Undisturbed prairie found along railroad

SHEFFIELD, Ill. | In a narrow strip of ground between the railroad tracks and U.S. 6 lay a rare piece of ground.

Undisturbed prairie sits along railroad

A prairie gentian blooms in a remnant prairie west of Sheffield in Bureau County, Ill. A prairie remnant, is prairie land that has never been plowed or otherwise disturbed since pioneer days.

Undisturbed prairie sits along railroad

In this photo taken Oct. 3 in Sheffield, Ill., Bill Handel, a plant ecologist with Illinois Natural History Survey’s Prairie Research Institute, points out native plants in a remnant prairie west of Sheffield in Bureau County, Ill. Handel is surveying railroad right-of-ways for the Illinois …

Lowell fourth-graders try their hands at creating flubber

Lake Prairie Elementary School fourth-grade teachers aide Andrea Morgan pours sodium borate for student Brayden Pokropinski while they make a flubber mixture Thursday in their science class.

Lowell fourth-graders try their hands at creating flubber

Aaron DuBord flips his flubber mixture Thursday to test its pliability during his fourth-grade science class at Lake Prairie Elementary School.

Lowell fourth-graders try their hands at creating flubber

Aaron DuBord measures the length of his flubber mixture Thursday during a fourth-grade science class at Lake Prairie Elementary School.

Lowell fourth-graders try their hands at creating flubber

Emily Greco reacts Thursday as she plays with flubber during her fourth-grade science class at Lake Prairie Elementary School near Lowell.

Lowell fourth-graders try their hands at creating flubber

Lake Prairie Elementary School fourth-grader Breanne Gatlin laughs Thursday while stretching her flubber, a mixture of sodium borate and polyvinyl alcohol, in science class. The West Creek Township students learned about science and math during the lab project.

Songbird Prairie

Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast owners Efrain and Barbara Rivera stand in front of their Valparaiso business. The staff is celebrating being named to Midwest Living magazine's list of 30 favorite bed and breakfasts in its May/June issue.

Songbird Prairie

A suite is shown at the Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast in Valparaiso.

Songbird Prairie

Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast owners Efrain and Barbara Rivera sit in the dining area of the Valparaiso business. he two began the process of opening the business in 1997 leading up to the launch in 2000.

Wildlife in business park

John Goss, left, the executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation, presents certification to Ryan Kelly, project manager for Holladay Properties. The IWF awarded its highest level of wildlife friendly habitat certification to the Holladay Properties AmeriPlex complex in Portage for …

Wildlife in business park

Habitat areas have been established to promote insects, birds and animals living in the AmeriPlex development in Portage. The areas were a reason the Indiana Wildlife Federation has awarded its highest level of wildlife-friendly habitat certification to Holladay Properties Ameriplex complex.

Wildlife in business park

Travis Stoelting, a biologist with the Indiana Wildlife Federation, talks about the natural prairie plants that have been reintroduced at the Holladay Properties AmeriPlex in Portage. The IWF has lauded AmeriPlex developers for the habitats.