By Gary Swick, President When COVID-19 came to town in March, countless routines got turned upside down. Friends of the Fox River (FOFR) considers Fox River protection an essential business, so we, like so many others, have to adapt our operations to continue to provide our services. Throughout our journey, we are keeping fun front … Read more
By Jack MacRae One of the great mysteries of American wildflower lore may have been solved. Joe Pye – the eponym for Joe Pye weed – appears to have been identified! This is according to a fascinating article from the 2017 issue of The Great Lakes Botanist (Volume 56, Issue 3-4, July), by veteran Canadian botanist … Read more
By Gary Swick, FOFR President Advocacy and giving the Fox River a voice were the founding principles of Friends of the Fox River. Sometimes this concerns local issues, like the current public comment period for Lake County’s stormwater ordinance. Others are national in scope like the current White House rollback of 50 years of environmental … Read more
By Gary Swick The debate over whether to choose a plastic or paper bag is pretty even when comparing their environmental footprints. However, in considering a few particular situations like holding wet items for example, or the bag’s likelihood to become long term litter, the choice is a different story. The choice of canoe or … Read more
By Gary Swick, President Reflections River Network‘s annual River Rally is a national conference that brings together river advocates from agencies, municipalities, non-profits, industry innovators, philanthropists, academics and community leaders to learn and exchange contemporary information. I usually attend River Rally every other year. I always return excited and carrying new tools, information, ideas and new … Read more
By Jack MacRae I once read that the American Lotus, Nelumbo lutea, “will make the soul forget the woes of the Earth”. Sounds wonderful to me. With its soft-scented, butter colored flowers and colossal green leaves, the lotus has inspired artists, poets, and spiritualists for centuries. The Google Machine tells us there are endless narratives of these … Read more
By Jack MacRae Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) are frequent flyers in our wild skies. Teetering on their long wings, these aerial scavengers love to glide up and down the Fox River Valley. Turkey vultures are large, dark feathered birds with bald red heads. They hold their wings at a slight dihedral (“V” shaped) and the … Read more
By Gary Swick, FOFR President I have been asking folks for decades, “What is a watershed?” It is important to us because Friends of the Fox River (FOFR) is Creating a Watershed of Caretakers. Understanding the term/concept is essential in maintaining and protecting our Fox River. A watershed is not a building where the well … Read more
By Gary Swick, President Mother’s Day is approaching but it will surely be another change from the norm. We’re learning that forced change can lead to innovation and wonderful surprises. The optimists and silver-lining folks are looking for the new normal to be a healthier and more just version of the world. Embracing New Traditions … Read more
Few people realize that a fairly obscure Englishman nobleman named Cecil Calvert, (1605 – 1675) is directly responsible for the name of a major American city, the name of major league baseball team, and the name of a familiar neighborhood songbird. In today’s world Cecil Calvert is celebrated as Lord Baltimore. And, for the next several … Read more
