Noon Network offers opportunity to learn about a rain garden

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership hosts a Noon Network from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, to showcase a new demonstration rain garden that has been created at the University of Illinois Horticulture Research Center in St. Charles. The group will meet at the rain garden, Route 38 and Peck Road in St. Charles.

Tim Pollowy of Hey and Associates and Victor Fields, master gardener through University of Illinois Extension, will discuss the building of the rain garden and how it functions.

This program is open to the public and is one of the regular bimonthly FREP Noon Network lunchtime programs providing an opportunity for members and other interested people to discuss Fox River watershed-related topics and learn more about environmental projects and programs. There is no charge and reservations are not necessary.

The rain garden was co-funded by a Kane County Riverboat Fund grant obtained by the Partnership, and an Illinois Department of Agriculture Conservation Practices Program Grant obtained by Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District. The Kane County Riverboat Fund grant also enabled the Partnership to establish the Kane County Rain Garden Initiative, to promote the creation and use of rain gardens to help control stormwater runoff for residential, commercial and public property. More information about this initiative can be found on FREP's Web site at: foxriverecosystem.org/rain gardens.htm.

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, established in 1997, is one of 41 ecosystem partnerships in the state under the auspices of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The partnership's territory is the entire Fox River Watershed, covering 1,720 square miles situated within the counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry and Will. For information, visit foxriverecosystem.org, or call Becky Hoag at (630) 482-9157.