Volunteers needed to restore College of DuPage prairie, natural areas

This fall, join College of DuPage at outdoor work events to restore the Kirt Prairie and other natural areas on the Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.

Workdays are 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, Oct. 2, 16 and 30; 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 8 and 22, and Nov. 5 and 19; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 3, 17 and 31; and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.

Volunteers will cut brush, collect and process seeds, transplant and weed invasive plants.

The college also will host a birding tour with retired English adjunct faculty member John Cebula from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the northwest trailhead of the Kirt Prairie. Participants will view and learn about as many as 30 of the more than 100 different bird species that make the prairie their home or pass through the prairie returning from their winter migration.

From more information about the events and workdays, contact Remic Ensweiler, outdoor lab/prairie manager, at ensweilerr@cod.edu.

First planted in 1985, Kirt Prairie lies on clay and gravel excavated during construction of the Student Resource Center and covered with a thin layer of imported topsoil to enable seed spreading and planting. The area comprises approximately six acres of marsh, a one-acre retention pond, 11 acres of reconstructed prairie and savanna, and a quarter mile of seed production beds. Over a half mile of trails, including a 1/6-mile wheelchair accessible stretch, allows easy access for non-consumptive recreational use.

The Glen Ellyn campus is also home to the B.J. Hoddinott Wildlife Sanctuary, the oldest restoration area, which includes a nine-acre marsh and wetland area dedicated in 1983, as well as a 15-acre Ecological Study Area comprising three acres of marsh, four acres of successional woodland and eight acres of reconstructed prairie. The Ecological Study area also includes more than a half mile of trails available for non-consumptive recreational use.

The college's prairie and natural areas feature nearly 300 species of native tallgrass plants. In addition, the area also hosts a variety of wildlife including many species of insects, toads, frogs, turtles, small mammals, coyotes and birds such as warblers, wading birds, owls and hawks.

Learn more about the natural restoration areas at College of DuPage at www.cod.edu/academics/programs/biology/natural_areas/index.aspx.