Russell R. Kirt Prairie

Russell R. Kirt Prairie is a restored tallgrass prairie and savanna within the College of DuPage Natural Areas in Illinois, notable for combining prairie, oak savanna, hill prairie, marsh, and wetlands beside an academic campus. Its restoration began with Professor Russell R. Kirt’s prairie work after 1974 and expanded through grant-funded local seed collection and replanting efforts in the 1980s with student and volunteer help. Long-term monitoring found strong floristic quality and documented 293 plant species, including rare federally and state endangered species. Renamed in Kirt’s honor in 1999, it remains an active teaching, research, conservation, and public outreach site.

Glen Ellyn, Illinois · United States