Pitch in for river shoreline cleanup, more in Algonquin
The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and Algonquin will host the eighth annual "It's Our River Day" celebration and cleanup. It will be 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Cornish Park along the shoreline of the Fox River in historic downtown Algonquin.
It's Our River Day, a statewide celebration, kicks off in Algonquin at 1 p.m. at South Harrison Street and Route 62, south of the dam.
New this year, the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District will do a water rescue demonstration, and the McHenry County Conservation District will bring a live animal you can see up close. Also, Wilderness Inquiry will give canoe rides and there will be stand-up paddling demonstrations.
In addition to the new activities, local conservation groups will give brief presentations and participants will have the opportunity to meet representatives from different environmental, outdoor and governmental groups, as well as "green" businesses. Adults and kids will enjoy learning about the environment by visiting booths with educational information, volunteer opportunities, kids' activities, and more.
The Sierra Club will provide bags and gloves for the shoreline cleanup at the main location at Cornish Park. Everyone is welcome to lend a hand with the cleanup.
The Illinois Water Trailkeepers from the Illinois Paddling Council and members of the Prairie State Canoeists will participate in an in-river cleanup between Cornish Park and Fox River Shores in Carpentersville. They also will give paddling demonstrations during the event on the river at Cornish Park.
The Fox River Jeep Club will be located at Buffalo Park for trash/recycling pickup downstream.
Celebrate the beautiful Fox River and help keep her clean while learning more about local environmental, conservation, and outdoor groups. The event is free and open to the public. Groups are welcome. Scouts can earn conservation badges.
The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a citizen organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The group provides community residents with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions. For more information, visit www.mcdef.org or call (815) 338-0393.