Events

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Love Our River Days

by Gary Mechanic, Executive Director The Fox River has come a long way from the days when it was the most used and abused river in Illinois. An 1908 monograph describes the Fox River: “… the tributaries often bring large amounts of sediment, and various manufactories along the river discharge a large amount of refuse … Read more

Cruising for Visions

By Gary Mechanic, Executive Director Following the recent solar eclipse, Friends of the Fox River’s President Gary Swick drew a parallel in his monthly newsletter article between the ancient anxiety caused by the temporary darkness of an eclipse, and the depressing darkness that many of us feel about the temporary (we hope) rollback of federal … Read more

Birds, Bales and Waters of the United States

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

Craft Beer Selected Just for You

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?

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