Who We Are

Friends of Klein Fen is a not-for-profit environmental advocacy group composed of citizens and voters from DuPage County, Illinois.  Our goal is  to support the protection and restoration of our local natural areas, especially rare wetlands such as Klein Fen. To achieve this goal, we work within our local communities and with our governmental bodies to raise awareness about the benefits of preserving these valuable and irreplaceable habitats, and about the importance of preserving the open spaces on which they depend. Emphasizing education, preservation, and restoration, we work to ensure that land use planning always takes the inherent value and the long-term health of our unique local ecosystems into consideration.

Our Mission

To raise awareness about Klein Fen, to support the preservation and restoration process, and to promote the adoption of best management practices for storm water control and natural conservancy throughout the upper reaches of the watershed surrounding the West Branch of the DuPage River.

Our Activities

• Promoting the educational and research value of the wetlands in the West Branch Forest Preserve.  As one of the largest and most unique regions of its kind remaining in the United States, this area will prove particularly valuable for ongoing hydrogeological and ecological study.

• Providing community support for the DuPage County Forest Preserve's acquisition and protection of the open land areas upon which wetlands and their unique blend of flora and fauna depend.

• Promoting support for prairie restoration and the preservation of open spaces to be used as a resource for educational and recreational activities within the community.

• Attending public hearings and meetings of both county and municipal governments to present scientific information and community feedback about the impact of potential or proposed land development in the area.

• Providing speakers for homeowner's associations and other private and public groups interested in learning about local wetlands in general and Klein Fen in particular.

• Educating citizens and community leaders about the impact of development on sensitive wetlands, and about methods for protecting and preserving these environments.

Friends of Klein Fen © 2008 | All Rights Reserved