Inquiry: Rod Walton : an ecologist at Fermilab

FERMILAB in Illinois is America’s premiere research facility for studying high energy physics and contains North America’s largest proton accelerator. Why would a cutting edge particle physics institution also have a staff ecologist? The reason is that besides everything else that goes on at Fermilab, since it was constructed  it also has meticulously restored the long-grass prairie on its grounds and keeps track of the animals, birds, butterflies and plants that now inhabit the facilities grounds. Around and in the accelerator ring can be found prairie species like big bluestem, prairie dropseed, wild quinine, Henslow’s sparrows and even badgers! This is an amazing story of “Big Science” and caring environmental management. Tune in tonight when we speak with Fermilab “staff ecologist” ROD WALTON about how protons and prairies work together.