2-student-life-restoration
Restoring nature and spirits
Students build skills, friendships, and connections with the natural world through ecological restoration
Every other weekend during the academic year, members of Loyola's Restoration Club load into vans and travel 40 miles northwest of the Lake Shore Campus to the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC), where they work to restore biodiversity on the 90-acre suburban campus.
"Getting the fresh air, hearing the birds fly over, hearing the wind blow, it's an escape for a lot of people." Max Shenker, Restoration Club member
Restoration Club members remove invasive plants and shrubs at LUREC to help restore prairie, savanna, woodland, and wetland ecosystems at the site.
Under the guidance of Professor Emerita Roberta (Bobbi) Lammers-Campbell, PhD, club members learn the foundations of ecological restoration, taking part in activities such as removing invasive plants and shrubs. Club member Mack Shenker said he appreciated the skills and knowledge he has gained from the experience.
"Getting out here and getting hands-on experience with plant ID, with controlled burns, with manual labor, you get experience that you just wouldn't get in the classroom," he said.
Participants also build camaraderie with classmates while enjoying time outdoors surrounded by nature. After a day of work, they often gather around a bonfire to socialize and make s'mores. Many find that the time at LUREC helps them relax and recharge.
Under the guidance of Professor Emerita Roberta (Bobbi) Lammers-Campbell, PhD, club members learn the foundations of ecological restoration, taking part in activities such as removing invasive plants and shrubs. Club member Mack Shenker said he appreciated the skills and knowledge he has gained from the experience.
"Getting out here and getting hands-on experience with plant ID, with controlled burns, with manual labor, you get experience that you just wouldn't get in the classroom," he said.
Participants also build camaraderie with classmates while enjoying time outdoors surrounded by nature. After a day of work, they often gather around a bonfire to socialize and make s'mores. Many find that the time at LUREC helps them relax and recharge.