Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University Students Enjoy Prairie View from Classroom Windows
Published: June 6, 2017.
The sight of a butterfly fluttering about or a bumble bee buzzing can relieve stress for a few students as they look outside the Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University Science Center, thanks to a recent student project to restore a prairie.
“I hope people become more aware about the benefits of having a prairie on campus, like helping butterfly and bee populations. I also hope people enjoy the natural beauty and join in on the expansions that the prairie will make every year,” said Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University environmental science student Jessica Oliver, who inspired the project to restore a prairie located outside of the Academic Building and Science Center.
The Lockport resident is a member of the National Wildlife Confederation, whose members are working to get communities involved in projects that are beneficial to the environment.
Oliver enlisted the help of the Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University Sustainability Club during the Spring Semester. Together, the group gathered seeds from native plants in bioswales on campus, sorted them, planted them in trays to be harvested in the campus greenhouse and later planted them in the prairie.
The work on the prairie project will continue this fall as it is incorporated into general education classes in environmental science and classes for environmental science majors.
Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University students can earn a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science while studying on the campus that has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA. Internships and volunteer opportunities with local non-profit environmental organizations and government agencies provide hands-on experience for students interested in changing the world. Students have the option to specialize in two areas of the curriculum—ecology and sustainability.
Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University is an innovative and entrepreneurial Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,500 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå University is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected and socially responsible graduates. Visit for further information.