 While there is still much to do, the primary structures are now in
place, and in recognition of Earth Day, the center had what
visionary and founder Dr. Dennis Campbell called a soft opening. The
event on Saturday was to thank all those who have helped or
contributed in some way.
Particularly appreciated was donation of land to access the site,
which was given by the Shirley Edwards family. Also appreciated were
surrounding landowners, the Chris and Alvin Klockenga families;
Lincoln College trustees and past LC presidents starting with Ron
Shilling to current President John Blackburn; and Rotarians, family,
friends, students, LC staff and businesses too many to name, who
have been volunteering or made donations.
Blackburn thanked those present, saying there have been a lot of
contributors and other people involved. "Colleges cannot have
something unique like this without participation from a community
and supporters like all of you," he said.
Creekside is set on 5 acres just north of Lincoln, on the banks
of Sugar Creek. Its primary structures -- a teaching pavilion,
greenhouse and insectarium -- are sandwiched between an established
restored prairie and Sugar Creek, which will each provide countless
study and research opportunities.
The lifelong dream of Dr. Dennis Campbell, division chair of
science at Lincoln College; Creekside will offer teaching and
learning, and research opportunities to students at all levels of
education, and provide a place for the community to enjoy nature.
Insectarium
Community involvement of the strongest kind came from the Lincoln
and Atlanta Rotary clubs. The groups joined forces to focus on the
insectarium. Rotary donated $8,946 and helped construct the exhibit.
Rotarian Kirby Rogers said that when Rotary heard Campbell's
enthusiasm, "we didn't just get on board, we jumped on board." As a
former educator, Rogers said he could see the benefits to the local
education system. "I can envision something like all third-graders
coming out here in the spring -- seeing, listening and learning," he
said.
The insectarium will feature native insects and plants, and it is
hoped to aid a couple of endangered insects.
The Rotarians have committed to continue to come out to work when
they can.
During the workday on April 6, the clubs were out in full force
working various locations and even began making the 10-foot sections
of boardwalk that will eventually allow wheelchair access to the
creekside. Members sawed, painted, pounded together the first
100-foot boardwalk segment, and Campbell encouragingly said:
"There's only 2,900 feet more to go."
During the opening on Saturday, Blackburn announced that the
trustees had ordered a sign to be created, reading: "In honor of Dr.
Dennis Campbell, visionary and founder Creekside Environmental
Center dedicated April 20, 2013." He presented a mock sign to
Campbell.
Creekside Environmental Center
This was a full-circle moment for Campbell. He recalled that his
first public talk was 43 years ago on April 22, 1970, while he was
at Texas Tech. The university was one of the first to sign up to
promote environmental awareness by a means called Earth Day.
Campbell has a letter from Denis Hayes, who was then at Stanford
and coordinated the first Earth Day. Hayes went on to become a
significant leader in the environmental movement.
With glad pronouncement, Campbell promised that now that Lincoln
College has this environmental center, this would be the first of
many Earth Day celebrations sponsored by the college. He went on to
talk about a few of the features at the site, first telling how the
name of the entry lane was selected.
In honor of Shirley Edwards, her maiden name of Small has been
hyphenated with her married name, to read Small-Edwards. The
center's location is just about 5 miles east of the famous Indian
trail known as Edwards Trace, which runs from Kaskaskia to Peoria.
So the resulting lane will be called the Small-Edwards Trace.
[to top of second column] |
Greenhouse
The so-called greenhouse is really a high-tunnel, cold-frame
house; which, if it remains unheated, would be a three-season house.
Past LC President Jon Astroth and Charlie Hayes put in its masonry
walls.
Insectarium
A biology teacher at Pana, David Nance, shared his design for a
tallgrass butterfly house. It is a Quonset hut frame that will be
covered with a white insect screen that can be rolled up along the
sides. When this is planted with wildflowers and native grass, those
plants will serve as food for butterflies.
Campbell thanked Kirby Rogers and other local Rotarians who
jumped in on that interest.
Campbell said that all sorts of insects and spiders would be
encouraged into the insectarium, not just butterflies. "I'm a
biologist. I want to see action," he said. "I want to see a food
chain interaction of all the species."
And, he has received word that the state would like an endangered
skipper butterfly and the prairie walking stick to be introduced
there. "They want to see if we can raise them from egg to adult and
make them available for restoration purposes," Campbell said.
It’s kind of neat that we might be part of a big-time
conservation effort, Campbell said, "but that's not what was on my
mind. What was on my mind was a community service!"
Sugar Creek
Since coming to Lincoln College and gaining permission to access
the creek, Campbell has been taking students to the creek for a wide
variety of studies and research, including widely published research
on mussels. Along the way numerous discoveries have been made in the
creek area, such as the world’s largest wooly mammoth; and other
prehistoric large mammal bones, Indian and pioneer relics have been
found along the creek.
The University of Arizona has a specialty team that studies logs
of the time period of the mammoth and will coming here to do a
study.
"When you say Sugar Creek, say it with pride," said Campbell,
adding with humor related to recent heavy rains, "even though it’s
marching up to your doorstep."
Future
Everything at the center has been designed to be
handicapped-accessible.
There are ponds, bridges and plantings still to be completed by
volunteers. Campbell said he'd like to see areas named for
volunteers such as Bill Gossett and the Tracy and Lewis Bergin
family, who were involved in the restored prairie and other
processes.
Ideas are welcome, and the opportunities to get involved will
abound for years. "It is no longer Lincoln College or Campbell's
vision," he said. "It is your vision."
Flags and markers are available to commit an area of choice for
development. To get involved, you can contact Campbell through
Lincoln College.
[LDN]
Past related articles
 |
