Blackburn receives land grant for campus environmental studies

Blackburn College has received a gift of 40 acres of farmland located east of the College’s campus in Carlinville. The property, known to locals as “Rock’s Patch,” was initially owned by John D. “Rock” Rossetti. The College plans to utilize the undeveloped property to enhance classroom studies for Biology students with fieldwork opportunities. The gift may also support Blackburn’s ongoing sustainability efforts, including Bee Program, Bat Program, and walnut tree projects.

Sarah Koplinski, Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the College, said “The family expressed a desire for the College to keep the property in its natural state. As an off-campus location for Biology department fieldwork and sustainability projects, ‘Rock’s Patch’ will serve a vital role as a hands-on, real-world laboratory for Blackburn students to conduct research and gain practical experience. All while remaining undeveloped. We are very grateful for this generous gift from the family of Mr. Rossetti.”

Rossetti was a fixture in the local community, teaching math and coaching all sports at Carlinville High School. He also served as an adjunct professor of math at Blackburn. We believe that Rock would be pleased with the idea of young people going to the property to learn about the outdoors he loved.”

Long added that his grandfather got the nickname “Rock” as a compliment from when he was a coal miner in his youth. He said, “Coal miners like rock. Rock is your friend; it doesn't cave in on you. Rock is solid.” He also shared how the farmland got the name Rock’s Patch. “Rock was a marvelous outdoorsman. He was comfortable on a trail, in a boat, ice fishing, and hunting. He always called it “The Patch,’’ so Rock's Patch it always was.”

Blackburn’s Biology department is the largest academic area on campus. Majors receive ample opportunity to put the knowledge gained in the classroom to practical use through fieldwork, research, and sustainability programs. Blackburn also stands out as offering the only student-managed Work Program in the nation.

Professor of Biology and Chemistry at Blackburn, Dr. Samantha Kahl, explained how students have been conducting research and are already benefiting from Rock’s Patch property in courses offered at Blackburn, such as Ecology, Invasive Species Biology, and Sustainable Forestry. “Our students have done work clearing invasive species there and identifying plants and animal habitats, and learning about management impacts.

Kahl continued, “We look forward to Rock’s Patch being an integral part of coursework and student research in Biology at Blackburn.”

Blackburn College facilitates many sustainability initiatives. These include the Blackburn Bee Program, which dates back to the late 1800s. Students participate in an apiary production on campus and maintain period-correct hives at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. They gain hands-on experience cleaning hives, capturing swarms, and can earn official beekeeper certifications.