Harvesting invasive species like autumn olives or carp is a great way to learn about the woods and rivers close to home, and to realize that our interaction with these local ecosystems matters. KCUR put together this intro to edible invasive species.
The blues and pinks of the spiderwort are a welcome sight in prairies this time of year, something well worth finding. While you’re there, look for starry eyed grass, wild hyacinth and the beginning of oxeye daisies and more.
Greg Kramos / USFWS
Because lesser prairie chickens need extensive tracts of open, well-managed prairie to survive in a state where 97% of land is privately owned, its fate is largely in the hands of ranchers.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Douglas County commissioners voted Wednesday to approve revisions to local wind energy regulations.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Baker University student protesters made it clear Monday that the potential sale of wet prairie lands near the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center will not fly with them.
As Douglas County commissioners will consider approving draft wind energy regulations on Wednesday, the local health department’s research shows the only “definite” public health impact of wind farms is annoyance.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
A year has passed since the remnant prairie at Prairie Park Nature Center was errantly sprayed with herbicides. Lawrence community members can visit the site and help restore nearby prairie during upcoming workdays.
Even though woods are closing in as oaks and hickories are unfurling new leaves, there are still some woodland wildflowers surprises to be found, such as this showy orchid, found adjacent to an eastern Kansas creek’s rich soil.
A juggernaut unleashed by humans is grinding slowly across the Great Plains, burying some of the most threatened habitat on the planet beneath dense junipers and shrubland.
Ann Dean/Contributed Photo
Monarch Watch’s free spring open house is coming up, but until then, plenty of pollinator-friendly plants are available for purchase through the organization’s annual online fundraiser.
