Fox River | Contributed photo
Fox River | Contributed photo
Elgin Mayor David Kaptain recently presented Friends of the Fox River with a Sustainability Honor Roll Award on behalf of the Elgin Sustainability Commission, which aims to make Elgin a more sustainable community.
The award recognizes the nonprofit group’s dedicated environmental stewardship of the Fox River area. Its approximately 500 members coordinate cleanups along rivers and streams, and have hosted eight such events since April.
The Friends’ mission is to preserve and protect the Fox River Watershed by providing education, research and advocacy to connect residents with nature. More than 4,500 regional residents participate in its activities annually.
“One of the neatest things the organization has done is activating its watershed watchdog program,” Kyla Jacobsen, a long-standing member of the Friends of the Fox River who serves as water director for the City of Elgin, said. “It’s getting students into the streams, to understand it and protect it. They go home, and it translates into their families being more committed. Also, they are personally more committed to protecting the resources when they grow up.”
Jacobsen said the City of Elgin supports the watershed watchdog program.
“It’s gaining a lot of traction, and the kids are absolutely enjoying it,” Jacobsen said. “Hundreds of kids each week are being exposed to the Fox River.”
The Sustainability Honor Roll Awards have been given out twice annually, usually in spring and fall, since 2015.
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