environment

DOE announced nearly $150 million in funding for dozens of energy conservation and clean energy projects at federal facilities, including Argonne and Fermilab. The funds will support the Fermilab Resilience and Efficiency Project, an initiative that works toward achieving net-zero facilities at the lab by implementing energy conservation measures across 23 buildings and developing renewable energy generation.

Samantha Panock, an environmental specialist at Fermilab, talks about the role she plays in the ongoing scientific efforts at Fermilab within the Environment, Health and Safety Division, some of her daily tasks, her passion for martial arts, and much more.

From FOX 32 Chicago, April 19, 2022: Fox News Chicago’s Tim McGill visited Fermilab yesterday for a first-hand look at the lab’s newest bison calves and the well-known herd. Herdsman Cleo Garcia shared with McGill his experiences and the behaviors he has observed in caring for the bison for the past 11 years.

From ABC 7 Chicago, December 10, 2021: Last Friday, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm toured Fermilab as she highlighted clean energy programs helping battle climate change. Fermilab was the final stop on the secretary’s two-day visit to Illinois that was part of a series of visits to highlight projects around the county that are making a positive impact on the environment.

From Daily Herald, Nov. 27, 2020: Fermilab Natural Areas is restoring 500 acres of grassland near Eola Road at Fermilab to serve as a breeding habitat for several endangered and threatened bird species that do not use tallgrass prairies or woodlands, such as the upland sandpiper, bobolink and Henslow’s sparrow.

If you live in the Chicago suburbs and have ever taken a walk on the Fermilab hike-and-bike trail along Batavia Road, you’ve probably noticed large trees with long, slender bean pods, which — even after they fall to the ground — are ignored by wildlife. Not that long ago, mammoths, mastodons and giant ground sloths roamed the Fermilab grounds and feasted on these bean pods, along with the fruit of two additional species that still can be found growing on site.

The Chicago Wilderness Excellence in Ecological Restoration Award is a recognition of Fermilab’s dedication to protect, restore and maintain its natural areas.

Research has shown that the presence of trees and woody vegetation in grasslands can significantly reduce the area occupied by grassland birds. To maximize usable habitat in the Eola grasslands at Fermilab, the first step is to clear the open fields of woody vegetation and trees. FNA received this grant to support the first phase of the project and hire a contractor to remove trees from this area.

From Daily Herald, May 15, 2018: In honor of Arbor Day, Fermilab in Batavia recently held a volunteer workday with the goal of creating a shrub land habitat for rare birds.

On Wednesday, April 18, baby bison season officially began at Fermilab. The first calf of the year was born in the early morning hours, with a second appearing before noon. Neighbors are welcome to visit with the newborns.