Thursday, Feb. 28
7 p.m.
CNS C101 

The Franklin’s ground squirrel was listed as a threatened species in Illinois in 2004 and the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan lists it as a “species in greatest need of conservation.” Population declines of this elusive Illinois resident have been widely attributed to the loss and fragmentation of tallgrass prairie habitat due to intensive agricultural practices. Tih-Fen Ting, an associate professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield, will provide an overview of her research findings on the ecology of Franklin’s ground squirrels, as well as an update on their abundance, behavior, and habitat requirements in Central Illinois. Co-sponsored by IWU’s Environmental Studies Program and John Wesley Powell Audubon.