Friends of the Fox River is proud to announce that the Fox River Watershed Monitoring Network (FRWMN) was the recipient of a 2005 Environmental Hero Award from the Illinois Lieutenant Governor’s Office. The awards were given in recognition of the recipients commitment to providing and maintaining a healthful environment for this and future generations in Illinois.
Sue Bennett, Friends of the Fox River’s Programs Manager and FRWMN Coordinator, accepted the award on December 29, 2005, at the Shedd Aquarium from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn.
The Monitoring Network, with assistance from their organizational partners, has trained nearly 500 stream monitoring volunteers since 2000. In 2005, FRWMN increased the number of students, teachers and adults monitoring stream sites annually from 2,500 to over 3,500 . Network volunteers collect water quality data at over 100 established stream sites in the Fox River watershed. Friends of the Fox River uses the data to protect water quality.
In addition to the established activities of the Monitoring Network, the organization also secured a $15,000 grant from the Lt. Governor’s office and the Illinois River Coordinating Council to administer the 2005 state-wide Illinois RiverWatch program. At the completion of the program, 132 data sets were received from 82 individual monitors statewide. Data collected by volunteers is used to assess the overall health of the State’s stream systems.
Another project of the Monitoring Network, in partnership with Dundee-Crown High School/Community Unit School District 300, Monitoring Network Director Gary Swick collaborated on the FoxMap project where students collect data in the field and identify locations with GPS units (Global Positioning System). The data points are converted to maps using GIS technologies (Geographic Information System) to gain a better view of how certain land uses may be impacting water quality. The student conclusions will be presented at a conference this spring and, with assistance from professionals, students will make recommendations to decision makers.
Swick said, "We are honored to be recognized on the state level and have the support of the Lt. Governor. It was very exciting to be included with such an impressive list of other hero award recipients. This is something to be shared by so many who make the Monitoring Network worthy of such an honor."
The mission of the Friends of the Fox River is "to build a watershed of caretakers in the Fox River Valley. Friends of the Fox River is a non-profit organization made up of citizens and organizations taking action to protect and maintain the quality of the Fox River and its tributaries. Through our programs and activities, FOFR encourage both adults and students to become involved in protecting the river and its watershed through their water quality monitoring program (Fox River Watershed Monitoring Network), river and stream cleanups, river habitat improvement projects, and water quality education events.
For more information about Friends of the Fox River and its Monitoring Network, visit www.friendsofthefoxriver.org.
