Defenders celebrate 40th anniversary

By MIKE NEUMANN • The Independent
Published: 4/21/10 | 571 words

Even before there was an Earth Day, the history of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry was taking shape.

In February 1970 - two months before the first Earth Day - a group of McHenry County citizens formed a chapter of the Defenders of the Fox. The group's main purpose was to protect and improve the Fox River watershed. The group merged with a group of environmentally-minded county residents a year later, proclaiming themselves the McHenry County Defenders. In 2008, the group changed its name to the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

Diane Oltman Ayers, the Defender's outreach director since February, said the organization has garnered immense public support throughout its life. The Defender's recycling program, considered cutting edge at the time, introduced recycling to McHenry County residents. As a result of the increased commitment to recycling, most waste haulers now offer curbside service. The organization still holds monthly recycling drives in Woodstock and McHenry.

"We've always been kind of the launching pad for new ideas," Ayers said.

In addition to curbside recycling, the Defenders has helped protect natural areas, including Ryder's Woods in Woodstock. The Defenders supported the creation of the McHenry County Conservation District as well as the passing of legislation such as the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act and the McHenry County stormwater ordinance.

Because the Defenders takes a proactive approach to conservation issues, Ayers said most of what the Defenders has been working on recently involves partnering with local and county governments. While important, Ayers said the organization's public profile has suffered some.

"We have been a really positive resource (for government) and are nonpartisan," she said. "That doesn't necessarily gain you headlines."

As growth in the county exploded in the mid-2000s, more residents entered the county, and many hadn't heard of the organization. This led to the Defenders' name change. Adding environmental to the name distinguished the group, as many began thinking the Defenders was a lawyer's office.

"Our new push is education," Ayers said.

"We want to take our message out and encourage other people to join (the organization," added board member Roy Aspland.

She added that the importance of organizations such as the Defenders is greater than it was when it started, as growth has stressed the county's water supplies, decreased open land space and increased refuse.

"Despite what some people say, we're not NIMBYs (not in my backyard)," Ayers said. "We're for responsible growth with development that makes sense."

As a way to connect with the public, the Defenders is hosting a series of "green voice sessions." The sessions will allow people an opportunity to discuss environmental issues in their communities and to develop partnership plans with the organization to handle the issues.

The Defenders has also started a series of business and civic partnership programs that allow entities to work cooperatively to help improve the environment.

A high school-based youth Defenders program has been added, and the Defenders plans to offer more programs and projects geared toward McHenry County College students.

While the Defenders understands "times are tight," Ayers said that further down the line, the organization wants to build a new facility that will allow the majority of programs and activities to operate out of a centralized location.

To learn more about the organization, visit www.mcdef.org. The Defenders is hosting an Earth Day open house from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Woodstock office, 124 Cass St.

From the front page of the Northwest Herald, March 30, 2010

Still green and going strong

Environmental Defenders of McHenry County volunteer Anne Basten of McHenry carries bags of used batteries at the McHenry County Defenders monthly recycling drive at the McHenry Metra Station. (Dave Shields – For the Northwest Herald)

WOODSTOCK – The Fox Valley Freeway. Conservation. Recycling. The roots of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County are many; the group’s impact after 40 years is hard to quantify.

“The important thing to me was always having a place where people with concerns about the environment could go and find out information and find out what they could do about it,” said Crystal Lake resident Pat Dieckhoff, a longtime member of the Defenders and former assistant director. “And that’s huge because you don’t have that in most places.”

The Defenders are celebrating their 40th anniversary. The group formed in 1970 in large part to fight the proposed Fox Valley Freeway. The north-south roadway would have gone through Crystal Lake.

At first the group included only Crystal Lake residents. But Rita Halvorsen led outreach efforts in Woodstock, placing an ad in the Woodstock Sentinel asking individuals to get involved in environmental issues. Among those who saw the ad was Sherry Anderson.

Anderson and a small group began meeting as the McHenry County Environmental Council. In September 1970, the group put on the Earth-O-Rama ecology program at the Woodstock Library. Anderson said the event included speakers on a variety of issues. Admission to the event was free – as long as a recyclable good was brought along.

“The Crystal Lake people came and were very pleased with what we did, and they asked us to join,” Anderson said, adding that the groups merged in 1971.

The Defenders were among the groups that supported the creation of the McHenry County Conservation District.

Bill Howenstine became one of the first district trustees, while his wife, Alice, became increasingly involved with the Defenders. The Howenstines had become involved with the Defenders shortly after moving to the McHenry area in 1970.

“It was a very new group,” Alice Howenstine said. “We got into it as soon as we could because we were in agreement with their ideas.”

Howenstine said one of the big issues for members early on was recycling.

Once a month, the Defenders would host recycling drives. At first the group collected newspapers, then aluminum cans and glass bottles. Everything had to be sorted, Howenstine said.

“We had to tear the covers off of the magazines because it was a different type of paper than the pages inside,” Alice Howenstine said. “Recycling was a lot different than it is today.”

The Defenders program put recycling on the radar in McHenry County, increasing awareness and garnering the attention of local municipalities.

