The Forest Preserve District of Kane County and the Friends of the Fox River are joining forces this Saturday for a big cleanup effort along the Fox River.

Saturday marks the third annual It’s Our Fox River Day event which organizers said easily draws about 100 volunteers who work to clean up along the waterway at various locations including the Glenwood Park Forest Preserve in Batavia and the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin.

Forest Preserve District Director of Community Affairs Laurie Metanchuk said “for years Friends of the Fox River have been hosting a Fox River cleanup” and that the Forest Preserve District “joined in with them officially last year.”

Robb Cleave, volunteer coordinator for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, said Saturday is actually “an entire watershed-wide event that will include 12 sites ranging from Wisconsin all the way down to where the river empties into the Illinois River in Ottawa.”

“The thing that’s neat about this event is that it’s not just a cleanup in one location but in one day, the entire watershed is getting attention and so it’s a really unique kind of event and I think that’s what gets people really excited,” he said. “Other counties are doing stuff and park districts are hosting work days so it’s really a big

collaboration between a lot of community partners.”

Volunteers at the sites for the event collecting trash, he said, may do so either along the shore or go out in kayaks and should therefore dress accordingly.

“We tell volunteers to dress and come prepared for where you would like to clean, so if people aren’t interested in getting in the water and getting wet — absolutely we’re cleaning internal trails, shorelines, shelters — everything like that,” he said. “But we do have quite a few people at the Batavia and Duerr sites that are going and both have boat launches so it’s really a lay-up for people who are interested in paddling. There are places people can’t get to from the shore and we find that those who are paddling expand our impact.”

Cleave said the pandemic has actually influenced one of the types of litter people find now along the river.

“The number one thing we find are plastic bottles from water or sports drinks — those are enemy number one,” he said. “The next thing is plastic bags — they’re just everywhere whether it’s grocery bags or from other places and they’re really dangerous because they cover plants ... The third is a new addition which is masks. For whatever reason, they’re either falling out of people’s pockets or people are done using them. That is something we see a lot of.”

Both Cleave and Metanchuk agree that water quality is improving along the Fox River.

“It (the Fox River) feels like it’s gotten cleaner and we’re doing a lot more programming as far as kayaking and fishing programs along the river and so while I don’t have a lot of scientific data to back it up I feel like the river is getting cleaner and better,” Metanchuk said.

Cleave said the return of wildlife both living in and flying above the river is a sign that the waterway is improving as well as by the increased use by people living around it.

“We do see more people out enjoying activities in and around the river as well as the increase in various species of animals and birds that tend to be around it,” he said. “I think with all the cleanup efforts we continue to have people are more diligent and aware of the condition and that is helping things improve.”

A press release from the Forest Preserve District about the Saturday cleanup events at Glenwood Park Forest Preserve in Batavia and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin states that “drinking water, snacks, disposable gloves and trash bags will be provided” to volunteers.

All volunteers are invited. To register as a volunteer, go to friendsofthefoxriver.org/fox-river-day-2021/ or email CleaveRobb@kaneforest.com.

Glenwood Park Forest Preserve is at 1644 S. River St. in Batavia and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve is at 35W003 Route 31 in South Elgin.

For more information on the Fox River cleanup event, call 630-232-5980.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.