McHenry County Defenders

2007 Annual Report

The McHenry County Defenders is a citizen organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. We are committed to building sound ecological relationships between people and the natural world that supports all life.

To achieve the aim of environmental preservation and improvement, we provide the community with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation.  We advocate policies which protect drinking water supplies and conserve land for open space and agriculture. We demonstrate waste reduction through recycling drives and reuse centers. We encourage natural resource protection through native landscaping and stream protection programs.

As I reviewed the message I wrote for last year’s report, I thought The Defenders is doing fine.  We have lots of challenges and opportunities before us.  Both are necessary for any organization to move forward and grow. 

This Annual Meeting will be my last act as President of the Board of Directors.  Soon after I became President in 2006, the Board amended the Bylaws to place a two-year limit on the President and Vice President positions and three-year term limits on the Secretary and Treasurer positions.  I supported the idea then and still do.  In my view another ingredient necessary for a strong, vibrant organization is more involvement from more people.   

As you will see in the pages of this report, the organization has had a very busy and productive year.  We have aided several groups in their efforts to protect the air, water and land in McHenry County.  Our Committees have been very busy, and it looks like that won’t change as things are starting up in 2008.  Decisions regarding use of the land we own are ongoing. 

From the President’s Bird’s Eye Cat Seat, one thing has become very clear to me, which is how lucky we are that those who established this organization 37 years ago did what they did and did it the way they did.  Our non-profit designation is somewhat unique.  We have a broad spectrum of events, issues and activities that we can be active about.  Many environmental groups are more limited in their scope.  When I first joined the Defenders I thought our Mission statement should be edited.  I suppose some minor tightening of sentences could be attempted, but I would not want to do it.  The Mission statement (see above) makes it possible for us to be active in a lot of areas other groups cannot. 

So, as a volunteer I will continue to be as active as I can and I wish only the best for the organization in the years to come.

Barbara J. Day,  President

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