Baby bison born at Fermilab

There is a four-legged addition to the Fermilab community. A bison calf was born early Saturday, and about a dozen more calves are expected this spring.

The public is invited to see the latest addition to Fermilab's herd of American bison. Visitors, including families with young children, can enter the Fermilab site through its Pine Street entrance in Batavia or the Batavia Road entrance in Warrenville.

Admission is free, but you will need a valid photo ID to enter the site. Visitors can also explore exhibits and viewing areas on the 15th floor of Wilson Hall by signing in at the reception desk 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Fermilab's first director, Robert Wilson, established the bison herd in 1969 as a symbol of the history of the Midwestern prairie and the laboratory's pioneering research at the frontiers of particle physics. The herd remains a major attraction for families and wildlife enthusiasts. The 6,800-acre Fermilab site includes 1,100 acres of reconstructed tallgrass prairie.

Visitors can learn more about nature at Fermilab by hiking the Interpretive Prairie Trail, a half-mile-long trail located near the Pine Street entrance. The Leon Lederman Science Education Center offers exhibits on the prairie and hands-on physics displays. The Lederman Center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

To learn more about the bison herd, visit http://sustainability.fnal.gov/ecology/wildlife/bison.html. For updated visitor information, go to http://www.fnal.gov/pub/visiting/ or call (630) 840-3351.