In August, Tony Rothering, professor of biology, worked with Boy Scout Troop 210 to install 29 bluebird houses on the LLCC campus in Springfield. The undertaking was Zach Rothering’s Eagle Scout project, a memorial to Kay Rothering, LLCC alum. As of yesterday, May 12, we have 15 of the 29 boxes actively being used by one of the following species: Eastern Bluebird (six nests), House Sparrow (five nests), Tree Swallow (three nests) and Black-capped Chickadee (one nest). Within these 15 nests, there are currently a collective total of 50 eggs and five hatchlings/fledglings. It is also worth noting that a box just south of Montgomery Hall had a bluebird brood of four fledglings that successfully left the nest sometime over the past week. We should continue to see activity throughout the summer as bluebirds have multiple broods within a breeding season. Below are a few photos of the eggs/young.

Bluebird eggs

Bluebird hatchling and eggs

Bluebird fledgling

Chickadee nest and eggs

LLCC will host the annual Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) Region 10 Science Fair Saturday, March 21. The public is invited to view the 45 science projects on display from noon to 3 p.m. in Cass Gymnasium. An awards ceremony will begin at 3 p.m.

The regional science fair, facilitated by Tony Rothering, LLCC professor of biology, provides students an avenue in which to exercise their knowledge and understanding of scientific methodology. IJAS encourages students with special ability and interest in science to go beyond the limits of the classroom in developing their own ideas, aiding them in their progress toward potential careers in science.

Students from eight area junior high and high schools will participate. Students whose projects receive an outstanding score will advance to the IJAS State Science Fair in Decatur on May 1-2.

A National Weather Service “Severe Weather Storm Spotting” class at LLCC March 2 attracted over 160 attendees. The event was coordinated by Dean Butzow, professor of geography, and covered by WICS news.

The National Weather Service is offering a free, two-hour “Severe Weather Storm Spotting” class in the Student Union of Menard Hall today, March 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Open to the public, attendees will learn about the formation and tracking of tornadoes and have the opportunity to become official NWS storm spotters. There is no age limit for those wishing to attend. However, attendees must be at least 18 years old to receive storm spotter certification. Pre-registration is not required. Those needing special accommodations should email Chris.Miller@noaa.gov.

The session will be led by James Auten, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Lincoln. The class will cover the formation and movement of tornadoes and other severe storms. Also included will be a discussion of personal safety considerations when severe weather is threatening and proper reporting guidelines.

For individuals who wish to become certified storm spotters, Auten will provide information about the types of data the Weather Service needs to better inform the public on the severity of the storm, and what can be expected as it moves along its track. Some of the observations that need reported include hail, estimated wind speed, flash flooding and tornadoes.

For more information, contact Dean Butzow, LLCC professor of geography, at dean.butzow@llcc.edu or 217-786-4923, or visit the NWS Lincoln Office “Severe Weather Spotter Training” webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/Lincoln/spotter

The National Weather Service will offer a free, two-hour “Severe Weather Storm Spotting” class in the Student Union of Menard Hall Monday, March 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Open to the public, attendees will learn about the formation and tracking of tornadoes and have the opportunity to become official NWS storm spotters. There is no age limit for those wishing to attend. However, attendees must be at least 18 years old to receive storm spotter certification. Pre-registration is not required. Those needing special accommodations should email Chris.Miller@noaa.gov.

The session will be led by James Auten, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Lincoln. The class will cover the formation and movement of tornadoes and other severe storms. Also included will be a discussion of personal safety considerations when severe weather is threatening and proper reporting guidelines.

For individuals who wish to become certified storm spotters, Auten will provide information about the types of data the Weather Service needs to better inform the public on the severity of the storm, and what can be expected as it moves along its track. Some of the observations that need reported include hail, estimated wind speed, flash flooding and tornadoes.

For more information, contact Dean Butzow, LLCC professor of geography, at dean.butzow@llcc.edu or 217-786-4923, or visit the NWS Lincoln Office “Severe Weather Spotter Training” webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/Lincoln/spotter

Dave Cox, professor of biology, is currently contributing to his 15^th college biology textbook (McGraw Hill publishers). He has also written three lab manuals and three field guides used for the Biological Field Studies course he teaches in Belize each January.