Hello, friend of the KU Field Station!

June flew by in a blur of activity at the field station and it feels like we barely saw our computers. The prairie hit its summer stride, field crews kept busy with research, and we welcomed teachers for the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute. We also made progress on the new public trail at Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve, continued recording videos for The Virtual Field, worked on the foundation and decking for the native plant propagation greenhouse, and started moving into the new shop building.

With summer underway, we’re glad to see so many people out on the trails enjoying the outdoors. Whether you’re here for research, programs, exploring the trails, or simply following along with our newsletter, thank you for being part of the KU Field Station community. We’re looking forward to another great month ahead!

Best,
Wendy

Sunday, July 6 (tentative) | 7:30 p.m. – sunset | Rockefeller Prairie

When life gives you blackberries, make something delicious! 

Blackberries are tasty, but they’re also aggressive growers and can crowd out prairie plants. The stubborn blackberry patch at Rockefeller Prairie is producing a bumper crop this year, and we're planning to make the best of it.

Whether you turn them into jam, pie, cobbler, smoothies, or eat them fresh off the stem, we invite you to join us to pick as many berries as your heart desires! By harvesting the fruit, you’ll help remove the seeds and support the prairie’s health. And it's just fun! 

We waited all of June for the berries to ripen, but they are finally starting to color up! While most are still maturing, the early ripe berries are sweet and juicy. We expect a good wave of ripening with the sun this week, with fruitful picking this weekend. Wendy will send an update email a couple of days beforehand to those who register, letting you know if the berries are ready or if we need to wait a little longer.

What to bring: Baskets or bags for your berries, long thick pants for the brambles, tick spray, closed-toe shoes, and water.

Where: Meet at the Rockefeller Prairie Trailhead (Google Maps) at 7:30 p.m. From there, we’ll walk about 0.3 miles along the paved trail before heading into the bramble-filled prairie to pick.

To register: Email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu) to sign up for the ripeness update later this week!

Friday, July 11 | 9:00 - 10:30 p.m. | Armitage Education Center

Join the Astronomy Associates of Lawrence for an evening of stargazing at the KU Field Station!

With a nearly full moon lighting the sky, we should get great views of lunar craters and plains through the telescopes. We will look for visible planets like Mars and Mercury, explore summer constellations, and maybe even spot a few meteors from smaller meteor showers! Telescopes will be set up on the lawn behind the Armitage Education Center, offering clear views of the night sky beyond the glow of city lights.

Bring a chair or blanket and settle in under the stars to enjoy the wide open sky, surrounded by summer night sounds, like frogs calling, coyotes singing, and owls hooting. Whether you stay for the entire event or just stop by for a quick look, we’d love to have you join us!

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

What to bring: Cozy clothes, a chair or blanket, a mug for tea/coffee

To RSVP, 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.

Sunday, July 20 | 2:00 p.m. | Armitage Education Center, KU Field Station

July Topic: When Lakes Turn Toxic: Understanding and Predicting Harmful Algal Blooms (rescheduled from June)

Toxic blue-green algal blooms are appearing in lakes across Kansas, posing risks to people, pets, and wildlife. Understanding these harmful algal blooms (HABs) is essential to protecting our water, our health, and the ecosystems we rely on. But what exactly are blue-green algae, why do these blooms occur, and how can we predict them before they happen?

Join Ted Harris, Associate Research Professor with the Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, for an inside look at the science behind HABs. Ted and the Lake Assessment team conduct large-scale experiments in replicated ponds and tanks at the KU Field Station and study algal blooms in reservoirs across Kansas. Their work focuses on identifying the environmental conditions that trigger blooms, understanding why some are more toxic than others, and finding ways to better predict and mitigate their impact.

After the talk, you're welcome to join Ted on a short walk to check out mesocosm tanks where his lab is manipulating active algal blooms. Come learn why this research matters to everyone who depends on clean, safe water!

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.

Please RSVP to Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu) as space is limited. It also helps us plan for seating and snacks!

Science Sundays is a monthly series of talks covering a variety of science topics, including research happening at the KU Field Station. These free talks are open to everyone but may not interest younger audiences. You don't have to be a scientist to attend, just curious about the natural world!

Friday, July 25 | 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. | Armitage Education Center, KU Field Station

Come light trap moths with us during the 14th annual National Moth Week, celebrated worldwide from July 19 to 27! We'll observe and document the diversity of moths (and other night flying invertebrates) attracted to bright lights shining on white sheets. This will be our third year participating in Moth Week, and in past years we’ve seen everything from delicate plume moths and striking sphinx moths to owlflies and mole crickets.

Observations will be uploaded to iNaturalist as part of this global community science effort. 

Stop by for a quick look or stay until we turn off the lights. Your curiosity is welcome either way!

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

What to bring: Long pants, closed-toe shoes, flashlight or headlamp, camera for cool critters, lawn chair if you’d like to stay a while, water bottle.

To register: email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu)

Note: This event is weather dependent and may be canceled or postponed due to wind or rain. Wendy will email registrants by Thursday, July 24 with an update. If needed, we will reschedule for Friday, August 1, so please save that date as well.

