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FREP programs are free, open to the public
Reservations are not required, unless so stated
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Wed., May 10, 2023 FREP Membership Meeting & Program 1 PM
Location: South Point Facility, Oswegoland Park District, 810 Preston Lane, Oswego, IL
Please enter at rear of building, Door #5 or #15, as there is a school in the other part of the building
Program:
Alien attack! Studying the impacts of invasive species on local waterways
Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Koop, Assistant Professor, Biology Dept., NIU
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Invasive species are one of today's greatest threats to global biodiversity. Understanding the process of invasion and predicting the impacts on native ecosystems when the invaders are also parasites has proven to be particularly challenging. Yet, with over half of all species on Earth likely being parasitic, the need to understand how parasitism adds to the dynamic of invasion is extremely important. | | |
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Dr. Koop will discuss the research going on in her lab at Northern Illinois University that focuses on an invasive snail-trematode-waterfowl system right here in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River regions. We use this system to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that may facilitate invasions of parasites with multi-host life cycles. She'll talk about the kinds of questions we ask, the tools we use to answer those questions, and how they hope their research can be applied in a management and conservation context. | |
FREP Executive Committee will meet at 11 AM | |
UPCOMING FREP ACTIVITIES: | |
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Wed., June 14, 2023 FREP Noon Network Noon- 1:30 PM
Location: Brewster Creek Forest Preserve (formerly Camp Tu Endie Wei)
Program: Brewster Creek Dam Removal Project - 10 Years Later
Presenters: Jeff Mengler, Nancy Williamson, others
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Wed., July 12, 2023 FREP Annual Picnic 3 PM
Location: Pingree Grove Forest Preserve
Program: Habitat & Hydrologic Restoration at Pingree Grove FP
Presenters: Jeff Mengler, others
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Wed., August 9, 2023 FREP Noon Network Noon-1:30 PM
Location: Belrose Farm property, near Serena, LaSalle County.
Meeting location to be announced
Program: The Conservation Foundation's tour of new Belrose Farm property
Presenters: Brook McDonald, Dan Lobbes
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President's Message from Jeff | |
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I recently presented at a local conference put on by one of our subwatershed groups -- the Flint Creek/Spring Creek Watersheds Partnership. They hosted a 2023 Watershed Conference focused on funding sources for restoration, drainage, and water quality. It was a great half-day conference in Barrington sponsored in part by my employer and several other consultants. It was well-attended (they almost needed a larger facility) and provided a program of many speakers offering their experiences with obtaining various types of grant funding for watershed projects.
I was the last speaker and provided an overview of FREP and the larger Fox River basin of which they are a part. They have 18 members in their partnership which included all of the major municipalities in their subwatersheds. I bring this all up not just because it was a great experience, but because they represent what we desire for every one of the subwatersheds in the Fox River basin. As one of the speakers said at this conference, we used to worry about watershed plans ending up on a shelf collecting dust – now maybe we worry about them just sitting in “the cloud.” Of course, the point is that we want the watershed plans implemented. These plans all have lists of priority projects in them. Without an active subwatershed group these projects often do not get implemented.
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Another key is that in order to obtain section 319 funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), one needs to have an EPA-approved watershed-based plan. It turns out I sat next to a colleague I had not seen in several years – and he is now the new team leader at IEPA that oversees the 319 grant program, among other things. He strongly encouraged us to actively seek good non-point source water quality projects in our subwatersheds and apply for 319 grants.
So, I encourage you to think about what subwatershed you live/work/play in, check out the FREP subwatershed page https://foxriverecosystem.org/fox/subwatersheds to learn more about which subwatersheds have a watershed-based plan, and which ones have an active watershed group. Get engaged with that group or help start or reinvigorate one if there isn’t one.
FREP stands ready to help in any way we can to advance water quality improvement projects in all of our subwatersheds.
