and how community members can actively help scientists to find and collect data of these unique plants.

Grant Fessler presents Plants of Concern: Community Science Rare Plant Monitoring in Action.

Another interesting topic is “Systemic Racism and Urban Ecology: Application in Community Science” presented by Illinois Master Naturalists. The presenters showed how Community Science was applied as a tool to demonstrate concrete examples of systemic and environmental racism in our urban ecology.

This topic clearly aligns with the mission of the Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) to increase awareness about Environmental Justice issues in our community. In the past, Joy Bailey, one of the Illinois Master Naturalists connected CMGT to the Friends of the Chicago River and helped us to participate in the 2023 Chicago River Day at Kickapoo Woods.

Joy Bailey presents Systemic Racism and Urban Ecology: Application in Community Science.

The next session I attended was, “Making River Restoration Work for Migratory Birds” presented by Chicago Bird Alliance. It was not related to Community Science, but I learned about the result of research and data collected on migratory birds to support the river bank restoration for their natural habitat.

Additionally, from one of the presenters, Raed Mansour, I learned about how community members had fun participating in the restoration activities and enjoyed watching the wild life in areas located not far from where I live. Now I can not wait for Spring to be able to ride my bike and observe nature in those areas.

Raed Mansour presents Making River Restoration Work for Migratory Birds.

Mansour who formerly worked at the Chicago Department of Public Health and now working for the Metropolitan Planning Council connected the CMGT to Our Roots Chicago program and the Tree Equity Working Group in Chicago and beyond. This is why, the next session we attended was the “Community Roots: Bottom-up Approaches to Tree Stewardship and Advocacy” presented by the Chicago Region Tree Initiative (CRTI) Morton arboretum.

The CRTI crews, Paul Gordon, Varak Bosnoian, and Sam Works presented how community engagement comes in different forms for CRTI. They take a bottom-up approach, apply adaptive and creative ways of collaboration for Stewardship and Tree Ambassador Programs. In 2024, they worked with 40 community organizations including CMGT to get over 2,800 trees planted in the Chicago priority neighborhoods.

I can say that CMGT gains significant benefits, including financial and recognition of our hard work from becoming one of CRTI’s partner organizations.

Sam Works presents Community Roots: Bottom-up Approaches to Tree Stewardship and Advocacy. CMGT logo was displayed on the slide.

In these pictures: Caroline, Sara, Layalee from CMGT, Melinda, Sam, Paul, from CRTI, Claudia from Women from Green Spaces, Raed from Metropolitan Planning Council, and Krystyna from Shedd Aquarium.

At the end of the conference, I checked out, “The Effect of Military Activity on Wadi Gaza” a poster presented by Laura Shihadah, a graduate student from University of Illinois in collaboration with Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability.

The poster emphasizes the geographical significance of Wadi Gaza as one of the most importance coastal wetlands in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is an area rich in biodiversity and a stopover for many migrating birds from Africa and Eurasia. Using remote sensing, Shihadah was able to do analysis and assess the environmental degradation due to recent conflicts and natural disaster without ground surveys. The result of the study which was done from May 2023 to 2024 shows increasing bare ground and decreasing vegetation. Future research is suggested to analyze the area for a longer time period to gain better understanding of the trends in vegetation biomass.

The Effect of Military Activity on Wadi Gaza poster presentation by Laura Shihadah.

On the first day of Ramadan this year, Alhamdulillah, I feel grateful to gain new and interesting knowledge from the presenters. I also appreciate the “Quiet Room” provided at the conference. I was able to take a break and pray silently there.

It feels amazing to be part of a big network of nature lovers in the Chicago region. In the future, CMGT may be able to present a poster or a speech at the conference to share experience in engaging our community to outdoor activities in order to strengthen our health, mentally and physically.