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The Fox River is part of the local lifestyle in the Tri-Cities. One local group has been instrumental in furthering that sentiment.
The River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles awarded the 2025 Golden Turtle Award for outstanding contributions for enhancing the knowledge and utilization of the Fox River ecosystem to the Environmental Education Department of the Kane County Forest Preserve.
"The programs, speakers and materials provided by the excellent staff of the Environmental Education Department have instilled knowledge about and appreciation for the Fox River and its surrounding ecosystem to the entire community," said Laurel Moad, President of the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles.
Moad said the river turtle was chosen as the symbol for the foundation’s efforts to advocate for projects and programs that enhance cultural, environmental, educational, recreational and economic opportunities within the Fox River environment.
“We are very proud to have selected the Environmental Education department of the Kane County Forest Preserve as the group that best represents our mission,” she said. “Developing and providing passionate and knowledgeable speakers and materials have made significant contributions to the environment we love as well as helping to improve community knowledge and care."
Several Education department speakers have contributed to the foundation’s popular “A River Flows Through It” speaker program over the past seven years.
"Everyone of the their speakers has been a delight to work with and presented unique aspects of a given topic such as migratory bird patterns through the Fox River Valley and understanding the majestic sandhill cranes,” Moad said. “We know that their speakers are also very popular with schools and other community groups. They are a true hidden resource for the entire county."
The Golden Turtle and a certificate of achievement will be presented to the Kane County Forest Preserve Board on June 9, 2026 at their regular meeting at the Kane County Government Center (719 S. Batavia Ave., Building A, Geneva, IL) at 8:30 AM.
Former recipients of the Golden Turtle Award include John Hoscheit, Pam Otto, State Senator Don DeWitte, the St. Charles Park District, and the Bob Leonard family.
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