All 1.5 million residents of the Fox River Watershed are friends of the Fox River. The relationship may only be through drinking water, waste water, and/or stormwater management. Including folks that work and visit the Fox Valley, that’s a lot of friends and impacts. But not everyone is a good Friend (of the Fox River), nor do they recognize their relationship. If you are reading this, I think it is safe to say that you are a concerned and good Friend. You understand your attraction and concern for the well-being of the Fox River and its resources. Thank you for being a good Friend this past year.

AT HOME
This regular newsletter feature, Be A Better Friend, usually offers tips to reduce our negative impacts and improve our positive practices. Many of these relate to what we can control as individuals, like in our yards – by reducing harmful chemicals like deicers, herbicides and fertilizers. Also very important are the restoration of habitats through other yard management practices, like keeping water on site, installing native plants, and working with the natural systems. Keeping plant material in place for overwintering insects and birds in the spring, is a good example. Thank you for your efforts at home.

AT PLAY
Good relationships develop from appreciation. The Fox River and the entire watershed offer exceptional opportunities to appreciate its beauty in all seasons. We are fortunate that the city, village, county, and state governments have preserved and maintained public open spaces for us to enjoy. The watershed also offers a diversity of active recreational opportunities. The Chain O’Lakes area attracts unprecedented numbers of power boaters. The entire length of the river is navigable by paddle craft. And thanks to Great American Rail-Trail initiative, many more pedestrians and cyclists enjoy our river iwith trailside views. The new designation of the Fabulous Fox! Water Trail will further enhance recreational access and promote economic development. Thank you to all who get out there and enjoy your friend the Fox.

IN UNITY
Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) was founded to gather and empower Friends to be a protective voice for the Fox River. Knowing that being a Friend has a diversity of applications, FOTFR decided to proactively meet people where they are in their interest and ability to support our mission. Consequently, the concept of an organizational membership was dissolved and replaced with a Friend status. If your support our efforts, you are considered a Friend. For organizational survival, we twice a year run friendraising/fundraising campaigns. It’s the season of thanksgiving. We are thanking you for being a friend today and welcoming you to do the giving back if you have the resources. Donate here. Together, we keep on fixin’ the Fox.

HOW WERE YOU A FRIEND?
Thank you for however you have been a Friend this past year. Thousands of you participated in shoreline and community cleanups from Waukesha Wisconsin to Yorkville Illinois. It’s Our Fox River Day alone had 71 different opportunities to be a Friend. If you contributed financially, you supported educational experiences for thousands of youth and the public in a wide variety of activities. If you attended presentations, you gained valuable awareness and understanding of the many issues that impact our watershed. As a knowledgeable Friend, you help distribute that message beyond our reach. We appreciate the support of canoe raffle ticket and calendar (get yours here) purchasers, attendees at No Clean Water No Good Beer, and guests at the upcoming Nature Arts and Crafts Fair.

COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY
Good relationships require good communication. FOTFR seeks to stay connected with all of our Friends. To do that, we offer daily posts on Facebook/Instagram. And as you know as a loyal subscriber, the Watershed Weekly comes to you consistently. We sprinkle in action alert emails as needed. We respond in a timely manner to inquires left at info@FOTFR.org and our phone line 815- 356-6605. Please reach out to us if our Friendship needs additional connection. Thank you for being a friend; please welcome your other friends into our circle of FOTFR.

FEED THE BEAST
Friendships thrive when they are nurtured. Appreciate often the gifts that the Fox River offers. Maintain your connection by regularly doing what fuels your passion for the Fox River Watershed, whether it is passive or active recreation, managing your lifestyle at home or as a consumer, or one of the many ways you support FOTFR. The Fox River and FOTFR rely upon our Friends to achieve our ability build a watershed community of caretakers.

Thank you Fox River for all you offer, and thank you to our Friends of the Fox River.