Hello, friend of the KU Field Station!

Frogs are calling, snakes are moving, migratory birds are returning, and redbuds are blooming. Spring has officially arrived! As the days grow warmer, we’re excited to transition into our busiest times of year and welcome more researchers, classes, and community groups to the field station.

March was a challenging month for prescribed burns, as high winds and dry conditions left us with few safe opportunities. While we had hoped to burn more areas during the dormant season, managing a large, fragmented landscape requires flexibility. Nature is stochastic, and management plans function more like living documents than fixed protocols. As we move into April, we will continue monitoring these sites and adapting our approach to meet both immediate and long-term research and stewardship goals.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made a gift during One Day One KU. Your generosity will help us purchase an all-terrain wheelchair, making our field station’s research opportunities and natural areas more accessible to all.

I hope you find a quiet moment to sit somewhere peaceful, take a deep breath, and listen to the Boreal Chorus Frogs as they welcome the new season.

Best,
Wendy

Please share with the teachers in your life!

The Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute is an immersive three-day program that empowers and inspires secondary science teachers through hands-on learning. We deeply appreciate the work you do every day to educate and support your students, and our goal is to provide an opportunity that leaves you feeling valued, refreshed, and equipped with new tools for the year ahead. The Institute combines professional development with a hands-on "science camp for adults" experience that lets you be the student, connect with your love of science, and dive into the ecosystems of Kansas while taking a break from the demands of teaching.

Join a community of like-minded educators to explore Kansas ecosystems, engage with researchers, and participate in hands-on activities that can be transferred directly to your classroom, all while getting paid!

Deadline to apply is April 30, 2025.

For more information and to apply, click here!

Saturday, April 12 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve

It's time for the spring guided tour of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve! This stunning tract of eastern deciduous forest sits at the westernmost limit of its range and is one of the best examples of this ecosystem in Kansas. Spring is a particularly magical time to visit, when the forest floor is often blanketed with delicate spring ephemeral wildflowers.

The Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve is part of the KU Field Station located near Baldwin City, Kansas. In 1980, the entire Baldwin Woods area was designated as a National Natural Landmark because it is recognized as a “significant example of the natural heritage of the Nation." Due to the sensitivity of this ecosystem, it is not open to the public outside of guided tours in the spring and fall of each year, and scientific studies are done with as little disturbance as possible.

Join ecologists from the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as they lead small groups into the Breidenthal Biological Reserve, part of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve. Tour leaders will share their knowledge of this unique ecosystem, focusing on plants, lichens, fungi, moss, and more.

Participants should expect to walk 1–2 miles at a slow pace on uneven, undeveloped forest trails and cross dry stream beds. The walk is expected to last approximately 2 hours. 

Where: Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve; full details will be emailed to registrants.

What to bring: sturdy, closed-toe shoes, water bottle, long pants, tick repellent, and a walking stick if needed.

To register: email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu). Registration is limited to 50 participants.

For more photos from the 2022 spring tour of Baldwin Woods, please click here. 

Please note: There are no bathrooms on site.

Outdoor programs are weather-dependent and may be cancelled or rescheduled due to windy or rainy conditions. Additional details, including directions and parking information, will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.

Sunday, April 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Armitage Education Center, KU Field Station

April Topic: The Secret Lives of Woodrats

Have you ever stumbled upon a seemingly random pile of sticks in the woods or had something mysteriously disappear from your yard or campsite? Chances are, you’ve encountered a woodrat, also known as a pack rat! While they’re well known for their hoarding habits, there’s so much more to uncover about these quirky rodents.

Join Alex Hey, an incoming PhD student from the KU Mammalogy division, as he takes you inside the fascinating lives of woodrats. From intricate nest building and resistance to toxic plants to surprising social behaviors and the latest genomic research, this talk is sure to deepen your appreciation for these wild architects. Whether you’re already a woodrat fan or just curious about these clever creatures, we hope to see you there!

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 talks cover a variety of science topics, including research happening at the KU Field Station. Talks are free and open to everyone, but may not interest younger audiences. These talks are intended for members of the general public who want to learn more about science. You do not have to be a scientist to attend!

Caleb Morse, Collection Manager of the R.L. McGregor Herbarium and an expert on lichens, led two fantastic Lichenology workshops in March. These workshops offered a chance to explore the colorful, cryptic, and often-overlooked world of lichens. Lichens are a partnership between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. They come in an incredible range of forms and colors and are important parts of many ecosystems. However, their biology, diversity, and distribution are still not fully understood as there are only a small number of experts in the field, leaving many species unclassified or poorly documented. This made learning from Caleb even more valuable, as we gained the skills to better understand and appreciate these unique organisms.

During the workshops, we used dissecting scopes, chemical tests, and dichotomous keys to identify a wide range of lichens native to our area. Caleb guided us in observing lichens through the lens of a lichenologist, helping us to recognize characteristics that often go unnoticed. The hands-on experience helped us develop a deeper understanding of the traits of different lichen species and how to distinguish between them.

Many of us left with a newfound appreciation for the diversity and biology of lichens, which are often hidden in plain sight right in our own backyards. After this workshop, we will all see the world around us in a little more detail.

Sheena Parsons, KU Field Station Manager, was invited to appear on the PBS series Inspire, alongside Bluebird Taylor-McKown, Naturalist Supervisor at the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center. Inspire is a PBS series produced by KTWU that showcases the stories of women making meaningful contributions in various fields, and explores important issues facing women today. With hosts Betty Lou Pardue, Danielle Norwood, Amy Kelly, Amber Dickinson, and Leslie Fleuranges, the show celebrates the accomplishments of women both locally and on a national scale.

