Concluding morning highlight: Lincoln College's Creekside by Dr. Dennis Campbell

[March 17, 2018] 

LINCOLN

At the end of the morning breakout sessions, guests had the opportunity for another coffee break before everyone would converged on the cafeteria area to hear from Dr. G. Dennis Campbell. Campbell is a retired professor from Lincoln College and the founder and driving force behind the creation and development of the Lincoln College Creekside Environmental Center.

The spectacular outdoor learning center located five miles north of Lincoln was re-named the G. Dennis Campbell Creekside Center for Environmental Education last year.

Campbell is an enthusiastic speaker and he kept the audience entertained for an hour while explaining the development of Creekside, the research behind the mussel studies, the work being done to help restore Monarch Butterfly populations, and the amazing discover of a 14-foot Wooly Mammoth tusk in Sugar Creek, which runs through the property.

Campbell shared that last year, the insectarium at Creekside housed many Monarchs as they went through their multi-generational process of preparing to fly south for the winter.

What was amazing was that the process began with only one butterfly. That butterfly laid eggs and chrysalises formed. New butterflies hatched, and repeated the process. This happens three to four times in a season with each generation having a short life span. The final generation produced more than 300 Monarchs. This last generation has a longer life span so that they may make the journey to Mexico where they over-winter, repeating the process so a new generation returns to North American in the summer.

Campbell shared photos from the Learning Center and talked about the community areas, the development of the time trail, the donation of the small pioneer cabin by Jefferson school, and the plans to keep the walk back in history growing in the coming years.

He talked about volunteer opportunities, and said that the Center belongs to the community, and all are welcome.

Campbell also recounted the story of finding the Wooly Mammoth Tusk at Creekside, and how a student at Lincoln College made the discovery during a field trip for a mussel study. Campbell said at first, he personally laughed it off when Judd McCullum said he had found something out of the ordinary. However, as the pieces started coming together, Campbell realized this was going to be a very special find.

Judd’s mammoth find was donated to the Illinois State Museum and is back at the college on loan. Anyone wishing to see the tusk will find it on display at McKinstry Library at Lincoln College.

[Nila Smith]