“This was an example to the cities of what could be done to manage waste,” Anderson said. “Our goal was to put ourselves out of business, and eventually we did. The cities began contracting with haulers for recycling – it finally caught on.”

A history of the Defenders written by Margaret Marchi notes many of the Defenders’ other issues – saving Volo Bog and Wilson Bog from the proposed Waukegan-Richmond Freeway; supporting the formulation of the countywide floodplain ordinance; and supporting a Crystal Lake watershed protection ordinance – to name just a few.

Over the years, the Defenders have changed as issues have been resolved.

The original name of the group was the McHenry County Defenders. After years of calls from confused individuals seeking defense attorneys, the decision was made to change the name last August to the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

The Defenders now have about 500 members and still are involved in a variety of issues, such as preserving open space and protecting the county’s water quality and quantity.

The Defenders have continued community outreach activities, hosting events such as “Green Voice” – a series of public meetings meant to give voice to the environmental concerns of residents and officials. The next “Green Voice” meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Woodstock Public Library.

“We want to know what people are concerned about, and how the Defenders can help address those issues in their community,” said Nancy Schietzelt, president of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

Schietzelt said other initiatives include bringing back a Defenders youth group, pursuing outreach and education efforts, and continuing the film series “Full Moon Theater.” The Lou Marchi Total Recycling Institute at McHenry County College – named for one of the Defenders’ earliest members – publishes the annual Green Guide.

Alice Howenstine, who served on the Defenders board for decades, said the Defenders are more structured and larger than they were in the early days, but some things remained the same.

“If someone has a worthwhile environmental concern, this is an organization that will back you up,” Howenstine said.

Students take time out to care for the Earth By JENN WIANT

The Earth seemed to appreciate the extra attention it received Wednesday: For the first time in days, it was sunny and nearly 60 degrees as groups around the county worked outdoors in celebration of Earth Day.

A block down the street from Woodstock High School at a city-owned wooded area called the Albert property, about 30 students removed buckthorn, honeysuckle and dead trees from the trails that wind around a wetland area.

The students were participating in Senior Service Day, a school tradition that takes place while freshmen, sophomore and juniors take standardized state tests. This year, it happened to fall on Earth Day...

...Other Woodstock High School students were cleaning up in Emricson Park, clearing invasive species with the McHenry County Environmental Defenders at Dean Street and Route 14, and cleaning up Silver Creek near Bates Park, among other projects.

“We’re just helping out the community, giving back, while we wouldn’t otherwise have anything to do today,” said Frank Bochette, 17, who was pulling up invasive plants at Ryders Woods Park off Kimball Street in Woodstock.

“It may not be in our lifetime that problems may occur, but there are problems currently that we can do what we can to help out, and not enough people are helping,” Bochette said.

Brittany Dittmer, 18, said working in Ryders Woods helped her realize how much work went into maintaining public parks and trails.

“When you’re just hiking, you don’t realize it. You think some random conservation people come out and clear out the trees, but it’s neat to go out and realize that you’re the one who did it,” she said.

“For all the people that wouldn’t usually do anything on a daily basis to be green, [Earth Day] kind of makes people think about it and get out and do something,” she said. “Once you’ve done it once, it makes it easier later to live a greener lifestyle.”

read the full article here...

Protecting our Planet By JENN WIANT

WOODSTOCK – Seniors at Woodstock High School are excused from classes today. But it’s not Senior Skip Day.

In honor of Earth Day, they will work at several outdoor community sites in Woodstock and Wonder Lake, building trails, planting native species, and removing invasive plants.

The students are among several groups planning Earth Day events. But taking care of the Earth doesn’t just happen on Earth Day anymore. Throughout the past year, McHenry County has made strides toward becoming more Earth-friendly, said Pat Dieckhoff of McHenry County College’s Lou Marchi Total Recycling Institute.

But we can do more, she said.

“I would say we’re average,” Dieckhoff said. “There are some [communities] that are much more forward-thinking than we are in McHenry County. ... This economy is a difficult time to do that, but over the long run, it’s going to save money.”

...Other groups have year-round programs for making the community greener, including the McHenry County Environmental Defenders, a nonprofit environmental action group. They recently formed a Global Climate Change Committee and now are offering to do free environmental audits for homes and businesses.

Defender Cindy Skrukrud talks to kids about Water Conservation
photo from the NW Herald

The Green Business Task Force, affiliated with the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce, also offers free assessments for businesses and nonprofit organizations, Task Force co-Chairman George Sezemsky said. Representatives from Crystal Lake businesses that sell environmentally friendly products make up the task force. They have assessed about a dozen businesses in the past year on recycling and reusing, energy conservation, air pollution, purchasing choices, and policies for promoting earth-friendly practices.

“The idea is to save money, too. It’s not just to be earth-friendly,” Sezemsky said. After six months or a year, the task force members reassess the business to see what improvements were made. For a free green assessment, call Sezemsky at 630-874-5074...

Read the full story here.

Little things add up in conservation
by Joan Oliver, community editor for the Northwest Herald

Consider the ant.

