The Conservation Foundation is collaborating with local partners to once again offer a presentation series beginning this month centered around the Fox River, this year expanding to include locations in both Kane and Kendall counties.
The goal of the series is to increase community awareness of the wildlife diversity, attributes and recreational opportunities provided by the Fox River, organizers said.
Programs in the series will run from 7 to 8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in St. Charles and the fourth Wednesday of the month in Yorkville.
Each program will feature a different topic and guest speaker. All programs are free to the public.
“The Conservation Foundation is thrilled to bring back and expand this series highlighting the beauty and benefits of the Fox River to both wildlife and our communities,” said Jessica Mino, Kane and Kendall County program director with The Conservation Foundation, in a press release about the series. “The Fox River Valley is a fascinating place to be and we look forwarding to connecting people with this precious resource flowing through our region.”
The sessions set for St. Charles include “Dam Alternatives and Understanding Options” on Jan. 17 to be held at the Arcada Theatre. It will be presented by Scott Shipley of the S20 Design Group.
All other programs in St. Charles will be held at the Baker Community Center. On Feb. 21, “Reflections From a Full Length Fox River Paddle Trip” will be presented by Jenni Kempf of the Friends of the Fox River group. On March 20, the program given by Pam Otto of the St. Charles Park District will look at “Life at the Bottom of the Fox.”
The program set for April 17 is “Critical Habitat for Local and Migrant Birds” to be presented by Bob Fisher of The Bird Conservation Network. The final program in St. Charles will be “Invasive Plant and Animal Species of the Fox River” on May 15, to be given by Amber Ross of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County.
The Conservation Foundation programs in St. Charles will be hosted in partnership with the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles and the St. Charles Park District.
All of the Kendall County programs will be held at the Yorkville Public Library in Yorkville. The first program, called “Wings on the Water,” will be held Jan. 24 and look at birds of the Fox River. It will be presented by Scott Johnson of the Forest Foundation of Kendall County.
The Feb. 28 program, called “Blooms of Renewal,” will focus on flowers along the Fox River and will be given by Anne Dalrymple of Kramer Tree Specialists. The March 27 program is called “Beneath the Surface” and will be presented by Mark Bramstedt of M&M Soils.
The final program in the Kendall County series is set for April 24. Called “Navigating the Fox River,” the program will be presented by Karen Miller from the Kane County Planning and Development Department.
The series in Kendall County will be hosted by The Conservation Foundation’s Kendall County Advisory Council, with partners from The Forest Foundation of Kendall County, U. of I. Extension Office, village of Montgomery, Kendall County Soil and Water Conservation District, Kendall County Outdoor Education Center and Yorkville Public Library.
Registration is suggested for those looking to attend programs in the series. To register for the Kendall County Fox River Series go to https://theconservationfoundation.org/hiddengem2024/
To register for the Kane County Fox River Series go to www.stcrivercorridor.org/register
