On New Year's Day 1680\, explorer Ren&eacu te\;-Robert Cavelier La Salle and his party were paddling south on the Ill inois River headed to Buffalo Rock. As their canoes plied the waters throu gh the future site of Ottawa\, the men quietly drifted past the mouth of t he river Pestekouy (today's Fox River). Pestekouy\, Algonquin for bison\, attested to the rich resources and abundance of our familiar Fox River Val ley.
\nThe Fox has profoundly shaped the lives of inhabitants for th ousands of years\, and in turn\, Pestekouy has been shaped by modern socie ty: from dams to harness her energy for wood and grain mills to pollution from industry drawn to her banks.
\nAn awakening social conscience l ed by concerned environmentalists such as &ldquo\;The Fox&rdquo\; Jim Phil lips and countless others have helped restore our beautiful river. Organiz ations such as Friends of the Fox River and The Conservation Foundation co ntinue this legacy.
\nThis program is presented in partnership with The Friends of the Fox River\, \;which works to preserve\, restor e and protect the Fox River Watershed&rsquo\;s resources by connecting peo ple with nature through education\, research\, restoration and advocacy\, and the Conservation Foundation\, which improves the health of o ur communities by preserving and restoring open space and natural lands\, protecting rivers and watersheds\, and promoting stewardship of our enviro nment in northeastern Illinois. \;
\nJoin us in person in at San tori Library in Room 125/126 or virtually via Z oom here. Password for Zoom: river
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