This is the monthly newsletter for the University of Kansas Field Station community. Each month, we share details about upcoming public programs, volunteer opportunities, and highlights from the month before. 

To read previous issues, please visit our newsletter archives.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Wendy at wendyholman@ku.edu.

Sunday, February 9 | 11:00 A.M - 12:30 P.M. | Lawrence Public Library Atrium

We are excited to join the celebration for the launch of the Seed Library at the Lawrence Public Library! Stop by our table, where we will team up with Rachel Osborn, KU Entomology Collection Manager, to explore the fascinating world of insects. Curious about what makes an insect an insect, the important roles they play in ecosystems, or how to support pollinators and other insects in your yard? We’ve got you covered! Plus, we think insects are downright amazing, so we will have pinned museum specimens on display to showcase the incredible diversity of insects native to Kansas. 

Check out the event page on the Lawrence Public Library website for updates. 

Saturday, February 15 | 1:00 - 5:00 P.M. | Armitage Education Center

Join us for a hands-on workshop to explore the fascinating world of lichens! In this introduction to lichenology, you will learn about what lichens are (and aren’t), their biology, life history, and photosynthetic processes, and how to identify charismatic macrolichens. Led by Caleb Morse, Collection Manager of the R.L. McGregor Herbarium and expert on lichens, this workshop will combine classroom learning with field identification.

What to Expect:

Classroom Session

Field Identification

Please note: the field identification portion of the workshop is weather dependent. In the event of wind/rain, we will adjust the session accordingly.

What to Bring:

This workshop is perfect for beginners looking to deepen their understanding of the world around us. By the end, you will have the skills to identify common lichens and a greater appreciation for their role in nature. A colorful and cryptic world is hiding in plain sight, just waiting for you to slow down and take a closer look!

To register, please email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu).

Where: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, KS 66044

February January Topic: Home on the Range: Prairie-chickens

Due to icy road conditions, last month’s Science Sundays was rescheduled to February. Registrants from the January date were given priority to RSVP for the new date, and the talk is now at capacity. We are unable to accept new RSVPs for February’s Science Sundays. Thank you for understanding, and we hope to see you at the next one!

Friday, February 21 | 7:30 - 9:30 P.M. | Armitage Education Center

Join the Astronomy Associates of Lawrence and explore the wonders of the night sky! 

The moon will not be visible this evening, giving other celestial wonders a chance to take center stage in the sky. We will be on the lookout for Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and the countless stars and constellations visible beyond the light pollution of town. Telescopes will be set up on the lawn just behind the Armitage Education Center, with easy access to warmth indoors if the night air gets chilly. You are welcome to drop by anytime during the scheduled hours, whether you stay for the entire time or just pop in for a quick look. The fireplace will be on, and hot drinks will be ready to share!

Where: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

What to bring: A mug for tea/coffee to help us reduce waste. 

To register, please email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu).

This program is weather permitting and requires clear skies, so please make sure to RSVP to receive updates from Wendy in case of changes due to the forecast.

Help us make the KU Field Station more accessible! During One Day One KU, gifts to "Friends of the KU Field Station" through the Kansas Biological Survey will support the purchase of an all-terrain wheelchair, allowing more learners to engage with our field station’s unique research opportunities and landscapes.

If you would like to make a gift before the big day, click here to make a gift today!

In 2021, work began on here-ing, an environmentally embedded artwork by Janine Antoni at the KU Field Station. Antoni collaborated with researchers across the University of Kansas for more than two years to bring the labyrinth to life. Many of you contributed to this project through your steps on the path and your efforts to restore the surrounding land. 

We are excited to share this 19-minute documentary from the Spencer Museum of Art. It chronicles the creation of the two-mile walking labyrinth, shaped like the anatomy of a human ear, capturing the art, science, and community behind the project.

The labyrinth will exist only as long as people walk it, keeping the path alive. If you're looking for ways to slow down and reconnect with the world around you, visiting here-ing is a perfect way to practice. We hope you enjoy the documentary!

The ice, heavy snow, and dangerously low temperatures of early January brought Lawrence to a standstill, and the roads to the KU Field Station became nearly impassable. But wow, it sure was beautiful! On January 6, the plants of Rockefeller Prairie were coated in ice, giving the prairie an ethereal, magical feel. We hope you found a way to enjoy the record snowfall!

We attended KU Marketing Brand School to learn all about the fresh new brand. Keep an eye out for next month’s newsletter. It might look a little different as we incorporate the new look, but don’t worry, the content will stay the same!

Not on social media? No problem.

Here are a few of our favorites from the past month. 

🌾 Prairie Highway 🐾

This well-worn trail crosses the prairie, connecting the tree line to a seasonal pond. Likely made by opossums and raccoons on their daily routes, it’s a quiet reminder of the often unseen lives of the animals who share these spaces with us.

❄️🌾 This long, slow melt is such a nice drink for the prairies after a dry year. 💧🌱

Here’s hoping the extended cold knocks tick populations back this year!🤞

🦡 Did you know that badgers live just outside of Lawrence city limits?! 🌙

These shy, nocturnal animals spend around 90% of their time in underground burrows, making them a rare sight. Lucky for us, they leave behind signs of their presence like this fresh hole we spotted in a badger "hotspot" near the field station. Must have been a chilly dig! ❄️

A badger's burrow, or den, is typically a single tunnel up to 10 feet long with a cozy chamber at the end. These burrows are a safe place to sleep, raise young, and sometimes store food. Unlike their European cousins, American badgers live solitary lives and often dig new burrows as they move to find food. 

Keep an eye out for fresh digs on road embankments or along the Levee Trail, and you might spot signs that a badger is near! 👀

With the prairies resting under a blanket of snow, we are dialing in our prescribed burn plans for 2025! ❄️🔥

The size, location, and timing of prescribed fires at the KU Field Station vary each year, depending on management goals and weather conditions. We think through each burn carefully, but stay flexible and have contingency plans in place, since fire seasons rarely go as expected (Kansas weather be wildin' 🌪️⛈️🌡️).

Fire return intervals can be fixed, like when we use them as part of a research protocol, or adaptive, like when we shift the timing and application of fire to support stewardship objectives. Our local ecosystems have a deep relationship with fire, and the intentional use of fire is an important way that we can support them. 🌱💚

University of Kansas Field Station Mission: 

   To foster scholarly research, environmental education and science-based stewardship of natural resources.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or online and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or online.

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