It has been said that June is one of two months that people in our watershed don’t complain about the weather. Cold temperatures are now behind us and the heavy heat has not arrived. Vegetation is lush and the bugs are not yet the main topic of discussion. Now is a great time to get … Read more
The Fox River’s history includes many centuries of harmonious human use, then a century of abuse, and in the past decades increasing work to protect and restore watershed health. Today, we face new threats from the recent executive orders, and dealing with them is new territory for us. Who Is The FOX? The Fox River has … Read more
Join us for the first annual EL CARDUNAL paddling experience on the morning of Sunday, June 22nd. It’s a celebration of the NEW free-flowing section of the Fox River. The removal of the Carpenter Dam last fall exposed the river that has been hidden for over 150 years. CARDUNAL represents the Carpentersville, Dundee, Algonquin region. REGISTER … Read more
As I write this column on April 28, 2025, the spring woodland ephemeral wildflowers are in full bloom. By the time this column appears on the website in mid-May, many will be past their peak or will have stopped blooming altogether. The ephemerals are at the mercy of the sunlight being able to penetrate the … Read more
This week when asking a 4th grader what it means to be a friend, Ricky shared that a friend is someone you care about and want to help. That nailed what it is to be a Friend of the Fox River (FOTFR). We are friends by way of advocacy, cleanups, paddle trips and mostly, these spring … Read more
This year’s Giving Tuesday campaign was a big success for the Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR). “We Need a Van” was the theme. You may have seen the featured video, our Facebook fundraiser, and appeals through our website, emails, and Watershed Weekly resulted in over $7000 in support. For that, we are very grateful … Read more
When the Carpenter Dam removal was completed last year on November 1st, the leadership of Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) knew they wanted to celebrate the long (9 year) journey’s completion. A board/staff canoe trip was envisioned. Inclement weather postponed the trip, which gave creative minds time to raise the fun factor. EL CARDUNAL … Read more
April is Earth Month and Earth Day is officially on April 22nd.This is the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. The concept is to recognize human dependence upon earth systems and to honor our mother, Earth. In 1970, the developed world was just beginning to realize the impacts of our consumptive culture. Litter was considered a major … Read more
Those of you who have followed my blog here over the years know that I am a passionate fan of Bald Eagles, particularly those nesting in our Fox River Valley. As I write this month’s blog (in late March), we are solidly into the Bald Eagle nesting season in our area. Most eagles laid their … Read more
Founder of Friends of the Fox River, Pat Reese, emphasized that protecting the Fox River would take a watershed approach. This implies addressing issues as a region undivided by municipal boundaries. The annual Fox River Summit is a major step in that direction. The collaborative effort to develop the bi-state Fabulous Fox Water Trail (FFWT) … Read more
