Free Tours this Summer of COD's 30-Year-Old Russell R. Kirt Prairies

From a small plot of less than an acre first planted in 1975, the restored prairies at College of DuPage are the focal habitats of the natural areas on College's main campus in Glen Ellyn. Celebrating 40 years of evolving natural restoration, the prairies are maintained to provide a native habitat for wildlife, hands-on educational opportunities for students, research opportunities and public enjoyment.

Through the efforts of many COD students and staff, community volunteers, and particularly the dedication and persistence of the College's largest prairie restoration area's namesake, former College of DuPage Biology professor Russell R. Kirt, the prairies and associated natural areas have grown to more than 40 acres of rich and diverse habitats.

Tours of the Russell Kirt Prairie will be available this summer from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, Wednesday, July 15 and Wednesday, August 26. Participants will learn about the wildlife, plants and natural processes of the prairie ecosystem as they take a guided walk through the College's prairie restorations.

A glimpse of the time when tallgrass prairie still existed plentifully in the area, the College's prairie areas serve as an outdoor classroom in the biological sciences, enabling students an opportunity to gain real-world experience in field-based research.

"The capacity for educational use of our prairie restorations is abundant," said COD Associate Professor of Biology Lynda Randa. ""While the area is used primarily by biology and botany classes, it has and continues to be useful for other courses and disciplines. For example, earth science students have used the area to study soil hydrology related to ant mounds. Art and photography students continue to choose from our prairie's wonderful variety of flora and fauna as subjects for their projects."

First planted in 1985, Kirt Prairie was reconstructed on clay and gravel excavated for the construction of the Student Resource Center and covered with a thin layer of imported topsoil which enabled 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, allow 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 prairies feature nearly 300 species of native tallgrass plants, more than 80 of which were reintroduced over the years. 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.

Before the arrival of settlers in the early 1800s, Illinois included a diverse range of ecosystems, including deciduous forests, savannas, wetlands and tallgrass prairies. The Illinois prairies were part of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem that once covered approximately 170 million acres from Canada to Texas and Nebraska to the Great Lakes. At that time, out of approximately 37 million acres of land in Illinois, 22 million comprised tallgrass prairie. Between 1850 and 1910, agricultural development, population growth and urbanization rapidly destroyed vast acres of prairie. While Illinois is still unofficially known as the "Prairie State," less than 0.01 percent of the 22 million acres of prairies remain intact. The tallgrass prairie supported abundant wildlife including bison, elk, wolves, black bears, and hundreds of species of birds. Because of the loss of habitat, many species of prairie plants and animals have either disappeared or are in rapid decline.

Randa said College of DuPage students aren't the only ones benefitting from the educational components of the College's prairie. Over the years, graduate students have visited for research and study and professors from other schools have brought students to the prairie for hands-on learning.

For directions or more information about the free summer tours, click here or contact Professor of Biology Lynda Randa at randa@cod.edu.

Click here for more information about the natural restoration areas at College of DuPage.