College of DuPage - COD Natural Areas

06/22/2026

Our 1st Annual Fish Survey was a success. We had a great group of students, faculty, staff, youth, and community members join us to help survey fish species in our of the Russell Kirt Ponds (RKP) or the “Jelly Bean” pond. We caught 2 species: large mouth bass (LMB) and green sunfish (GS) with sizes ranging from 4.5”-15.” We had seasoned fisherman and new anglers that caught their first ever fish in the RKP pond. Thank you to Professor Jim Ludden and David Taylor for joining us and helping with the event.

1. GS - 230mm
2. LMB - 381 mm
3. LMB - 226 mm
4. LMB - 210 mm
5. LMB - 228 mm
6. GS - 190 mm
7. LMB - 110 mm “young of the year”

06/21/2026

We have turkey tails in the COD Natural Areas but it sounds like we could use more. I also love the potential as a buffer on agricultural land to reduce runoff. Nature for the win!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/ckgp58lp7xdo #:~:text=Mushrooms%20could%20be%20used%20to,coli%20bacteria%20during%20the%20trial.

The turkey tail mushroom has been been shown to remove 80% of dangerous E. coli strain from Devon river in trials by Anglian Water.

06/18/2026

We just received a new family of ducks that were relocated to the Russell Kirt Prairie vernal pond today. A homeowner in Crestwood noticed the nest in their front yard. They were concerned that there is no water anywhere close so they called Chicago Collision Bird Monitors (CBCM). Biology Professor and CBCM Volunteer, John Stoddard, stepped in to help transport these ducks to a safer place. I suggested the vernal pond since the site is more secluded and shallow so there are less potential predators and a greater chance of survival for this crew.

06/17/2026

Healthy habitats are important for healthy species. Whether you are a human or a 🐍 snake.

https://www.wbez.org/environment/2026/06/16/smooth-greensnake-prairies-peggy-notebaert-nature-museum-study-forest-preserves

A new study from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park found toxins from polluted soil and fungal infections are adding new challenges to a species already struggling to survive and thrive locally.

06/17/2026

At first glance I thought this was a bumble bee when I was trying to capture a photo for iNaturalist. But when I got closer I realized there was a bumble bee being carried by this insect. My mind was blown. I believe this is a robber fly (Laphria thoracica) with a honey bee as its prey. It flew with ease carrying it away. This definitely blew my mind watching that tiny creature carry off something so heavy when I was expecting a typical bombus species. I was impressed by how nature always keeps surprising you and teaching new lessons, which I learned after some personal research into this insect. Here was a great article that I found: https://www.mvtimes.com/2017/06/29/wild-side-stopped-tracks/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBqaUNRS/

06/15/2026

Meet Sofia P. Sofia was originally a hire for the summer of 2025 but with some budget issues and hiring delays last year we were not able to bring her on in time. But we are super excited that she applied again and is working with us this summer. Sofia has been ready to try many new things and we keep learning fun facts about her. Like that Sofia is great at violin, was a former archer, and is currently a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority. As a Kappa Delta myself at Michigan State, there weren't many of us in the outdoors field, so I love this! I'm hoping that Sofia unites with some of our former student workers next year at UofI and the Red Bison Club (https://redbisonwiki.wordpress.com/)

Field of study/degree: Environmental Science

Dream job: Environmental Consulting

Activity to do outdoors: Gardening

Best part of being a Natural Areas Student Worker: Learning all about native and non-native plants on the prairie.

Plans for after COD: Return to the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign where I will be starting my Junior year.

Favorite color: Red

Favorite prairie plant/animal: Crayfish

Favorite tree: Willow

Best tip for working outdoors: Drink water even if you don’t think you’re that thirsty.

Favorite spot on campus: The area outside of the SRC bookstore

Favorite season: Fall

Favorite COD Class or Professor: HORT 1100

Favorite COD Natural Areas event: Community work days

Favorite snack when working in the field: Granola

Favorite nature fact: Butterflies taste with their feet.