In this episode, Connecting with Nature, the discussion centered on the benefits of stepping away from technology and immersing ourselves in the natural world. Sheena did a fantastic job sharing some the ways people can engage with and learn from nature at our field station. 

After the episode was filmed, Bluebird and Inspire hosts Betty Lou and Amy visited the KU Field Station to join the "here-ing the seasons: spring" walk to welcome the new season (picture 2). We feel lucky to be able to share the beauty of our field station with passionate women like these and to see our community grow and strengthen.

The episode aired on Thursday, March 27, and is available to watch here.

We celebrated the arrival of spring with intention and connection to the land, sharing the first “𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦-𝘪𝘯𝘨 the seasons” walk of 2025 in the company of community. We walked the labyrinth, taking time to notice the world around us. We listened to the wind in the grasses, touched feathery yarrow leaves emerging from the soil, and watched the light shifting across the landscape. After contributing our steps to the path, we continued the 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦-𝘪𝘯𝘨 tradition of enjoying prairie tea together as another way to connect with this place and each other. This time, the tea was made from freshly picked wild bergamot and dried anise hyssop. Before leaving, we each wrote down a word that resonated with us from the experience. Some of the words shared were: immersive, meditative, peace, joy, community, and curiosity.

Throughout 2025, we will return to the labyrinth at each equinox and solstice to welcome the new season. We hope you will join us for the next walk in June!

This month's Wild Wednesdays with the Phoenix Collective homeschooling group focused on geology! Andy Connolly, Science Communications Specialist with the Kansas Geological Society, joined us to explore rocks, minerals, fossils, and Earth's history.

Students examined various minerals and rocks while learning about the rock cycle and played a game that simulated how rarely animals become fossils. Taking on the roles of ancient species from the Western Interior Seaway during the Cenozoic, they gained a deeper understanding of when and how fossilization occurs.

To bring the geological timescale to life, students used a measuring tape stretched across the lawn to represent Earth's 4.6-billion-year history. They placed flags where they thought different forms of life first appeared. Many were surprised to see how recently dinosaurs roamed the planet and how short a time humans have existed. Seeing Earth's deep past laid out in physical space made a big impression.

Older students analyzed fossils from Kansas' past to determine how Kansas looked during different periods, including the Pennsylvanian tropical swamps, the Permian inland seas, the Mesozoic expanding seaways, and the Cenozoic transition to grasslands. They also worked to identify a mystery skull, using its characteristics and comparisons to modern species. The big reveal was exciting because many correctly guessed it belonged to a baby mammoth!

It was a fantastic day of hands-on learning and discovery. Thank you, Andy!

Not on social media? No problem.

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

🐍 We love teachable moments like these! 👀

The Kansas Geological Survey’s Paleocamp visited us over spring break, and we were incredibly lucky to spot this beautiful copperhead soaking up the sun after a long winter’s rest. She stayed completely still, trusting her camouflage to keep her hidden, while we talked about her identifying characteristics, adaptations, and how to safely share space with venomous snakes. A perfect reminder that with awareness and respect, we can coexist with even our most misunderstood neighbors.

Featuring: Eastern Copperhead (𝘈𝘨𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘹)

📷 Group photo by Andy Connolly, Kansas Geological Survey

The prairie that holds the inner ear of the 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦-𝘪𝘯𝘨 labyrinth is refreshed and ready for spring! 🔥🌱

Prescribed burns like this support native plants, control invasive species, and improve wildlife habitat. One of the biggest threats to prairies are Eastern Red Cedars, so much so that their spread is considered part of a “green glacier,” where shrubs and trees are overtaking one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Though native, these trees are opportunistic, fast-growing, and can quickly overwhelm a prairie without frequent disturbance. When cedars are under 3 feet tall, fire is an incredibly effective way to reset the clock and slow their spread. This burn cleared out many small trees creeping in from the wooded edges.

The thick layers of old plant growth have been recycled into nutrients, enriching the soil and making way for fresh prairie growth. If you visit in the coming weeks, you will see all kinds of new life emerging from the ashes! 🌿✨

🔥 Looking for a new podcast? Check out the Kansas Canopy Podcast by the Kansas Forest Service!

February's episode is all about the 2023 prescribed burn at Rice Woodlands, including the importance of reintroducing fire to this ecosystem, the partnerships and planning that made it possible, and the positive effects the burn will have on the health of the woodland.

Listen as KU Field Station Manager Sheena Parsons, Northeast Rural District Forester EJ Jamison, and Northeast District Fire Management Officer Bryce Haverkamp share their insights as fire practitioners and experiences from the fire line.

🎧 Tune in to learn more about the role of fire in healthy forests!

Find the Kansas Canopy Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or click the link to listen to this episode on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ToYspzOlFO1Ti3L7VT9Uq

☀️ Good morning, Prairie! ☀️

Featuring: Field pussytoes (𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢)

We enjoyed a beautiful evening in the woods last week during the Bark, Buds, and Branches Woodland Walk with Helen Alexander and EJ Jamison! ☀️🌳❄️

We took a close look at bark patterns, bud arrangements, and branching structures to identify trees without relying on their leaves. Thanks to everyone who joined us, and to EJ and Helen for sharing their expertise!

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.