STEM Café—Bison: Engineers of the Prairie Ecosystem

May 20, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 

Join us from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, at the NIU Lorado Taft Field Campus in Oregon, Illinois, for the next STEM Café—Bison: Engineers of the Prairie Ecosystem.

In 2014, bison were reintroduced to a 1,500-acre section of Nachusa Grasslands, a nature preserve in nearby Franklin Grove, IL. Since then, NIU Biology Professor Holly Jones has led a team of researchers studying the impact these large mammals have on the prairie ecosystem. Their impact is even more profound than the team anticipated. The bison affect, not only the prairie plants and nutrients, but also the entire food chain of the prairie ecosystem, including the behaviors of small prey mammals such as mice and voles.

At this STEM Café, hear from Dr. Jones and learn more about the big impacts of these big herbivores. The café will begin with a breakfast presentation at NIU Lorado Taft (1414 North River Road, Oregon, IL), followed by a short, guided tour of the prairie beginning at the Nachusa Grasslands Visitor Center (2075 Lowden Road Franklin Grove, IL).

The cost for this event is $20 per person, which includes a breakfast buffet. Registration is required.

Northern Illinois University STEM Cafés are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bayer Fund.