Fox River Clean-Up, Bat Lecture Planned By Natural Resources Committee

GENEVA, IL — A lecture about bats and a day to clean up the Fox River are on the docket of events planned by Geneva's Natural Resources Committee.

In an effort to teach residents how they can help the local bat population, the committee is sponsoring the "Help Your Local Bats: Become A Good Bat Neighbor" lecture from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St.

Jen Woronecki, of the Good Bat Neighbor citizen conservation program, will discuss the plight of bats and what steps locals can take to protect and restore the animals' natural habitat. The mammals are valuable to the ecosystem by eating insects and protecting crops from agricultural pests.

Those interested in attending the free lecture can register online.

Less than a month later, on Sept. 16, the Natural Resources Committee will host a Fox River clean-up day, and the group is looking for volunteers to join them. The cleaning will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at Island Park, 2 E. State St.

Volunteers should wear old clothes, gloves and boots in order to help remove debris from the river. The committee will provide garbage bags, water, snacks, washing stations and boats.

More information about the effort can be found by contacting Natural Resources Committee member Kelvin Limbrick at kelvin.limbrick@gmail.com.