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Jeff Mengler
FREP President
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The Core Development Team for the Fabulous Fox! Water Trail (FF!WT) was excited to learn from National Park Service (NPS) staff that our application for designation into the National Water Trails System has been forwarded as a nomination to the Secretary of the Interior, Debra Haaland, after passing staff’s cursory and in-depth reviews. | |
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As the Core Development Team anxiously awaits Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland’s decision about designation of the Fabulous Fox! Water Trail (FF!WT) into the National Park Service’s National Water Trails System, we were excited to learn on April 7th that Kane County has been awarded a $270,000 grant from the Tourism, Attractions & Festivals program from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to be used to improve infrastructure along the Fox River and market the FF!WT. On April 27th, DCEO awarded Kane County $100,000 through their Route 66 and Local Tourism Program which will be used for marketing the FF!WT.
Please contact Karen Ann Miller for additional information, brochures and stickers.
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If you would like more information or learn how to get involved, please contact
Karen Ann Miller at: millerkaren@co.kane.il.us.
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A Celebration of Life is being planned for Elizabeth Hagen-Moeller on June 25th, at Burnridge Forest Preserve in Elgin. Elizabeth passed away on February 22, 2023. She had served as FREP's president and then treasurer. Elizabeth was the administrative and education coordinator at Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District for many years and a great environmental educator.
If you would like to attend and participate, please contact Becky Hoag at info@foxriverecosystem.org for more information.
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FREP Membership - FY 2023-24 begins 7/1/23 | |
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Renewal Statements to current FREP members for 2023-24
will be mailed out in mid-June.
Early-bird membership -- join or renew NOW and it will count toward
our FY 2023-24 Membership Year.
Check our Membership Roll at the link below.
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Changing Shoreline At Lyons Prairie And Marsh, Cary
McHenry County Conservation District to Host Public Input Meeting
on the Changing Shoreline at Lyons Prairie and Marsh, Cary
May 4, 5-7 p.m. at Lost Valley Visitor Center, Glacial Park, Ringwood
Note: can also attend the meeting online from 5-6pm – see website for meeting link
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Powerpoint presentation from April 12, 2023
7th Avenue Creek Project, St. Charles
Presenter: Logan Gilbertson, Lead Engineer, HR Green
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The 11th Annual Fox River Summit was held
Thursday, March 16, 2023 at
Veterans Terrace at Echo Park, Burlington, Wisconsin
The presentations are available on YouTube at THIS LINK
Mark your calendar for next year's Summit: Thursday, March 14, 2024
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Video from February 8, 2023
A watershed approach to uncover suitable habitat for vulnerable mussel species in the Fox River Watershed in Wisconsin and Illinois
Presenter: Alison Stodola, Aquatic Biologist, Curator of Malacology, Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois
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Powerpoint presentations from January 11, 2023
Updates from our Watershed Partners
Presenters: Friends of the Fox River, Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, The Fabulous Fox! Water Trail, The Conservation Foundation, Fox River Study Group.
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November 10, 2021 FREP Presentation by Art Malm:
Freeing Our Fox! - a discussion of dams on the Fox River in Illinois
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Aurora Greenfest is Saturday, May 13, 2023
10 AM to 4 PM
Prisco Community Center
150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora
FREE to all ages
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Now in its 11th year, (after a 3-year hiatus) it is the longest running GreenFest of its kind, offering common sense solutions for Aurora & Fox River Valley! This year the GreenFest is being held on May 13th, the day before Mother’s Day, so the theme will be “For the Love of Our Mother Earth.”
The community has come a long way in making sustainability a priority. The GreenFest has had a lot to do with this progress, teaching the people of the Fox Valley about sustainability, resilience, and how we can all walk more gently on our planet. We really are “Growing Greener Every Day.”
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Fox River Cleanups in May
Elgin, Sat. May 13, 9-Noon
info page
Batavia, Sat. May 20, 9-Noon
info page
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Community Recycling Information | | | |
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Becky Hoag, Communications Manager
Fox River Ecosystem Partnership
630-482-9157 info@foxriverecosystem.org
Please email Becky if you have an email to add to our mailing list or content to add to the next monthly Downstream.
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