Lecture series to shine spotlight on Fox River
The River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles knows what an important asset the Fox River is.
To that end, the River Corridor Foundation together with The Conservation Foundation and the St. Charles Park District are sponsoring a five-part lecture series that will focus on topics related to the Fox River.
The free lecture series will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month at the Baker Community Center, 101 S. 2nd St. in downtown St. Charles. Those who attend will have to follow the current CDC rules for indoor gatherings.
The series will kick off Jan. 12 with Jan Roehll, DuPage County Program Director of The Conservation Foundation, presenting the program "Nature RX: Nature for Your Wellbeing."
In January 2020, the River Corridor Foundation and The Conservation Foundation launched a five-part series about life in the Fox Valley. The series had to go virtual because of the pandemic.
"It was still highly attended but it was not the same," said Laurel Moad, who is on the board of directors for the River Corridor Foundation.
She believes people will find the new lecture series to be highly informative.
"The first lecture is really unique," Moad said. "There's a true health benefit from being outdoors. It gives you a sense of well being. I think that lecture will be very timely going into the winter months."
St. Charles Park District Ecological Restoration Supervisor Ryan Solomon on Feb. 9 will talk about the topic "Fun on the Fox: View from the Water." On March 9, St. Charles Park District outreach ambassador and naturalist Pam Otto will present the program "I Spy… Fox River Wildlife: Mammals of the Fox River."
And on April 13, Candace Ridlbauer, president of wildlife rescue service Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab and Education, will present a program on Fox River raptors.
"We have a phenomenal wildlife population and bird population in the Fox Valley," Moad said. "And so they almost became natural topics. It was a collaborative effort to think of subjects that people of all ages might have an interest in."
The lecture series will conclude on May 11 with Brooke McDonald, president and CEO of The Conservation Foundation, presenting the program, "Your Legacy on the Fox River: Actions for Today and Tomorrow."
Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab and Education will bring raptors that are in rehabilitation to the April 13 lecture.
"We anticipate that program will be one of the most popular of the series," Moad said.
