Olive-Harvey College Students Clean Up for Earth Day

Posted on 03. May, 2012 by citizen in Community Focus

In observance of Earth Day (April 22), 80 Olive-Harvey College students and community volunteers did some spring cleaning on the grounds of Olive-Harvey College—which happens to have the only federally protected wetland on a Chicago college campus.  Led by Olive-Harvey professor Dr. Oliver Pergams, the group cleared debris and garbage accumulated over the winter and rooted out invasive plant species to make way for the wetland’s native species.

Located near the Bishop Ford Expressway and a major South Side industrial corridor, the wetland is home to white-tailed deer, coyotes, red-winged blackbirds, prairie crayfish, butterflies, dragonflies, several species of migratory birds and amphibians, as well as native plants, including wild grape, hawthorn and nut sedge. It also serves as a living learning lab for Olive-Harvey science students, who will be able to earn associate’s degrees in environmental biology beginning in fall 2012.