Volunteers spent Wednesday helping plant native plant species at Midco Prairie, a project designed to bring prairie, wetland and woodland habitats into downtown Lawrence.
Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, which is developing the site at 210 E. Seventh St., hosted the third public planting event. Courtney Masterson, ecologist and executive director, said the group plans to continue to host community workdays every other week, weather permitting, into the fall.
The goal is to turn the former parking lot into an accessible space where people can learn about native plants and participate in long-term stewardship.
Masterson described the project as a way to give residents access to native landscapes without needing a car or a trip out of town.
“We’re really excited about being able to provide this special taste to people,” she said.
Masterson said the park is intended to reflect the vegetation historically found in Douglas County while remaining walkable and accessible in the city.
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The workday included planting, weeding and mulching around young native plants. Masterson told volunteers that plants should be placed at the same level they were growing in their pots and that mulch should not be packed against the stems. She said the mulch is temporary and is meant to help hold moisture while the plants are establishing.
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The project will include low-growing native plants along the edges, with deeper-rooted species helping filter stormwater that runs in from the nearby alley and parking lot. Within the stone pathways, the organization plans to hold demonstrations in the gardens focused on plants used for food, medicine and dyes.
Masterson also said the site will eventually include mowed paths, a prairie boardwalk made from buried tree stumps, a bike rack, a bike repair station, and improved access for people using the bus or visiting on foot.
She said the park is expected to open to the public in late October, with additional community events planned this fall and more work continuing into the spring.
Marlowe Kastens, a native food specialist intern at Native Lands, said the project matters because it helps people connect with native ecosystems that are otherwise difficult to experience in town.
“I think it’s really important to build that relationship with the land,” Kastens said.
Volunteer Faith Kim said the work is important because it brings education and green space together in an area with heavy foot traffic.
The project is set to have around 4,000 native plants. Masterson said the site will include native dye and fiber plants such as purple milkweed, rattlesnake master, native indigo and alum, along with grasses and wildflowers like blue grama, sideoats grama, black-eyed Susans and Missouri evening primrose. She also said prairie sunflowers may be added to the center of the park later.
There are also plans to release a field guide for the park, with species lists and space for visitors to sketch or take notes. The guide should be available around the time of the park’s opening this fall.
Note: This article has been corrected from a previous version.
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Courtney Lane (she/her), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. She can be reached at [email protected].
Read her complete bio here. Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.
Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a recent graduate of Free State High School. He also served as a news photo editor for Free State’s student publication, where he worked as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.
