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The climbing tower at Horn Field Campus is a 40-foot vertical wood structure, with three sides for climbing, complete with rock-like handholds, and one side for rappelling. One tower wall is slightly inclined for those new to the climbing experience. Harnesses, helmets and safety ropes are provided. Two or more facilitators assist with the tower.
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Chad Pregracke, founder and president of Living Lands & Waters, talking to Global Entrepreneurial Leadership students in Horn Lodge on WIU's Horn Field Campus. The 92-acre campus provides an ideal educational venue for programs, educational events and community activities.
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Horn Field Campus Open House Sept. 15

September 1, 2011

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MACOMB, IL -- Woodlands, prairie landscapes, nature trails, facilities for retreats and team building, equipment for learning how to rock climb and navigate high ropes -- all of these and more are available at Western Illinois University's Horn Field Campus (HFC). A unit of WIU's College of Education and Human Services and administered by the recreation, park and tourism (RPTA) department, HFC is a 92-acre field campus that offers a plethora of learning and experiential-based activities. In addition, Horn Lodge and the buildings on the campus provide a private and peaceful setting for meetings, family reunions and weddings.

To provide a taste of what all HFC has to offer members of the Western, Macomb and surrounding communities, HFC Program Coordinator Mindy Pheiffer and her HFC staff will be hosting an open house 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15 at Horn Field Campus (directions are listed below).

"We wanted to provide an open invitation to the campus and community to explore the beautiful outdoor campus and facilities," Pheiffer explained. "Many of us take for granted how many people in the community have been to Horn Lodge long ago for social events, but many people do not know what we currently offer in regard to programs, educational events and community activities."

Horn Field Campus is one of four outdoor educational facilities owned by Western Illinois University (the other three are the Kibbe Life Science Research Station near Warsaw, IL; the Ira & Reatha T. Post Wildlife Sanctuary [Vishnu Springs] located west of Tennessee, IL; and the Fink Environmental Studies Field Laboratory & Conservancy, three miles west of WIU's Macomb campus), which is used for education and research by Western students, faculty, staff, as well as community members. In addition to Horn Lodge, there are trails and plant life to explore, and HFC features a 40-foot climbing and rappelling tower (with rock-like handholds) and a high ropes course and low ropes course.

"During the open house, we will provide tours of the programming areas, and buildings will be open for viewing. We will also have challenge-course activities demonstrated by our student-facilitator staff members," Pheiffer said. "We will have brochures available about the birds and trees of HFC, along with a self-guided interpretive map of Oak Hollow trail, all of which have been put together by students."

Pheiffer added that open house attendees will want to bring their binoculars, as they will have an opportunity to check out HFC's terrain and natural environment from the elevated vantage point on the restored prairie and wildlife-viewing tower. In addition, information about the current timber-stand improvement project taking place in the woodlands areas will be shared with attendees.

HFC often holds open climbing tower hours on specific dates, as well as the popular annual Corn Maze, which this year will be held 1-4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in October. The Haunted Corn Maze is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29. Pheiffer noted that use of the HFC facilities are reservation based, and while she encourages community members to come out for planned and reserved events, HFC is not a drop-in facility.

"The open house will give us a chance to provide campus and community members with an overview of all the educational opportunities, activities and facilities HFC has to offer," Pheiffer said. "HFC is a multi-purpose venue, and it is my goal to encourage the use of it in whatever way it will serve instruction, research and service."

The Horn Field Campus Sept. 15 open house is open free to the public. For more information, contact Horn Field Campus at (309) 833-5798 or HF-Campus@wiu.edu. Visit HFC online at wiu.edu/hfc. For special accommodations, please notify Horn Field Campus staff in advance.

Directions

HFC is located south of Macomb on China Road. From South Johnson Street (past Macomb High School), turn right on China Road and follow the road one-quarter of a mile to the Horn Field Campus entrance. Parking is permitted on the HFC lot.

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