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On Saturday, September 20, 2008, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Grinnell's 365-acre biological field station.
Since its purchase in 1968, CERA has been an exceptional resource for engaging
students in environmental inquiry, providing inspiration and raw materials for artistic
expression, teaching students of all ages about the history and character of our past,
present, and future landscape, and serving as a model for land preservation and
restoration.
For some alumni, like Chuck McCauley, who attended Grinnell during the first few
years of CERA, "CERA was an area that offered some solitude and reflection…Just
the time at CERA put my feet back on the ground and gave me direction." For Phyllis
Salyards '70, CERA was a place to study woodpecker behavior in an animal ecology
class. And for Sarah Baughman '01, who worked full-time at CERA during the
summer of 2001, "The prairie opened my eyes to conservation issues that still
motivate me to work towards positive change today." We invited friends, family,
alumni, and community members to help us commemorate this special place and honor
the people who envisioned such a place for learning and reflection.
The celebration included a short program with remarks from President Osgood, a
brief history of CERA, and a question and answer panel with some of CERA's past
and present stewards. Restoration, research, art, outreach activities, and alumni
memories and photos were highlighted in several displays. Visitors could
tour our award-winning Environmental Education Center, learn about its energy
efficiency and environmentally-friendly design, view our 50 kW wind turbine, and
participate in guided tours of the surrounding landscape.
Event Schedule
1:30 pm - Buses left Grinnell for CERA
2:00 pm - Special program in the Environmental Education Center (EEC) and refreshments
2:45 pm - Short field tour (about 30 minutes)*
3:00 pm - Deluxe field tour (about 60 minutes)*
3:30 pm - Early bus departed CERA
4:30 pm - Last bus departed CERA
*Golf carts were available for both tours. Field tours highlighted our prairie and savanna restorations and prairie research plots.
For more information...
Contact CERA Manager, Larissa Mottl, at mottll@grinnell.edu or 641-269-4717.
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