"There is a sufficiency in
the world for man's need but not for man's greed." ~Mohandas K.
Gandhi
Mission
Statement
The Environmental
Defenders of McHenry County is a citizen organization dedicated
to the preservation and improvement of the environment. We are
committed to building sound ecological relationships between
people and the natural world that supports all life.
To achieve the aim of environmental
preservation and improvement, we provide the community with
educational programs and volunteer action on pollution
prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource
conservation.
We advocate policies which protect
drinking water supplies and conserve land for open space and
agriculture. We demonstrate waste reduction through recycling
drives and reuse centers. We encourage natural resource
protection through native landscaping and stream protection
programs.
What's important to you?
Through the years, the Defenders have had many successes in
helping to make McHenry County a healthier place in which to live. From
the formation of the McHenry County Conservation District to curbside
recycling, from the regulation of gravel mining to the passage of the
Illinois Groundwater Protection Act, the Defenders have been at the
front line, working closely with local, municipal, and county government
while advocating for a healthy environment.
The Environmental Defenders of McHenry
County has
active committees that meet each month.
Committees plan actions and events to address issues facing our
natural areas, water resources, and open spaces, as well as addressing
decisions being made by our county and city officials. Volunteer
opportunities abound.
Click Here and email or fax
to us.
Whether you are a Defenders member or not
(and of course we would love to have you
join), we want to know how you feel about the
things that are going on in our community.
Click Here to let us know what you’d like to see on website.
Click Here to become an Environmental Defenders of McHenry
County Member.
Upcoming Events and
Announcements:
(also see Calendar link
above)
McHenry County 2030 Plan
What are you willing to do to save the place that you love? In the
next few months, final decisions must be made about the contents of the
2030 Land Use Plan with adoption by the County Board anticipated in
early Fall. Conflicting policies still need to be resolved that will
have great impact on our water and natural resources, open space, and
agricultural land in the county. Over the summer several joint
meetings between the Planning and Development Committee and the Regional
Planning Commission as well as two series of public meetings will be
held to resolve these conflicts.
A team of your fellow Defenders
members has attended numerous meetings of the Regional Plan Commission
and reviewed the draft plan in order to recommend the following key
issues to support in the plan and places where improvements need to be
made and plan inconsistencies resolved.
Read their comments - click
here. Several Defenders members attended the public meetings held in
late June.
The Defenders'
Land Use Committee
is currently actively seeking members to help us advocate against
sprawl. You don't have to be an expert to volunteer. The Land Use
Committee educates and advocates for land use policies. Contact
the Defenders office to join.
Our next household battery, fluorescent tubes, and CFL
collection will be in McHenry on Saturday,
July 11th, from 9 am until noon. Click the link below for the
address and more information.
Saturday, July 11. Please contact the office as soon as
possible to get on the list!
Full Moon Theater: "The Unforeseen"
The Defenders
will be showing the 2007 film The Unforeseen
on July 27 at 7 pm at MCC Auditorium.
"Who wins when environmentalists, developers, and activists clash
over the fate of Barton Creek in Texas?"
Along with this land use documentary will be an introduction to McHenry
County's 2030 Plan and
follow up questions about the plan and how it relates to the
documentary.
Co-sponsored by The Land Conservancy of McHenry County and Lou Marchi
Recycling Institute.
Kilowatt Ours
What
would you find if you traced the wires from your light switch to
their energy source Find out when you view the movie Kilowatt
Ours. See --
the problems with today's energy production
the ways ordinary people meet their energy needs through
conservation and use of renewables
how to reduce energy bills while improving the environment
Schedule this program for your organization, church group, or club.
The Defenders will provide the film and a discussion leader for your
showing of Kilowatt Ours.
No fee
is charged for the program, but donations are always welcomed.
GO TO 2040 "Invent the Future"
Workshops
Do you feel like your community and region are being shaped and growing
without concern for things that are important to you, like conserving
open space and natural habitats? If so, you have a critical role to play
as the voice of conservation. The time is now - literally!
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) continues its
series of "Invent the Future" workshops throughout northeast
Illinois, where they are sharing ideas for shaping our region as it grows over
the next 30 years. At these meetings, participants are asked to weigh in
on four scenarios CMAP developed that address quality of life issues
such as transportation, housing, jobs, air and water quality, and open
space protection.
This is an important opportunity for your opinion to be heard loud
and clear in the planning process and by other engaged citizens. The
conversation about biodiversity starts with us. Please do not
assume someone else will be there to support a future of healthy green
communities. Your voice at these meetings can help ensure that as our
region and communities grow, they do so in a way that utilizes the many
principles of natural resource conservation that we know are good
practice, such as:
-Preservation and protection of open space
-Using public transportation to relieve congestion and reduce global
warming
-Minimizing the development of natural areas and farmland
-Planning buffers between sensitive natural areas and intensive use
areas
-Protecting and restoring water bodies and wetlands to prevent
flooding and preserve groundwater resources
There is a workshop in Harvard on August 5th. Sessions start at 7
pm and are about two hours long.
GoodSearch.com
will donate money to the Defenders every time you use their search
engine. Go to
www.GoodSearch.com and find Environmental Defenders of McHenry
County in the "who do you goodsearch for" box. And if you need to shop,
a percentage will be donated to us when you shop throughGoodShop
link!
The Defenders' Store
- Now you can support the Defenders with your purchases through
Amazon.com. Go to our
"Defenders Store"
page, and search Amazon through our search box, or choose one of
the items recommended by other Defenders. We'll receive between 4 and
10% of the purchase price, even on gift cards!
On sale at the office
- gently used, nature-themed coffee table books. Conscious Cup travel
mugs. Styro packing peanuts.
GET
INVOLVED - MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Environmental Defenders of McHenry County,
124 Cass Street, Suite 3, Woodstock, Illinois 60098
Environmental
Defenders of McHenry County 
