Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club to create “Rotary Grove”

The Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club is launching their “Oak Grove Restoration Project” to plant 100 oak trees in Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve on Saturday, September 18, from 9am to 12 noon. “It has been a goal of the Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club for a long while to establish a Rotary Grove. Given the number of trees we are planting, we are in need of additional volunteers to complete this project”, said tree committee member and longtime club member Greg Karr.

The Club secured a matching grant of $23,000 from the Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund Program and raised $25,000 in matching funds to start fulfilling the dream. “With this grant, the Rotary Grove will be much bigger and better than we could have envisioned,” said Greg Karr who wrote the grant.

One hundred oak trees (in three varieties) will be planted as part of the project. The Forest Preserve District of Kane County has identified 30 acres at Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve for the restoration planting. The preserve is located between Russell and Nesler Roads in Elgin.

Forest Preserve Board Member Mike Kenyon said, “I look forward to this project, which serves as an example of how the District and the County can work with clubs like Rotary, to leverage funds to have a greater community impact.” The Club’s hope is that the grove will be utilized by nearby schools as a resource for environmental and nature educational studies.

An additional purpose of the project is to restore trees to an area once covered by them. Ninety percent of the area’s oaks have all but disappeared since pre-European settlement times in the early 1800s. Restoration of this area will also improve wildlife habitat and complement the District’s restoration efforts. “This is only the start as we explore additional grant opportunities and work to raise more funds to further enhance this project over time”, said Club President Mike Warren.

If you are interested in volunteering to help plant trees on September 18, contact Club member Ben Henrikson at 847-293-7900 or email him at benhenrikson@gmail.com by September 15. You can also find more information at facebook.com/ElginBreakfastRotaryClub/

About Rotary

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work affects lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary