A press release from the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership:

Public Talk and Natural Area Tour
Restoring Local Natural Resources
FREP Noon Network on Wednesday, August 17 in Oakwood Hills

Attend an event on Wednesday, August 17, Noon to 1:30 p.m. to learn about a current local community effort to restore a natural area and the benefits it will provide to the community and the environment.

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP) hosts a bi-monthly FREP Noon Network that will begin at the Oakwood Hills Park pavilion off of North Park Dr. in Oakwood Hills.

Oakwood Hills Village Trustee, Kerry Leigh, will share information on her work with the Village of Oakwood Hills to restore 20 acres of savanna habitat in the community park adjacent to the Oakwood Hills Fen Nature Preserve.

Oakwood Hills Fen. Photo from The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership.

Steve Byers, Field Representative with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission will lead a tour of the fen wetland, one of the rarest types of wetlands in the U.S.

Bring your lunch to enjoy at the pavilion where you can learn about restoration efforts to remove invasive plant species that will improve the health of the natural area and allow easier access to a portion of the park for passive recreational activities. Attendees will also learn how a partnership with McHenry County Conservation District and financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped to make this project possible. Steve Byers will provide information on the unique natural resources associated with nearby Oakwood Hills Fen Nature Preserve.

After the presentation, Kerry Leigh and Steve Byers will lead the tour of the restoration area and nearby Oakwood Hills Fen Nature Preserve.

The program is open to the public and is one of the regular bi-monthly FREP Noon Network lunchtime programs providing an opportunity for FREP 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. People are encouraged to bring their lunch to eat during the program. Wear comfortable walking shoes if you plan to join the tour.

The event is co-sponsored by the Village of Oakwood Hills and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

This program is part of a current effort to help protect water quality and watershed health in the Silver Creek and Sleepy Hollow Creek watersheds in southeastern McHenry County.

A watershed is an area of land that drains water into a common receiving body such as a stream. Oakwood Hills is within the Silver Creek Watershed. These watersheds are part of the larger Fox River Basin. To learn more, visit http://foxriverecosystem.org/planning.htm .

Directions: The park is located several blocks east of the village hall located at 3020 North Park Dr., Oakwood Hills. Turn south just past Oakwood Dr. to enter the parking lot. Walk south to the nearby pavilion.

For more information, call 815-338-0393 or send an e-mail to atershedinfo@mcdefenders.net.

The watershed planning activities are being funded by Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act by way of a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Water, to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.