I do! I love our Earth because it is an endless, unlimited sources of knowledge and awesomeness!
Our holy book, Al-Quran has many verses that remind us how our Earth contains signs for people to ponder and to believe. How long have we humans been roaming the Earth? Yet, we are still far from done learning about our Earth.
One of my favorite verses from the Quran is this one,
Do you see many varieties of grapes in the picture? Mashallah, aren’t they beautiful?
The picture originated from this twitter account. These grapes are produced in Herat Province of Afghanistan. Herat has more than 100 types of grapes.
Afghanistan people also developed an awesome ancient technique to preserve grapes in a natural way. It’s called Kangina. It is an air-tight container made of two earthen bowls sealed together. Each bowl is made of clay and straw, and is sun-baked. This video of Kangina recently went viral on social media.
This is grape preservation technique is from pre historic Afghanistan, where grapes are preserved in clay and stay fresh for a year and sometimes years. pic.twitter.com/bN4BOs6plB
URGENT:Support a Comprehensive Climate and Equitable Jobs Bill in Illinois!
On Sept. 1, the Illinois Senate passed an energy bill, SB18that would put the state on a path to 100% carbon-free power by 2050.
However, Gov. J.B. Pritzker does not support this bill mainly due to the issue of the Prairie State coal plant, the largest source of industrial carbon pollution in Illinois and one of the largest in the country. The bill does not require the plant to reduce its emission before 2045.
On Sept. 3, member of the House, Rep. Ann Williams filed the SB1751, House Amendment 1 to improve SB18 by requiring a 45% reduction in carbon emissions for the coal plant by 2035. This amendment is supported by the Governor and Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.
If the House passes a bill with the amendment, it will have to go back to the Senate for consideration. Let’s urge our legislators to pass the comprehensive clean energy bill to be signed into a law by the Governor.
Sign one of the petitions below or call your representatives:
To call your representatives, use one of the petitions above as the talking point. For example, this one from Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition:
As a constituent, I’m urging you to support the comprehensive climate and equitable jobs bill SB1751, House Amendment 1.
In keeping with climate science, this bill not only puts Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future, but also achieves meaningful emissions reductions in the near term, including from our state’s largest polluter and the 7th worst polluter in the nation, the Prairie State coal plant.
It creates good-paying jobs and wealth for working families in every part of Illinois, especially Black and Brown communities, which are often the first to suffer negative consequences of pollution but the last to reap the health and economic benefits of a clean energy future.
And, it holds utilities accountable and ends the automatic, formula rate hikes that have burdened consumers for too long.
Inaction isn’t an option. Please help get this bill across the finish line.
Last December 2020, WTTW reported that Rose was spotted in Florida with her offspring named Nish. The other two, Hazel and Esperanza, turned up on the islands off the Georgia coast. In January 2021, Monty was confirmed to be in Texas.
Who are Monty and Rose? They are two lovebirds, endangered species of piping plovers, sandy grayish brown birds with white underparts and a narrow, often broken collar. Their names were derived from the word “Montrose,” the name of the beach where they started their family.
They became a headline in 2019 after they broke a record as the first pair of piping plovers to nest successfully in Chicago since 1955. Nish, Hazel, and Esperanza are three of four surviving offsprings. The names were the result of a contest organized by the Chicago Audubon Society, the Chicago Ornithological Society, and the Illinois Ornithological Society.
In the summer of 2019, Monty and Rose were the main reasons behind the cancellation of a major music festival at the Montrose beach and Gov. J. B. Pritzker’s declaration of Nov. 18 as the “Piping Plover Day” in the state of Illinois. They also became the main stars in a documentary movie, “Monty and Rose.”
During winter, it is typical for a pair of plovers to go their separate ways and come back to the same breeding site. After going their separate ways in the winter of 2019, they went back to the beach in spring 2020.
Will the lovebirds go back to Montrose Beach this spring?
The Chicago Ornithological Society is hopeful. That’s why they invite volunteers to do spring cleaning to welcome them.
On their website they wrote, “To prepare their summer home and help give this year’s chicks the best chance at survival, we’re going to do some spring cleaning. On Sunday, April 11th, 2021, join us for a beach clean up at Montrose Beach. All are welcome and no prior experience or equipment necessary but RSVP is required.”
