Ash borer war needs troops
The Kane County Forest Preserve District needs a few good volunteers to help restock a St. Charles-area park whose tree population took a hit this spring because of the pesky emerald ash borer.
The goal is to plant 50 bur oak trees at a volunteer work session from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the 1.25-square-mile Campton Forest Preserve, between Town Hall and La Fox roads in Campton Hills.
An April clearing project felled about 100 of the preserve's ash trees infested by the emerald ash borer. Tuesday's session essentially is an effort to rebuild.
"We'll plant young bur oaks that will hopefully grow to be stately trees with broad green canopies," Drew Ullberg, the district's director of natural resources, said in a news release soliciting volunteers.
Ullberg pointed out while numerous tree species, including Dutch Elms and American Chestnuts, have "fallen on hard times" in the last century, "our native oaks have stood firm." Standing about five feet tall each, the trees to be planted next week are larger than your typical sapling, the district said.
Emerald ash borers were first discovered in the U.S. near Detroit in 2002 and confirmed in Campton Township in 2006. Since that time, more than 20 million ash trees in the Midwest have been destroyed, including some in Chicago's suburbs.
St. Charles city officials said at a recent meeting that while the borer has not been discovered inside municipal limits, experts are monitoring the situation closely.
To get involved in the forest preserve planting, call Julia Bourque at (630) 762-2741.
:Fido need a bath? A group of enterprising 4-H'ers plan to spend part of the day Sunday bathing some of the Fox Valley's smelliest dogs. And, no, it isn't punishment.
The Fantastic 4-H Club of St. Charles has planned a dog wash fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Campton Township Community Center, 5N082 Old La Fox Road, in Campton Hills.
The suggested donation is $5 for each pup, with proceeds going to the Field of Dreams Horse Rescue and Adoption in St. Charles. The nonprofit group helps abused or abandoned horses across the Fox Valley.
Homemade dog treats also will be available.
For information, call Julia Glas at (630) 816-6071.
:Pirate party: If you're crossing the Fox River on Wednesday evening and see what appears to be a boatload of pirates, don't fret it's just the local business community cutting loose.
The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce is commandeering two river boats - the Fox River Queen and St. Charles Belle - for its 17th Annual Paddle Boat Mixer from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. This year's theme is pirates, so in addition to the networking and socializing, there might a little swashbuckling.
The boats set sail at 5 p.m.
Friday is the deadline to register for this free event, which is one of the chamber's most popular.
Reservations can be made until noon by calling (630) 584-8384.