It’s not very big, and it’s not much of a force. Sure, it can move a crumb larger than itself, but don’t expect monumental results.

Put millions of ants together, and then you can, almost literally, move mountains.

That’s the idea behind events such as Earth Hour, which was marked Saturday. Participants turned off their lights to raise awareness of global warming. The event began in 2007 in Sydney, when 2.2 million homes and businesses went dark. This year, the goal was 1 billion participants in more than 74 countries.

Granted, this was just a symbolic gesture. And maybe you don’t buy into climate change.

But think about the power of collective action, which can translate beyond tree-hugging.

Let’s put it on a local level. How much energy, water, landfill space, and money could we save if we all did just a little?

From small things, big things one day come, or so the song goes.

Take saving water, for example. These tips come from the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

Note the number of gallons that could be saved by each small action.

• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full, and you could save 1,000 gallons of water a month.

• Install a low-flow shower head and save 500 gallons of water a week.

• Use a nozzle on your hose and turn off the water while you wash your car and save more than 100 gallons of water each time.

• Keep a pitcher of water to refill in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet for cold drinks and save 200 to 300 gallons of water a month.

A weekly water conservation tip runs on our Local&Region section front. You’ll find one there today.

Think your contribution is too small to matter?

Then multiply those gallons by the thousands of people in McHenry County who could do it, too. It really adds up.

Parts of McHenry County are projected to be facing water shortages by 2030, according to a 2005 study commissioned by the McHenry County Board. Water demand is expected to exceed supply. Townships targeted in that report were Algonquin and Grafton, with Burton, Dorr and Nunda townships not far behind. More recent data indicate that it’s happening even faster than predicted.

Doing what we can isn’t a matter of feel-good propaganda; it’s self-interest.

At the very least, conservation efforts can save us some cash. Every little bit helps there, too.

What have we got to lose?

Quite a bit, by the looks of it. But together we can make a difference.

After all, it’s our county, our planet.

Why not try?

click here to go to story...

In the NW Herald, March 28th, 2009

Recycler to slash services

MARENGO – About 4,000 households in unincorporated areas of McHenry County will have the number of recycling pickups reduced by half, although the price will remain the same.

MDC Environmental Services will pick up recyclable materials twice a month instead of weekly beginning the first week of April. Company officials said service with fewer pickups was becoming an industry trend...

...Alice Howenstine, chairwoman of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County’s waste reduction committee, said the reduction in pickup was a challenge that could be overcome.

“I think it’s possible to manage once every two weeks if you work at it and compact your recycling,” she said. For example, when recycling a milk jug, she suggested removing the cap and flattening it. “Don’t throw away air, so to speak,” she said. “A landfill has never been closed because it’s too heavy.”

But the fact that there is a reduction in service but no reduction in price is a negative, Howenstine said. “It would be really nice if they could make even a slight reduction in the amount people pay because that gives them a bit of an incentive to try these other things,” she said.

read the entire article here...

Going dark to save energy
By Amber Krosel

Tonight, it’s lights out for Mother Earth.

Several McHenry County residents will join the rest of the world as they celebrate Earth Hour’s message about energy conservation and global climate change. More than 2,800 municipalities in 84 countries plan to mark the second worldwide Earth Hour time zone by time zone beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Alice Howenstine, a member of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, voiced her support of the event.

“It would give us a reason for realizing how the vast majority of the world lives,” Howenstine said.

read the rest of the article...

March 24, 2009

Founder of McHenry County Conservation District selected for land conservation award 

Rockford, Ill. William Howenstine of McHenry, Illinois,  was selected by the Natural Land Institute to receive this year’s George and Barbara Fell Award for his distinguished achievements in land conservation.  Award winners significantly advance natural area preservation, management and restoration in northern Illinois in the tradition of the founders of the Natural Land Institute.

Howenstine was professor of geography and environmental studies at Northeastern Illinois University for 35 years.  He helped form The Land Conservancy of McHenry County and the Illinois Association of Conservation Districts. 

He was one of the original founders of the McHenry County Conservation District in 1971, serving on its board from 1971 to 1979 and again 1996 to 2001.  The district has preserved more than 24,000 acres of open space in McHenry and Lake Counties.

“During the early years of the McHenry County Conservation District, Bill Howenstine’s efforts saved important geological features in the Glacial Park Conservation Area from a highway expansion project,” said Judith Barnard, president of the Natural Land Institute.  “As a result of Bill’s testimony,” she said, “all highway public works projects must now go through the environmental assessment process.” 

Howenstine also worked with Attorney Richard Babcock of Woodstock in the 1970s to create the language for conservation agreements which restrict future use of properties to protect natural land or farmland that has wildlife, agricultural, historic or scenic resources. The first such agreement in Illinois was given by Richard Babcock to the Natural Land Institute.

 “In addition to the thousands of acres protected through these agreements by individual landowners throughout Illinois, the Howenstine family has protected 102 acres of his own land, including a donation of 20 acres of fen wetlands to the McHenry County Conservation District,” Barnard said.