In 1969, an oil slick caught fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio near my home. This was the 13th time that the river had become engulfed in flames. My mom and I marched in protest, although I don’t remember it and I didn’t really march because she was pushing me in a stroller. … Read more
The Fox River does not have a voice and relies on people and organizations, its watershed community of caretakers, to advocate on its behalf. A foamy situation On March 8, 2024 an electrical malfunction in the fire suppression system at Flint Group in Batavia, IL caused firefighting foam to be discharged outside the building. The … Read more
Spring is in full swing. Those spring ephemerals are in glorious bloom, and folks are getting more active with outdoor activities. Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) just wrapped up the spring friend-raising and fundraising drive. Many Friends took the prompt to spring forward with their financial support and others to sign up to emerge … Read more
On Monday, April 8, 2024, I travelled approximately 260 miles to east central Indiana to view the first total solar eclipse I have seen. I had been looking forward to this event since the last eclipse in 2017 that occurred while I was working at the College of DuPage. I didn’t have the opportunity to … Read more
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 is a day I’ll remember for a long time! For on that day, I checked off one of the items I’ve aspired to on my personal birding bucket list: seeing and photographing a Whooping Crane! I had seen a Whooping Crane flying with a flock of Sandhills back in March of … Read more
On a beautiful, autumn day in the year 2000, I took a walk through the woods along a footpath not far from a home that my husband and I were considering in Algonquin. We were moving from Flagstaff, Arizona where we had lived for just two years. (Prior to that I was living in Washington, … Read more
The first day of spring is a day on the calendar, but we know that it is a long process requiring good timing and resilience if you are an emerging plant. Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) has selected the onset of spring to be our period of emerging growth. For FOTFR, April and May … Read more
Join the exciting world of environmental education with Friendsof the Fox River (FOTFR)! We are currently seeking enthusiastic individuals to join our education team as paid staff, interns, and volunteers. Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) is a leader in providing watershed education for youth and restoring the Fox River through advocacy, cleanups, and public … Read more
I’ve been blessed to see lots of Bald Eagles over the course of my life. The effects of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the outlawing of the use of DDT in that same year has led the Bald Eagle back from the brink of extinction to being a fairly common sight in the … Read more
Can you resist watching young puppies and kittens play? Their pouncing and wrestling reflect instinctive drives that once were important for survival but are no longer required for our furry pets since the advent of reliable “bowl feeding” by humans. In the wild, adult animals pass on knowledge to offspring to guide their behavior to … Read more
