LIVINGSTON—The Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area in partnership with the Black Belt Conservation and Research Institute at the University of West Alabama will host an interpretive panel unveiling at Lake LU Nature Trails on Tuesday, April 19 at 1 p.m.

The nature panels were funded by a lead grant through The Conservation Fund from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and designed to educate local residents and tourists about biologically significant areas and species identified in the Alabama State Wildlife Action Plan, with these specific panels created to emphasize the conservation of the Blackland prairies. The topics of the panels to be presented at UWA focus on the habitats and wildlife critical to the prairie.

The seven panels include information on interesting species that once roamed the Black Belt prairie, as well as birds, wildlife, grasses and wildflowers that inhabit the prairie today, plus information essential to conservation of the disappearing prairie.

The ceremony is part of a series of events scheduled for UWA's Earth Week celebration, including SpringFest activities, Earth Day Fair, scavenger hunt, canoe and johnboat races a campus clean-up, and other activities promoting recognition of natural resources.

For more information about this project contact the Center for the Study of the Black Belt at 205-652-3828.