Miss the Prairie Park Nature Center community conversation? Share your thoughts online

Lawrence community members have another chance to share their thoughts about Prairie Park Nature Center — and how to make it sustainable into the future.

The city hosted a community conversation on Sunday. Those who were unable to attend in person can fill out an online survey to share their thoughts, ideas and feedback.

The center was proposed to be cut in the city’s draft budget. However, city commissioners agreed with dozens of folks who asked them not to close the center, which currently provides free admission and offers some programming for free.

“When the nature center was first built, there wasn’t really an emphasis on revenue production. It was more, ‘Let’s get it up and running, and provide environmental education to the community,’” Marty Birrell, Prairie Park Nature Center director and naturalist, said last week. “Reality kicked in during the recession, of course, and the city began developing firmer revenue targets, which we were able to meet right up to 2019.”

In 2019, the center earned about $57,000, Birrell said, exceeding its revenue goals for that year. Then the pandemic decimated all of the center’s spring, summer and fall programming, and thus obliterated its earnings for 2020. Some small gains were made in 2021, but they were insignificant. 

The survey includes questions asking how often respondents attend the center, favorite programs and features, whether they’d be willing to pay $1, $2 or $3 for admission for adults or children, whether they’d be interested in purchasing an annual pass, whether they’d support businesses that sponsor the center and more.

Those who are interested can fill out the survey at lawrenceks.org/lprd/survey1/. Paper copies of the survey are available at all Parks and Rec facilities.

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