The Prairie Acre Restoration team is extremely pleased to have received a grant from the Douglas County Community Foundation. This grant has allowed Phase 2 of the project to get off the ground, which includes funding for purchasing plants, hiring KU student, Beverly Umeh, as the Prairie Acre Restoration Coordinator to help facilitate the restoration and maintaining of the site, and funding to aide in the creation of the Prairie Acre Demonstration Garden.

On March 14, 2017, another prescribed burn was conducted on the Prairie Acre site, coordinated by Umeh. The plants that were planted on the spring of 2016 were burned, which will allow them to grow back stronger and healthier than they were before. It was snowing, when the burn took place, so the burn crew had to work hard to assure that the burn was as thorough as possible.

The EVRN capstone class had the opportunity to pull out all of the iris from the iris beds near the site, and those beds will be mulched by facilities and operations. Facilities and operations will also be aiding in tilling the expansion site and helping to eliminate the Bermuda grass that is currently present. This is an integral part of preparing the site for the spring 2017 planting day, which will be taking place the week of Earth Day.

The plants that will be planted at the site, this spring, are currently being cultivated in the greenhouse on West campus. Students from the Environmental Studies Programs, Umeh, and other staff and faculty members have been watering the greenhouse seedlings and assuring that they are thriving, to assure that they will succeed when planted at the Prairie Acre site. Kindscher and Umeh also divided up seedlings in order to maximize success rates of the individuals.

The Prairie Acre project is supported by grand funds and individual donations. Tax deductible contributions toward the Prairie Acre Restoration Project can be made online. All funds raised will help restore this culturally and ecologically significant site to one of diverse tallgrass species and engaging and meaningful educational opportunities for KU students and the community.​

Please join us this Sunday, April 24 between 1 and 4 PM to help plant the Prairie Acre.  Around 2,000 plants have been growing in the greenhouse, and it is time to get them moved to their new home. You might have seen coverage of our spring burn last week, which along with some mowing by KU Landscaping staff, helped prepare the site for planting. 

We'll have a grid laid out and be ready to plant when you arrive.  Bring a trowel, some gloves and a hat, and your friends, and be a part of KU History!

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who made a donation during this campaign.  Every dollar makes a difference on a project like this, so whether you gave $1 or $1000, your contribution will make a lasting impact on the campus landscape, helping us preserve the natural and cultural history of the Prairie Acre. 

If you didn't get a chance to donate during the campaign, or know someone who would like to contribute, you can continue to give through the KU Endowment website at www.kuendowment.org/prairieacre.

I hope you will all stay connected with the project as we post updates here, and more frequently on our website at www.sustain.ku.edu/prairieacre.

Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Jeff Severin, Project Owner Director, KU Center for Sustainability

This fall, students in the Environmental Studies Field Ecology class learned about the differences in prairie restoration projects. They used the restored Rockefeller prairie, the Dogleg Prairie (a small site near the KU Field Station), Sanders' Mound at Clinton Lake and a number of other restored prairie spaces to examine the timing, progression and techniques that go into a prairie restoration. Their big contribution came in October when they harvested seeds, based on the seed list for this project, from other healthy, diverse prairies.

We had two classes who assisted: Dr. Hagen's Field Ecology and Dr. Helen Alexander's Kansas Landscapes. We also organized two volunteer harvest days, led by master's student and prairie seed expert Courtney Masterson and Kelly Kindscher, to local Douglas County prairie sites. These seed harvests yielded so much valuable seed! Thanks to our volunteers and students, we can now rest easy knowing we have all the seed varieties necessary to help shape a diverse and varied prairie on campus.

On December 6th, we had our last event of the fall semester. We cleaned all of those seeds that were gathered in October. The process was fun, messy, a bit tedious but generally a good time! We had over 20 volunteers show up to the KBS on West Campus to give a couple hours to the project. The good news is that we have all the seeds on our list and then some.

Now we'll be ready to plant and germinate seeds in the greenhouse.  Stay tuned for details on a planting event coming up on January 24, or sign up on our website to volunteer!

Kelly Kindscher, Senior Scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey and Professor of Environmental Studies, provides an introduction to the Prairie Acre Restoration Project at the University of Kansas.

We are excited to announce that Laurel Sears, a graduate student in urban Planning and Geography, is joining our team as a student coordinator for the Prairie Acre Restoration Project!  Laurel will be coordinating volunteer efforts to clean and prepare seeds (with one opportunity coming up this weekend), plant and care for seedlings in the greenhouse,  and help with our first planting in the spring.  And of course, she'll assist with fundraising to make sure all of these activities are supported. With your help - and Laurel's - we'll be able to make significant progress in restoring the Prairie Acre!

Laurel is looking forward to working on the project because it will help students, KU staff and community members engage with this historical campus site, as well as connect us all to this diminishing ecosystem. "I love that we get to ring in KU's 150th year by restoring a piece of unplowed prairie, right on campus," she said.

A little background on Laurel and what she brings to this project:  Laurel is a Lawrence native. She earned her BFA from KU in Fine Art/ Design and worked in art and alternative education in Kansas City following graduation. Being inside all day, however, has its drawbacks…. She decided to follow her passion for plants, people and design with the JCCC Horticultural Entrepreneurship certificate. She spent six years in horticulture and landscape design in Kansas City and Lawrence. She focused on native, sustainable, perennial designs that married form and function. She even got to be a regular presenter on “About the House” with Jeremy Taylor, KLWN 1320.

Laurel is currently in her second year of a three-year master’s program in Urban Planning and Geography, specializing in Sustainable Land Use. She is a graduate teaching assistant for the Environmental Studies Department, as well as coordinating the Prairie Acre Restoration Project. In her thesis work, she is researching policies and practices that encourage food system and healthy neighborhood development, as well as open space conservation.