College of DuPage to host free birding tour and lecture April 14 and 16

Learn about the birds of the Kirt Prairie at College of DuPage this April at the Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.

These events are free and open to the public.

Retired English adjunct faculty member John Cebula will lead a tour of the Kirt Prairie from 9:15 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 14. 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.

Cebula will present a birding lecture, "The Birds of College of DuPage," from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 16, in the Health and Science Center, Room 1234. Attendees will learn about grassland and woodland habitats of local species of birds and receive information on bird watching as a hobby.

The retired educator has served as field trip coordinator and outreach and education coordinator for several bird watching clubs and offers his services to help children and their families overcome "Nature Deficit Disorder." Cebula's volunteer work for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has included surveying nesting birds, butterflies, dragonflies, amphibians and reptiles.

For more information, contact Outdoor Lab/Prairie Manager Remic Ensweiler at ensweilerr@cod.edu.

The college's prairie and natural areas feature nearly 300 species of native tallgrass plants. 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.

Visit www.cod.edu for more information about events related to the natural areas on COD's campus.