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Kibbe Station Director Sean Jenkins demonstrates the handicapped accessible ramp on the station's large boat, which can carry 25 people.
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This boat will carry the participants of the weekend event.
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Kibbe Station to Host Wounded Warrior Project Outing

July 25, 2013

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MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University's Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Station will partner with the Warsaw Lion's Club and the Wounded Warrior Project for a weekend biology and nature event, Saturday-Sunday, July 27-28.

The Wounded Warrior Project works with injured service members, providing programming and raising awareness. The Kibbe station is located near Warsaw, along the Mississippi River and includes 222 acres of University-owned land and 1,260 acres that is owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

This weekend, a total of about 25 service members and their guests will be treated to a day on the Mississippi River with Kibbe's electric boat to demonstrate the variety of fish species in the region. Kibbe's largest boat can hold up to 25 people and is accessible.

The group will be shown the station's turtle traps in the afternoon and on Sunday will be taken on a nature hike to identify plant and tree species. A campfire event is set for Saturday night, with the Warsaw Lion's Club providing all of the meals for the event.

The weekend's attendees will stay overnight in the on-site dormitories.

Kibbe Station Manager James Lamer, who is also a member of the Warsaw Lion's Club, said the idea for the project came together about seven months ago. The schedule was finalized in May.

"We designed the event for our guests based on the mission of the station," Lamer said. "We have the facilities here to be able to provide something to our veterans. We hope to make this an annual event.

Kibbe Station Director Sean Jenkins said the staff is looking forward to hosting the group.

"We want to do something for veterans because they have done so much for us," he said.

For more information about Kibbe, visit wiu.edu/kibbe.


Posted By: Jodi Pospeschil (JK-Pospeschil@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing