Blog - Friends of the Fox River

Our Waters, Our Fox

October 4, 2024May 14, 2017 by Gary Mechanic

Article written for the April 2017 “Bravo Magazine” by Dean Tripp Our Fox By its very nature a river belongs to more than one people, place and time. Our Fox is no exception. The water flowing into and out of it is a resource we can’t create or destroy; we can only attempt to manage … Read more

Meet Your Neighbors! “21st Century Fox”

October 1, 2024May 1, 2017 by Gary Mechanic

This is the first article in a new regular “Meet Your Neighbors” column of our newsletter. Each issue will bring you a short story about one of the other species with whom we share our ecosystem. And of course, how could we not start with the Fox! This piece is by Jack MacRae, retired DuPage … Read more

Birds, Bales and Waters of the United States

October 4, 2024March 30, 2017 by Gary Mechanic

When Illinois became a state in 1818, 8 million acres of wetlands or 23% of the state’s land area provided critical habitat for a wide variety of mammals, birds, fish, mussels, amphibians, and insects. Today only 1.2 million acres remain. 90% of Illinois’ wetlands have been destroyed! The new administration’s attempt to roll back the … Read more

Spring Has Sprung! (How your yard affects the Fox River)

March 29, 2017 by Eric Pepa

by Gary Swick- I hear folks are anxious to get started on their yard maintenance. This is a season of increased threats to local water quality from poor yard management decisions. Many residential properties are close to a street drain that goes directly to a local stream or the Fox River without any treatment. When … Read more

WATERSHED WATCHDOGS EXPAND TO AURORA AND CRYSTAL LAKE!

February 23, 2017 by Eric Pepa

by Gary Swick Since the beginning of Friends of the Fox River, students have played a lead role in water quality protection. Citizen scientists have voluntarily collected data from over 100 monitoring sites throughout the watershed. In 1999, the Fox River Monitoring Network was established which through federal, state, and county funding. The network grew … Read more

Craft Beer Selected Just for You

July 26, 2016 by Gary Mechanic

No clean water, no good beer. By Eric Pepa It’s not just a cute tag line; it really is a profound statement We do take clean water for granted, especially here near the great lakes, where fresh water is abundant. But in few arenas is water quality more important than in the brewing of beer. … Read more

Help Friends – Drink Beer?

August 12, 2018July 25, 2016 by Gary Mechanic

How on Earth does having a beer party help Friends of the Fox River clean up the river?!? Friends of the Fox River President Gary Swick explains: “Our annual fundraiser is a reminder that without protecting the Fox River we’d lose many of the things we enjoy and take for granted, including recreation on the … Read more

We’re a member of EarthShare Illinois

February 16, 2016December 8, 2015 by Friends of the Fox River

EarthShare Illinois is a federation that represents environmental and conservation non-profits. If your employer participates in EarthShare, you can designate payroll deduction contributions to directly support Friends of the Fox River. Learn more at earthshare-illinois.org.

A Storm Drain Is Not a Garbage Disposal

February 16, 2016October 31, 2015 by Friends of the Fox River

From our President, Gary Swick ~ That hole in the street with the metal grate that is next to the curb is a “storm drain.” Its intended purpose is to prevent flooding in streets during storm events. It must not be used as a disposal of anything. Most manufactured now are stamped with “Dump No Waste, Drains to … Read more

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