One of the most important things unique to Knox and utilized by our students is the biological field station, Green Oaks. An oasis of natural beauty and diversity, Green Oaks is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Knox campus, and there's always an opportunity to carpool there for a weekend of camping.
The main focuses of Friends of Green Oaks include the appreciation of nature:
Environmental awareness
Educational opportunities
Trail clearing
Invasive species control
Small prairie burns (in addition to the large annual burn, a Knox tradition)
General clean-up
With Friends of Green Oaks, you can help maintain the 700 acres (283 hectares) of forest, grassland, and aquatic habitat. And of course, everyone is welcome to become a Friend!
Friends of Green Oaks is not just about maintaining the area and keeping it a pristine, natural environment, but it is also about learning to love and appreciate the nature that can be found at the biological field station. Anyone from the Knox community is welcome to camp for a weekend or a night, so long as you remember to leave the campground as clean as you found it. At Green Oaks, there is a plentiful array of things to do, such as:
Hiking on trails
Exploring the forest
Hunting for edible mushrooms
Going canoeing and kayaking
Swimming in the lake
Making campfires for a cookout
Learning basic camping skills
Join Friends of Green Oaks to discover the joy of the natural preserve, help keep it clean, and add more to the list of stories you can tell about your experience at Knox.
