Higher Education: SWIC butterfly garden takes flight Saturday

Southwestern Illinois College will unveil its new butterfly garden, dubbed the “Flutter Farm,” this Saturday at its Red Bud campus.

The occasion will be marked with a butterfly festival that will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The free event will feature activities including the opportunity to catch, identify, tag, adopt and releasing of butterflies.

James Wiker, of the Illinois Nature History Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, and author of “Butterflies of Illinois: A Field Guide” will be the featured speaker.

Yoga and tai chi sessions will be available as well as a scavenger hunt and photo contest with prizes.

The garden contains more than 400 plants from 30 species, all of which are native to Illinois. In addition, Flutter Farm has received certification for a “Monarch Waystation” from monarchwatch.org, certifying it as a suitable habitat for monarchs with host and nectar plants.

The area contains an outdoor classroom with bleachers and a podium that can host SWIC classes, as well as visiting classes from area schools.

The garden is located along the tree line on the west side of campus and is open to the public.

SWIC biology students originally conceived the idea for the garden in spring 2014. Just over a year later, thanks to current students, Phi Theta Kappa members and College Activities Board students, and a host of sponsors, the garden has been constructed.

For more information, visit facebook.com/betaiotaiotaRedBud or call 866-942-SWIC (7942), ext. 8104.

***

Lindenwood-Belleville former head athletic trainer, Bill Dill, has been named the NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year, by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Dill, according to school leaders, was at the helm of the athletic training staff since the inception of the athletic program in 2009, and was given the task of building his own department.

“I am honored to receive this award and know it could not have been achieved without the great staff of athletic trainers around me,” Dill said. “We strive to be servants to our student-athletes and provide them the best care we possibly can.”

This year, Dill took a position to oversee the athletic training major at Lindenwood – Belleville and no longer serves as the head athletic trainer, although he provides a support role to the entire department.

During his tenure, he and his athletic staff have oversaw 36 varsity sports at Lindenwood-Belleville. In 2015-16, the athletic training staff has taken over duties for men’s and women’s rugby, and women’s field hockey; a year after the athletic department also added men’s and women’s ice hockey, as well as men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

***

Arts Midwest’s WorldFest will bring Turkish singer Aysenur Kolivar and her band to McKendree University’s Hettenhausen Center and to local elementary schools for a week-long residency of performances and workshops to teach children about Turkish music and customs.

The group will be in the metro-east from Oct. 18-25. It will make stops at Columbus Elementary School and LeClaire Elementary School in Edwardsville, Lebanon Elementary School, Franklin School in Belleville and at McKendree.

McKendree’s Hett Center is the only Illinois venue to host Arts Midwest’s WorldFest in 2015-2017. Baladino, an Israeli band, will be in residency here next April.

***

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville received the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

This is the second year that SIUE has won the distinction.

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — SIUE will be featured along with 91 other recipients in November 2015.

“Being honored for the second-consecutive year is indicative of SIUE’s commitment to diversity in both the student body and workforce,” Interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen said. “The opening of the Multicultural Center during November 2014 was another major step forward in facilitating an open, respectful and welcoming campus climate. Dr. Venessa Brown’s leadership in the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion brings daily reinforcement of this core value to our campus community.”

Brown, associate chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, said SIUE strives to be a leader in diversity.

“The university values and appreciates a diverse and inclusive campus community,” Brown said. “We are intentional about discussing racial issues in our state, region, nation and world. Our diverse programming and development of online learning exemplify our strong commitment and position us as a model for the region.”

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 12:09 PM with the headline "Higher Education: SWIC butterfly garden takes flight Saturday."