♻️👟 Got old sneakers? Give them new life! Kishwaukee Family YMCA is teamed up with the Lions of Illinois Foundation to collect gently used athletic shoes—and the impact so far has been awesome - ✅ 45 bags of sneakers collected ✅ 1,250 lbs of shoes diverted from landfills ✅ 15,775 lbs of CO₂ displaced ✅ 33,909 gallons of water saved 💦 Instead of tossing your old sneakers, drop them off at the YMCA and help reduce waste, support sustainability, and back a great cause. Thanks to the YMCA and Lions Club for helping our community walk the talk on sustainability—one step at a time. (fb)

Looking out over the bridge at Russell Woods, every drop in the river is reshaping the land. 🌊 Streams are dynamic corridors, supporting incredible biodiversity and connecting wildlife across DeKalb County. This winter, the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District was proud to receive the RiverWatch Partner Prize for its commitment to stream health monitoring and education. 🐟🌿 Prescribed burns this spring helped restore vital native landscapes, like MacQueen Forest Preserve, now blooming with wildflowers and hosting pollinators like spring beauty mining bees. 🔥🌸 At Kishwaukee F.P., staff and volunteers seeded 14 acres with pollinator-friendly prairie species to support long-term habitat restoration. 🌻🦋 This season also marked a milestone — Superintendent Terry Hannan was honored for 50 years of service. His early vision helped transform sites like Afton from farmland into thriving preserves with over 600 documented species. 👏🌳 DeKalb County Forest Preserve District thanks all those who help protect, restore, and connect with these local ecosystems. This is a highlight reel of the full Wildlife Highlights from the Forest Preserve. Read the full update on our blog: kishkidsoutside.org/post/dcfpd-wildlife-highlights-0325 (fb)