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.

Join the Spencer Museum of Art and the KU Field Station for the premiere of a documentary tracing the creation of Janine Antoni’s walking labyrinth “here-ing.” You are invited to walk the here-ing path starting at 6 p.m., and the outdoor screening will begin at 7 p.m. at the Roth Trailhead. Please bring blankets or camp chairs for seating. If walking the path, closed-toe shoes, long pants, and bug spray are recommended. Light refreshments will be provided.

When: Friday, October 4 from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Where: Roth Trailhead, 2055 E 1600 Rd, Lawrence, KS 66044

What to bring: water bottle, closed-toe shoes, long pants, bug spray, sun protection, blanket or camp chair

The weather looks great for Friday evening, but in the event of inclement weather, the screening will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Rd, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Join us for the first public Visitors' Day in over 20 years to tour the restricted-access research areas of the KU Field Station!

Members of the public will be welcomed "behind-the-scenes" at the KU Field Station to visit ongoing research projects in areas that are not normally accessible to the public. Stations will be set up along a ¾ mile gravel "Research Road" that travels from the Armitage Education Center to the Frank B. Cross Reservoir. Visitors will be able to walk at their own pace and talk with researchers who will be stationed along the road, ready to share their work with visitors.

Feel free to walk the entire road, or just part way. It's up to you! Locally grown teas from native plants will be available to keep you refreshed and hydrated along the way.

Limited edition 75th anniversary merchandise will be available while supplies last!

When: Saturday, October 5, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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

What to bring: Water bottle, sun protection, and shoes made for walkin'!

As of today, the weather looks gorgeous for Saturday! If the forecast changes, please check our Facebook or Instagram for weather updates.

October Topic: Restoring the Land at Haskell Indian Nations University

Restoring an ecosystem is a complex challenge, especially when it has been neglected for decades. How do you even know where, or how, to begin? Courtney King, Lab & Field Research Assistant and Greenhouse Manager at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) will share her experiences of rallying the community to help steward the woodlands, wetlands, and prairies at HINU back to health. From battling dense stands of non-native species to reintroducing and reconnecting Indigenous Peoples with traditional plant species, Courtney will highlight the highs and lows of restoration work, and why persistence is key to revitalizing these lands. 

When: Sunday, October 13 at 2 p.m.

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!

Did You Know? 

Nearly 42% of the prairie in Douglas County has been lost to development and agricultural practices in just the last 25 years. The KU Field Station is one of the few remaining places in the county where residents can engage with this vital part of our natural and cultural heritage. Together, we can care for the remaining grasslands through intentional stewardship, while also strengthening our community ties.

Join us for a two-part workshop aimed at revitalizing a public prairie and empowering community members to use fire as a tool for land stewardship.

Why Attend? 

Learn: Participate in the Burn Workshop to understand the significance and techniques of “good fire” and how it benefits the land. 

Experience: Witness a Cultural Burn Demonstration and see firsthand how fire can rejuvenate natural landscapes. 

Contribute: Join fellow community members in a shared effort to restore and preserve prairie ecosystems.

Who Can Attend?

These workshops are open to any adult, with any level of land stewardship experience. Participation in the Community Burn Workshop is strongly encouraged for those wishing to attend the Cultural Burn Demonstration, as priority for participation during the burn will be given to those who attended the workshop.

Part 1: Community Burn Workshop

When: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, 2024                                       

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

*Test fire during the workshop is weather permitting.

Part 2: Cultural Burn Demonstration 

When: 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 2, 2024 (weather permitting)

Where: Roth Trailhead, here-ing labyrinth, 2055 E 1600 Road, Lawrence, KS 66044

If you are interested in participating, please email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu) to be added to the email list. An online registration form will be shared as soon as it is available.

Join us in honoring our land and heritage. Let's grow together! Funded in part by Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council. 

It's time for the fall guided tour of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve, one of the best representations of eastern deciduous forest in Kansas!

The Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve is a tract 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.

Ecologists from the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and the Kansas Forest Service will lead small groups into the Forest Legacy Preserve, part of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve. Tour leaders will share their knowledge about this sensitive ecosystem with a focus on plant and animal life. Participants should expect to walk two miles at a slow pace on uneven and undeveloped forest trails.

When: Sunday, October 27, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Where: Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve

What to bring: sturdy, closed-toe shoes, water bottle, long pants. 

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

Outdoor programs are dependent on the weather, and may cancelled or rescheduled due to windy or rainy conditions. More details, including directions and where to park will be emailed to registrants before the event.

Classes are back in session, and with that comes the excitement of welcoming new students to the field station for their very first visit!

We are starting a new series of social media and newsletter posts called "Community Spotlight." We’re excited to shine a light on the dynamic community and connections that make our field station so special. From the plants and animals to the researchers and visitors, everyone plays a role in the story of this place, and we want to share those stories with you. 

It’s the connections formed between people, plants, animals, and wild spaces that keep people coming back time and again. These posts will highlight the unique voices, experiences, and wildlife that make our field station a truly wonderful place to be.

🌿✨ Community Spotlight: Meet a Researcher! ✨🌿

Remember Laura Podzikowsi? She has completed her PhD and is now a postdoctoral researcher!

Laura chose KU because of the unique research potential at the KU Field Station. She says, "If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life, and that’s what field stations are to me. Field stations are what science should feel like. It doesn't feel like work; it’s community, it's connection, and it's collaboration."

Building on her dissertation research, Laura is exploring key questions about soil and carbon storage to deepen our understanding of carbon cycling and quantify the role of prairies in mitigating climate change. She’s investigating whether deep-rooting plants create pathways for carbon to be stored deeper in the soil, how root structures affect soil aggregates (clumps), and how these aggregates influence carbon distribution throughout the soil. This week, Laura and her team harvested 960 soil cores from experimental plots with different plant communities for analysis.

Rather than focusing on a single species in a lab, Laura studies entire plant communities at the field station. By examining how plant communities and traits, like nitrogen fixation in legumes, affect carbon storage, she hopes her findings will guide prairie restoration efforts to promote communities with the greatest potential for carbon storage.

It’s so exciting to see people like Laura find their niche at the field station and thrive in their research! We can't wait to see what she tackles next!

(A postdoctoral researcher, or "postdoc," is someone who has completed their PhD and is conducting advanced research to gain expertise, lead studies, mentor students, and explore career opportunities in academia, industry, or research.)

A wonderful group of creative and curious minds gathered for a workshop to explore the world of natural dyes with Mary Anne Jordan, a KU Visual Arts professor. Together, we harvested fresh indigo leaves and experimented with the stunning blue-green dye from the leaves as well as the deep blue created by an indigo vat. Fresh marigold and cosmos flowers yielded a vibrant orange hue. We love it when science and art come together!

Not on social media? No problem.

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

The cicadas sure are poppin' lately! 🎶🦗

This Dog-day Cicada (Neotibicen canicularis), named after the dog days of summer, synchronizes its high-pitched whining song with others to form a constant thrum on these late summer days.

🛶 Ending the week with a splash! 🌊

A big thank you to everyone who joined us to collect seeds last night! 🌱 ☀️

These seeds will help restore a field of Johnsongrass back to the prairie it once was. We couldn't do it without your help! 💪🐝💚

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 persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective 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 (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

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