Local organizations and volunteers will take part in the upcoming It’s Our Fox River Day, with community cleanup events in St. Charles, Oswego and Yorkville.

The Conservation Foundation is partnering with local park districts, municipalities and nonprofits to host shoreline and on-water cleanups from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

The effort is part of a day of action organized by Friends of the Fox River, which coordinates cleanups and celebrations in communities stretching from Waukesha, Wisconsin, to Ottawa.

St. Charles volunteers will meet at Ferson Creek Park with support from the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles and the St. Charles Park District.

In Oswego, multiple sites near downtown will be used in partnership with the Village of Oswego and Oswegoland Park District.

Yorkville’s cleanup will take place at Riverfront Park with help from the Kendall County Outdoor Education Center and Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department.

Nearly 300 people participated in last year’s events, collecting litter and debris along the riverbanks, according to The Conservation Foundation.

Volunteers can also bring canoes or kayaks to remove trash from the water and reach otherwise inaccessible areas.

“The annual Fox River cleanup is a great opportunity for community members to support the health of our local river,” Ryan Solomon, ecological restoration supervisor for the St. Charles Park District, said in a release announcing the event. “Over the past seven years, hundreds of residents have played a key role in keeping our Fox River clean and thriving.”

Trash bags and collection tools will be provided, but volunteers should bring gloves and reusable water bottles. Advanced registration is encouraged through The Conservation Foundation’s website.

• St. Charles’ cleanup will start at Ferson Creek Park, off Illinois Route 31. Register here for the St. Charles Cleanup.
• Oswego’s cleanup will begin at multiple locations near the downtown area, near 65 N. South Harrison St. Register here for the Oswego Cleanup.
• Yorkville’s cleanup will start at Riverfront Park, 201 E. Hydraulic St. Register here for the Yorkville Cleanup.

“This event demonstrates how community volunteers are both inspiring and critical to the Fox River,” Jessica Mino, Kane and Kendall County program director for The Conservation Foundation, said in the release. “When we care for the river and water quality, we are also caring for ourselves and our communities.”

More details, are available at friendsofthefoxriver.org.