On Saturday, October 15th, you are invited to “make a difference” for monarchs and other pollinators by helping with restoration efforts at two roadside prairies in the county as part of the national “Make A Difference Day” celebration.

Volunteers will be removing invasive species and collecting trash at the O’Brien Road Prairie at the corner of Hwy 47 and O’Brien Road, Harvard, and at the Triangle Prairie at the corner of Lake Street and Hwy 14 in Woodstock.

The event will begin at 2 p.m. and conclude at 5 p.m.

Volunteers are asked to wear work clothes, gloves and boots and to meet at the O’Brien Road Prairie at 2 p.m. The event will shift to the Triangle Prairie once work is completed at the O’Brien Prairie.

All necessary equipment, water and snacks will be provided. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Nancy Schietzelt at 815-356-1710.

The Defenders have taken on the care of these prairies once again after planting thousands of native plants at these sites many years ago. As part of the statewide initiative to increase habitat for pollinators, we once again planted hundreds of natives at these sites in the Spring. Now it’s time to cut out invasive species in these roadside prairies to allow the natives to thrive. Come help us make a positive difference in our environment and enjoy some time outdoors!

Holy Cow! You’ve been waiting for this! Environmental Defenders still has lots of books left over from our Big Fall Book Sale, and we would rather give them away than recycle them.

Free-For-All Used Books

Sunday, October 9, starting at 10am
Algonquin Twp Road District, 3702 US-14, Crystal Lake. Last garage on the right.

On Saturday, September 10th, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County (EDMC) will conduct a recycling collection, which is open to everyone in the county and beyond, from 9am until noon at Richmond City Hall, 5600 Hunter Dr, Richmond, IL. They continue to collect certain items which are not usually accepted by curbside programs, and which would be harmful to the environment if put in a landfill.

The group will NOT be accepting Styrofoam at this time because there is nowhere to recycle it. EDMC is continuing to look for alternatives.

Because of the costs to get these items properly disposed of, a monetary donation will be requested, with specific fees for fluorescent bulbs, batteries, monitors or televisions.

-Fluorescent tubes (50¢ to $1 each)

-Batteries (household, rechargeable, car, and button) (50¢ per pound of household batteries.)

-Cloth items—clothing, linens, or just plain rags, clean and in a bag. You can also bring shoes, tied together by their laces and placed in the bag.

-Re-useable bubble wrap

-Electronics – televisions, computers, phones, printers, electronic toys, microwaves, etc. (most anything that plugs in or runs on batteries) TVs and computer monitors (50¢ per pound up to maximum of $40 per set)

-VHS & cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, etc.

-Aluminum cans

Donations and fees offset the costs of transportation and proper recycling. EDMC is a local non-profit, and receives no government funding to offer this service to the community.

Environmental Defenders’ recycling drives are held on the second Saturday of each month, at various locations in the county. For information about the recycling schedule and types of materials accepted, visit the group’s website at www.mcdef.org/recycling or find it on Facebook at facebook.com/EnvironmentalDefenders.

An alternate site for electronics (including televisions & monitors) & batteries is Chicago Logistic in Elgin 847-429-1926.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The group provides the community with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.

On Wednesday, September 21, EDMC with co-sponsor Citizens Climate Lobby, will present the documentary “The Burden”.

Doors will open at 6:30 and program begins at 7:00.

Retired Navy Commander Cliff Lee will address the audience after the screening and will take questions.

The documentary addresses the issue of fossil fuels/climate change and effects on national security. It also looks at what the military is doing to become more energy efficient.

Join fellow Defenders’ members on a cold February afternoon for a road trip from Illinois to the tundra! Defenders’ member, Neill Sachs, will be taking us vicariously on a journey that he and his wife, Margaret, took from Illinois to Alaska. Along the way they passed through several ecological zones – from prairies to mountains to boreal forests to tundra. Through wonderful photos Neill will take us along on this trip while discussing highlights of various environmental issues in each region.

The Membership Committee will be hosting this free event at the Soil and Water Conservation District Building on the corner of Dean St. and Hwy. 14 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. on February 21^st. Cookies and warm drinks will be provided. RSVP’s at envirodefmc@gmail.com are not required, but would be welcomed to help us plan for refreshments. Hope you can join us for the trip!