Gary Mechanic

Northern-Redbelly-Snake-by-Digby-Dalton

Meet Your Neighbors: Cute Baby Snakes

By Jack MacRae 20th century scientific research into Kindchenschema showed that humans consider baby animals as inherently cute. It has something to do with the size and proportion of their facial features. I think this idea is especially valid with new born northern red belly snakes. I mean, OMG, they’re totes adorbs.  When they emerge from … Read more

No Clean Water, No Good Beer

FUNdraising, Friends of the Fox River Style!

Get your holiday shopping done early with a beer in your hand, without an internet connection. The ceremony of gift giving is very important in many cultures as a demonstration of respect. According to author Gary Chapman in his book “The Five Love Languages” gift giving is also essential in intimate relationships. In our local … Read more

birdsfoot violet

Meet Your Neighbors: Stonerollers and violets

By Jack MacRae and Gary Mechanic Rolling in the River Their name might make them sound like they’re Mick Jagger groupies, but common stonerollers are actually local minnows named for their nest construction technique. Beginning in the first several weeks of spring as Fox River tributaries warm into the 50-degree range, and continuing into mid-summer, … Read more

Meet Your Neighbors: Map Turtles Don’t Get Lost!

There are currently 14 species of map turtles, all found only in North America. Two species of map turtle are found in the secluded, slow moving backwaters of the Fox River; the northern map turtle Graptemys geographica, and the false map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica. Superficially similar to others of their genus (sleek, cute and relatively small), map turtles … Read more

student and crayfish

How Well Do You Know Your Friends?

By Gary Swick, President Our personal friends are different to us than other people we pass in traffic, store aisles, or on the bike trail. What makes friends special to us is our understanding of them. This higher level of understanding usually comes from something we have in common. Until we become aware of this … Read more

students in the stream

Creating a Watershed of Caretakers – May the Next Generation Go Viral

My Gmail automatically adds the following below my signature: “Spreading the Peace with the Planet Virus”. Things such as bacteria, viruses, and fungus usually don’t bring about positive, or warm and fuzzy feelings. But these organisms are essential for ecosystem operation. Bacteria grab nitrogen from the atmosphere for soil fertility. Fungus growing on your wood … Read more

Who Drinks the Fox River?

By Kyla Jacobsen, FOFR Board Member Years ago, people settled and communities grew up along rivers. People and animals had access to water and it was an easy way to transport goods by rafts or floats down the river. There were no dams back in those days and it allowed adequate fish passage, goods passage … Read more

bird-poop-statue

Meet Your Neighbors: Do Birds Poop in the Woods?

by Jack MacRae Most birds do their best to maintain a tidy nest.  Removing eggshells, stray feathers, and bits of food is serious business for avian parents.  And of course, there is loads of excrement. Some baby birds defecate every time they eat, up to 13 times a day.  Fortunately, nature provides disposable bags to help with housekeeping.  Fecal sacs are … Read more

green heron

Meet Your Neighbors: The Green Heron Summer Tour

by Jack MacRae Green herons return to the Fox River during the third week of April.  They play on a smaller, more intimate stage than their big blue cousins, usually shunning the commotion of large communal rookeries. Little Green Love Shack Upon arriving at his territory, the male starts building his love nest by placing a few … Read more

checking wq to protect

People + Legislation = Water Quality Protection

by Gary Swick Having access to clean water is a need for all living things. The natural environment provides that through the hydrological cycle. Humans routinely interrupt that process and threaten their own water quality. It is the mission of Friends of the Fox River to protect our watershed through education, restoration, research, and advocacy. … Read more