06/15/2026

Join us for an official fish survey in the Russell Kirt Prairie (RKP). We will be joined by Professors Jim Ludden and David Taylor to collect information about what fish species are present in our Natural Areas. I've seen bird eat them, fish jumping, and people catching them, but we have never done a research day to official track what is found. The study will be conducted on Monday, June 22 to learn more about the fish that call COD home, RSVP is required: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0948a4a623abfac52-codnatural1 #/

06/11/2026

Meet Janelle B. Janelle first applied with the program over a year ago but her schedule didn't work well at the time so she took a job working in our COD Fuel Garden and helping upload great finds in our Natural Areas to iNaturalist. Janelle also attended the University of Minnesota before finding her way to COD. Additionally she is also an ECB Scholar this summer at Elmhurst University for their
Ecology, Conservation and Biology (ECB) Summer Research Program. Janelle asks the best questions which shows me she has a deep understanding of the natural world and can make connections across various scientific disciplines.

Field of study/degree: Environmental Science

Dream job: I’m not really sure. I’m currently exploring research, but I love fieldwork and active ecological management.

Activity to do outdoors: Fishing

Best part of being a Natural Areas Student Worker: I love learning more about native prairie plants, management techniques, and Illinois animals from Anna and also doing some practical fieldwork.

Plans for after COD: I’m transferring to UW Steven’s Point to continue my studies, and I hope to explore topics such as soil science, hydrology, and even more ecology classes.

Favorite color: Pink

Favorite prairie plant/animal: Amorpha canescens

Favorite tree: Quercus macrocarpa

Best tip for working outdoors: Bug spray is your best friend. I hate mosquitoes so bug spray is amazing and works well. Also, treating clothes with permethrin to deter ticks is also a good idea if you really don’t like ticks (like me).

Favorite spot on campus: RKP. I spend a lot of time walking on trails, looking at mushrooms, and talking about plants with my boyfriend. :)

Favorite season: Summer (I really enjoy warm weather, the dunes, and generally no school).

Favorite COD Class or Professor: I loved Prairie Ecology with Lynda Randa and the people in that class.

Favorite COD Natural Areas event: I really wanted to do the fish testing day but unfortunately I couldn’t attend. That would be my favorite though.

Favorite snack when working in the field: Cold fruit is so tasty and refreshing.

Favorite nature fact: Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with the roots of plants, taking carbohydrates from the host plant and providing increased nutrient and water levels in return.

06/11/2026

The College of DuPage Natural Areas hit the 1200 species mark on iNaturalist the other day. We're here to share the great news. In a world where there isn't enough good news and biodiversity is in decline we're working on creating a place where biodiversity thrives and we are growing our species index for the site. Get involved or follow along: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/college-of-dupage-cod-natural-areas

06/10/2026

Meet Hanna S. Hanna joined our team at the end of Spring 2023. She has been instrumental in helping train new summer student workers since she had the chance to work with our Spring team. Hanna is always upbeat and positive with a smile on her face. She jumps right into ever task and is enthusiastic to learn and share. Hanna is my first official student to attend ISU.

Field of study/degree: Environmental Science - Associates in science

Dream job: hands on conservation and preservation

Activity to do outdoors: hiking, bonfire

Best part of being a Natural Areas Student Worker: Improving the natural areas surrounding our school, knowing that we’re working towards the same goal of restoring and preserving these beautiful areas. Plus making connections throughout the school and meeting new people in different departments.

Plans for after COD: Hanna will be getting her bachelors degree at ISU and working towards getting a job in restoration and conservation!

Favorite color: forest green

Favorite prairie plant/animal: killdeer or bison and indian grass

Favorite tree: weeping pine

Best tip for working outdoors: drink lots of water and wear comfy, durable clothes

Favorite spot on campus: RKP woodland trail

Favorite season: fall

Favorite COD Class or Professor: Lynda Randa + Anna Bakker

Favorite COD Natural Areas event: fishing

Favorite snack when working in the field: pb&j