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A $15,000 grant from the Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program will support physical improvements and ecological restoration at 91����’s Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA).

Peter Jacobson, professor of biology and CERA director; Emily Klein, CERA manager; and Jacob Hill, CERA horticulturalist, are the directors of the grant, which was awarded through Union Pacific’s Environmental Sustainability priority area. The program supports projects that preserve and restore nature and advance environmental stewardship in communities across the railroad’s 23-state network.

Improving access, restoring habitat

Over the next academic year, the grant will help CERA staff construct a 120-foot boardwalk on the northwest side of Perry Pond. The boardwalk will provide improved, all-season access for CERA staff and visitors, including people with limited mobility, while making it easier for larger groups and utility vehicles to cross the wetland area.

The improved access also will make it possible for CERA staff to more effectively manage degraded wetlands along the pond. Restoration work will include controlling invasive species, particularly reed canary grass, removing undesirable shrubs and reintroducing diverse native wetland plants.

The work is expected to create healthier habitats for native pollinators and other wildlife, while providing students with opportunities to learn about ecological restoration in the field.

“We're very excited about this partnership,” said Jacobson. “The award will not only allow us to improve access at CERA, to the benefit of our education, research and outreach programs, but it will also improve key wetland habitats. CERA’s wild landscapes provide a welcome respite for many who seek the solitude and beauty to be found within. We're pleased to see this investment, which will amplify our ongoing efforts to improve the property for the benefit of all who visit.”

A resource for campus and community

Located about 11 miles from campus, CERA is a 365-acre field station used for class field trips, student and faculty research, and public enjoyment. Its prairie, woodland, wetland and aquatic habitats make it an important setting for environmental inquiry and ecological restoration. CERA is also open to the public for hiking, bird watching, photography and other forms of nature study and enjoyment.

The Union Pacific grant builds on the College’s longstanding efforts to preserve and restore those habitats while strengthening CERA as a resource for both 91���� students and the surrounding community.

The wetland improvements will include native plantings designed to provide resources for pollinators and other wildlife. CERA staff also will monitor plant diversity and wildlife use of the restored area to measure the project’s impact.

For 91����, the partnership demonstrates how connections with organizations beyond campus can help advance the College’s educational and environmental goals while improving resources that benefit the broader community.