Montrose Beach is located at 4400 N. Lake Shore Drive near the Uptown neighborhood. During the cold war, it was lined with Nike anti-aircraft missiles. Now, as reported by WTTW, it is the best place in the entire state of Illinois to see birds during their spring migration. According to Openlands, as of January 2017, over 320 species of birds have been identified.
Photo Courtesy of Caroline W
Besides birds, the Montrose Beach will also soon welcome monarchs and other pollinators. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the work is being completed to create 1.5 acres of pollinator habitat on park land at the Chicago Park District’s Montrose Point.
This is all great news for nature lovers in Chicago. Let’s make Montrose Beach the best place to visit!
The Chicago Muslims Green Team is excited to announce and welcome Dr. Rohany Nayan as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Dr. Nayan has over two decades of experience as an educator and administrator. Her love for education, community work, and social and environmental justice led her to initially volunteer at CMGT as the Education Coordinator. In this role, she actively designed educational programs and provided professional development as needed. When asked to comment, Dr. Nayan said, “It is a great honor to be asked to lead CMGT in this position, and with gratitude and humility I accept the offer. I look forward to working with the wonderful, inspirational and dedicated CMGT’s team, and realize my beloved mother’s precious advice to me ~ Always leave a place better than you found it. We know that changes do not happen over night. As a Malay saying goes – Sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit (a little bit at a time builds a great mountain).”
Currently as the CEO, Dr. Nayan is focusing on nurturing and growing the vision of CMGT, especially in raising awareness of and planting the seeds for a more mindful, eco-friendly lifestyle based on Islamic principles in the Muslim community and the larger society at large. Dr. Nayan holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Literacy Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a master’s degree in Language Education (TESL) and a bachelor’s degree in English Education (ESL) from the Indiana University-Bloomington. Her work focuses on minority and immigrant families, and their children’s experiences in their adopted country and how the interwoven issues of culture, language, and meaning-making act upon their identity and literacy development. Her work has appeared in several academic volumes.
Dr. Nayan describes herself as an “accidental immigrant” who came to the U.S. to study, but ended up making it her home. In her free time, she enjoys being a foodie who loves diverse cuisines. She also loves reading, studying languages and making paper arts and crafts (e.g., origami and kirigami). She is passionate about building bridges across communities by developing interfaith dialogues and collecting resources especially on Islam, diverse cultures, literacy development and researching cross-cultural awareness. Currently, her immediate goals in life include being more mindful in her choices and lessening her carbon footprint on Earth by adjusting her lifestyle and daily habits. She can be reached via email at: rohanynayan@chicagomuslimsgreenteam.org.
We at the Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) are looking forward to two special celebrations during the month of April: Ramadan and Earth Day. As many members of the team prepare for the 29-30 day fast of Ramadan, we are mindful of the Islamic teachings that encourage us to reduce waste and live the value of Earth stewardship:
“He is the one who made you Khalifahs (vicegerents, stewards, guardians) of the Earth.” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:165)
This year, Earth Day falls on April 22, nearly one week into Ramadan. For the past two years, Green Ramadanhas been an integral part of CMGT’s educational efforts to reduce waste and promote a sustainable lifestyle. Our signature event, Zero Waste Iftarhelps to educate the Muslim community about recycling, composting, and food waste while encouraging the community to host events in an environmentally-friendly way. Last year, because of the pandemic, we were able to extend our reach beyond local mosques by connecting online with national and international partners to share ideas and approaches that combat the environmental degradation of our planet. This year, we are working with a new partner, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to promote Green Ramadan through initiatives like “Zero Waste Iftars” and “Shop Free Eid.” Like the firstEarth Day in 1970, it is our hope these initiatives will become a regular part of Ramadan celebrations across the world! During April, CMGT will continue to gather materials to support our current Jiran Project: PLARN SLEEPING MATS to help neighbors who are facing the challenges of houselessness in Chicago and other metropolitan areas. Please help us to reach our goal of providing 100 plarn (plastic yarn) sleeping mats to our neighbors. You can see our website for more information as well as upcoming distribution dates in early May.
We wish you a beautiful spring, and remember to be light on Earth by being mindful, using environmentally-friendly products and practices. Ramadan Mubarak! May you have a blessed Ramadan, and enjoy the blessings of this holy month.