It was an absolute pleasure to host the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute again this summer. This three-day program is designed to inspire and support secondary science teachers through immersive, hands-on experiences. It combines professional development with the spirit of "science camp for adults." It’s a chance for teachers to become students again, (re)connect with their love of science, and enjoy the wild spaces of Kansas, all while stepping away from the daily demands of the classroom.

Teachers from across the state explored prairie, woodland, and aquatic ecosystems alongside experts. They took part in field and lab-based activities they can adapt for their students and shared meals and conversations with a community of like-minded educators. By popular demand, next year’s Institute will be extended by a day to allow for deeper dives into specific topics.

We could go on, but the teachers said it best:

"Thank you for a great workshop. I can confidently say this is one of the best workshops I've been to and had the most relevant information towards my teaching. I will recommend this workshop to all of the biology teachers I know."

"The 3 days I spent with the Summer Institute helped rekindle my childhood sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. My hope is that I can instill this sense of adventure in my students and support their education in science at the same time."

"This experience has recharged my love for science while providing real-world/applicable content for my students!"

"World class scientists and educators spent the week sharing their passion for the unique ecosystems in our wonderful state. I want to come back again!"

Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible!

Sheena and Wendy traveled to Juniata College’s Raystown Field Station in central Pennsylvania to take part in the end-of-year meeting of the Virtual Field Research Coordination Network. The Virtual Field brings field stations and marine labs to learners around the world through videos filmed on at field sites and paired with teaching guides that spark curiosity, build observation skills, and strengthen critical thinking. Together, these resources help open up access to diverse ecosystems, near and far, for those who may not be able to experience them in person.

As content creators for the project, Sheena and Wendy are recording seasonal 360-degree videos (at each solstice and equinox) at several prairie and woodland sites across the KU Field Station. They are also developing Ecosystem Exploration videos that offer more in-depth, visually guided experiences through prairie and woodland ecosystems, without narration. These immersive videos are designed to encourage observation and inquiry, allowing learners to explore the sights and sounds of wild spaces at their own pace.

At the meeting, Sheena and Wendy shared their progress, received feedback from project leads and faculty who will use the KU Field Station videos in their classrooms, and collaborated with the team to solve challenges on both sides of the camera. They left with lots of ideas to help The Virtual Field better meet the needs of learners of all ages and are excited to continue working with this creative community to make educational experiences at field stations and marine labs more accessible.

If you’d like to explore some of the 360-degree videos from our field station (and beyond), check them out on the Organization of Biological Field Stations' YouTube page.

Progress continues on the new public trail opening at the Rice Woodland, part of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve. Cedars have been cleared for the parking area, and a long culvert has been installed to allow school buses and other large vehicles to safely access the site for classes and exploration. Planning is well underway for events celebrating the addition and official opening of the trail, with events coming this fall and spring.

While construction continues, Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve remains open for research and guided visits only. Once complete, the Rice Woodland trail will be open daily from dawn to dusk for all to enjoy.

This project is funded in part by the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council through a federal Open Spaces grant. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to connect with the land, KU researchers, and community partners as the project unfolds!

June, in and of itself, is a highlight.

If you haven’t fallen in love with the Prairie yet, it’s probably because you haven’t visited it in June. There’s something truly magical about this time of year. But you can’t rush or expect to feel it immediately. You need to move slowly and look closely. Soon, your mind will settle. The blur of grasses and forbs will come into sharp focus, and you’ll begin to notice the magic: the bustling activity, the colors and textures, and the intricate relationships between plants and animals that were always there. It’s been there all along, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Once your awareness shifts, that sense of magic stays with you, and you begin to find it in every season.

If you haven’t visited Rockefeller Prairie this summer, please do. Whether you sit quietly on a bench or slowly wander the trail, make time in your busy schedule to deepen your connection to this special ecosystem and appreciate the place you hold within it.

Not on social media? No problem.

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

🐍🔔 Started the week off with a rattle! 🌞✨

This stunning Timber Rattlesnake was found tucked away in an equipment barn. With plenty of care and respect, we gently relocated her about 200 feet away from the building so she could continue on her way. A good reminder that we share these spaces with wildlife, and that a little help and understanding can go a long way in keeping them safe. What a perfect start to the week! 🤲❤️

☀️ Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate a hot and beautiful summer solstice! ☀️

It was so nice to explore the KU Native Medicinal Plant Research Garden and immerse ourselves in the 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦-𝘪𝘯𝘨 labyrinth alongside so many wonderful people.

Happy summer, y’all! 🌻🌿

Just out here dazzling with her green chelicerae 💚✨.

That shimmering color isn’t pigment, but structural, like on butterfly wings. With a curious and playful nature and some of the sharpest vision in the spider world, she doesn’t need a web to catch prey. She hunts it down with eyes locked and legs ready.

Featuring: Putnam's Jumping Spider, 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪 (?) on Common Milkweed (𝘈𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘤𝘢)

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.

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.

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.