… or A Face Only a Mother Could Love This month’s Reflections on the Fox topic literally kind of flew into my mind one day a couple of weeks ago when I visited the Fox River observation platform at the Hoover Forest Preserve in Yorkville. This spot is one of my favorites for viewing all … Read more
It’s time for the Carpentersville Dam’s retirement to be celebrated. It retired years ago when it no longer worked to move water into the race areas. The dam was constructed to provide mechanical power and later ice. They were very important jobs for local industrial development, but electricity and refrigeration have rendered them obsolete. The Carpentersville … Read more
Each of us has our own way of interacting with the Fox River – fishing, hiking, picnicking, boating, biking, and even swimming. My two favorite ways happen to be paddling and photographing. I’d like to share with you some of the reasons I enjoy those activities so much. First of all, why do I choose … Read more
The night of Sunday, August 11 and very early morning of Monday, August 12 was the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower. It’s when the Earth passes through the densest remnant of the tail of the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle and recurs every year in mid-August. As I often do during various meteor showers throughout the … Read more
An Informed Public Voice Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) is an advocacy organization that relies on public education to build a watershed community of caretakers. We live in an era of rampant misinformation. As demonstrated on our own social media posts, people can comment negatively as experts without evidence for their fears and claims. … Read more
Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) is the leader in providing watershed experiences for children. Since mid-April, FOTFR has delivered our services to over 2500 youth. The standard format is hosting students in their local streams to collect physical, chemical, and biological data. It is real science with a real purpose. But FOTFR meets residents … Read more
July 4th is a celebration of American independence from a monarchy and transition to a democratic system of governance. The words “We the People” give us the responsibility of not only choosing our leaders but also voicing our opinions and ideas. Friends of the Fox River works to be a voice for the Fox River … Read more
I thought the opening line of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feeling Groovy (59th Street Bridge Song)” was an appropriate title for my contribution for this month’s “Reflections on the Fox” column. It’s been my motto in birding and fishing for a long, long time but even more so now that my mobility has been limited lately … Read more
This year’s Friends of the Fox River Canoe Raffle boat was generously donated by renowned canoe maker Ted Bell, a childhood friend of Friends of the Fox River Board Member, Chuck Roberts. Ted and Chuck grew up in Crawfordsville, IN, and Sugar Creek meandered through their small town. Chuck remembers that since it was a … Read more
Kermit said, “It’s not easy being green.” Indeed, it must be difficult to be a frog. Hatching from an egg underwater into a plump tadpole with tiny arms, no legs, and a wiggling tail probably is a welcome sight to a long list of potential predators. Then as with other amphibians they transform gills to … Read more
