SALEM, Va. (WFXR) — There is a nature preserve in the heart of a Salem suburb and it is serving as a research laboratory for Roanoke College students, while helping native plant and wildlife species to thrive. It is called the Roanoke College Environment Center.
The center is located on the Roanoke College Elizabeth Campus on Kime Lane. It was a landfill lot that has now been reclaimed and has become an oasis for wildlife. It was partially paid for by a grant from the National Wildlife Federation and Mutual of Omaha.
“It’s a place for us to build tomorrow’s environmental leaders,” said Roanoke College biology professor and Environment Center Director Dr. Rachel Collins, who credits her students for the center’s creation. “They pitched the idea to the faculty, and we liked it some much we made it happen.”
The center consists of a meadow restoration and a woodland restoration. Native plants have been re-introduced. Habitat, in the form of specialized boxes and houses, can be found for owls, bees, and bats in the meadow area. All three species are vital to the environment and ecology of the region.