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UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS FIELD STATION
Kansas Biological Survey &
Center for Ecological Research
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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.
Newsletter archives can be found at https://biosurvey.ku.edu/ku-field-station-newsletter.
Please email wendyholman@ku.edu if you have questions or would like more information.
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A Note from the KU Field Station
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One Day. One KU. has been rescheduled to next week. Please, save the NEW date!
On March 6, the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research is participating in One Day. One KU. — KU's 24-hour day of giving — and has designated the KU Field Station trail system as recipient of the donations generated during the campaign. Your gifts through One Day. One KU. on March 6 will help us maintain and expand the KU Field Station’s public trail system, a favorite hiking spot for KU students and the broader community. Improvements to the trails will support our growing public and K-12 education programs, providing greater accessibility to the ecosystems of Northeast Kansas for people of all ages.
We are excited to announce that your generosity during this 24-hour giving event will go toward supporting the development of the first PUBLIC trail at the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve! This new trail will lead visitors through the Rice Woodlands, an 80-acre tract of stunning eastern deciduous woodland teeming with biodiversity. From spring wildflowers to towering oaks, and fantastic birding to the chance of flying squirrels, the trail will offer something for everyone. Until now, this area has only been accessible through guided tours, making this new trail a significant step toward making the magic of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve more accessible to our broader community. We can't wait!
For more information, please visit the official One Day. One KU. page for the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research. On this page, you can make gifts directly to the Friends of the KU Field Station, or help us unlock a $1000 matching challenge by contributing to Dr. Ed Martinko's KU Field Station Trail System Challenge.
Every little bit helps!
Thank you for your continued support!
~ KU Field Station Staff
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March 10: Introduction to Kansas Mosses
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Join Brad Williamson, retired educator and avid bryophyte enthusiast, to gain essential skills and strategies for moss identification. Using hand lenses and local moss samples, this indoor workshop will equip you with the necessary skills to enter into the fascinating world of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts).
Despite their ancient origins and small stature, bryophytes continue to thrive in varied habitats and are among the most successful plants on Earth. These little plants are often overlooked due to their small size and lack of vascular tissues, but they still have fascinating stories to tell. Shortly after becoming interested in mosses, Brad realized that there are no true bryophyte experts remaining in Kansas. This deficit of local expertise provides a great opportunity for hobbyists to take the lead and help the public develop a deeper appreciation of our moss communities. This workshop is a great place to start!
Space is limited to 20 people, so register today!
To register: email wendyholman@ku.edu
When: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 10th
Where: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, KS 66044
What to bring: A mug for a hot drink to help us reduce waste; a 10x hand lens (optional; you can borrow one from us); a cell phone that can take photos.
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March 24: Science Sundays
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Science Sundays talks cover a variety of science topics, including research happening at the 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! Please RSVP to Wendy Holman (wendyholman@ku.edu) as registration will be capped at 40 each month. It also helps us plan for seating and snacks!
March Topic: Bats: Diversity, Behavior, and Ecology
Discover the fascinating world of bats with Danny Ibanez, a KU mammalogy graduate student and bat enthusiast! Did you know that bats make up 1/5 of all mammal species globally, and contribute three billion dollars annually to agriculture? Despite their economic and ecological importance, bats are declining worldwide, and North American populations face severe threats from land use changes to a devastating fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome. Join Danny to explore the remarkable diversity of bats, both globally and in Kansas. Danny will discuss their unique behaviors, their vital ecological roles, and will share museum specimens up-close, revealing the often-unseen world of these nocturnal mammals.
When: 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 24, 2023
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.
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March: Volunteer Opportunities
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Project FeederWatch: Count Wintering Birds for Science!
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You're invited to FeederWatch Wednesdays (and Thursdays)!
Are you retired? Do you work from home? Do you have a flexible schedule and can work anywhere with an internet connection? Are you a birder, or just interested in learning more about birds? Come join us to count the birds that visit our feeders from the field station living room while you enjoy the cozy fireplace and a hot drink!
This is an open invite, but please let Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu) know you're coming so we can make sure the count is happening and the coffee is hot! Some counts may be rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts and staff are not always onsite.
For more information about Project FeederWatch, visit feederwatch.org.
When: Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30-10:30am, November - April; pending availability of bird counters.
Where: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044
- Please email Wendy (wendyholman@ku.edu) if you need directions!
What to Bring: Binoculars (if you have them)
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Environs KU, a long-standing student-led environmental advocacy group, have been volunteering their weekend mornings throughout the cooler months to help improve the accessibility of our public trail system. Armed with loppers and accompanied by Nathaniel (assistant operations manager at the KU Field Station) with a chainsaw, they have been cutting back overgrown vegetation and removing fallen trees. They just completed opening up the final section of the Quarry Trail, meaning they have officially helped make ALL of the public trails in the Fitch Natural History Reservation more accessible to our community!
If you see any of them while you are out enjoying the trails, thank them for their hard work!
Next up: The Roth Trail!
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Friends, new and old, came together to help give some much needed attention to a post-agricultural field that is completely overrun with Johnsongrass, a noxious weed, in the Suzanne Ecke McColl Nature Reserve. The middle ear of the here-ing labyrinth, an environmentally embedded artwork by Janine Antoni, winds through this field. This immersive artwork connects people with the landscape and uses restoration practices to promote a healthier ecosystem.
Non-native species management is complicated, and there is no "one-size fits all" approach. We are using mixed management strategies to transition this field into supporting a more natural and diverse community of prairie plants, and it will take several years. The early stage restoration of this particular field includes herbicide application, tilling, and reintroduction of native seeds. Once established, Johnsongrass has an elaborate underground network of rhizomes that allow it to easily outcompete native species. Tilling breaks up the Johnsongrass rhizomes, but if left in place, each of these rhizomes could end up growing new plants and worsening the problem.
An enthusiastic group of volunteers joined us to handpick sections of rhizomes to help minimize the number of surviving Johnsongrass plants, preparing the area for the native species we will sow in its place. Just as we were getting started, a windy cold front moved in. The temperature dropped ~35 degrees Fahrenheit while we worked, so we were grateful for the happy conversations that helped distract us from the cold as we filled buckets with rhizomes. Restoration is a process, and it is so much better with our community alongside us!
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Sheena Parsons, station manager of the KU Field Station, spoke to a full house at Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop during Tree Talks, presented by Lawrence Arborists. Sheena shared her experiences with the re-introduction of fire to the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve. It was powerful to hear and feel the crowd respond to Sheena's story of stewardship and community collaboration centered around these woodlands. We feel fortunate to be stewards of this remarkable place and grateful for the opportunity to share its magic with a growing audience.
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The response to the Introduction to Kansas Mosses workshops, led by Brad Williamson, a retired educator and bryophyte enthusiast, was really exciting. We were initially unsure if a workshop focused on mosses would draw interest, so we were pleasantly surprised when it reached full capacity within hours of being advertised. Brad graciously agreed to lead a second workshop for those who couldn't secure a spot in the first, and once again, it filled up within hours. We are so happy to see non-vascular plants getting the interest they deserve, and can't wait to run into some of the budding new bryophyte lovers along a mossy trail!
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We love cross-campus collaborations, and it is always fun when groups from different departments join us for educational prescribed burns. Students enrolled in EVRN 420, Care Practices: Restorative Ecology, Community, and Self, taught by professors Megan Kaminski and Peggy Schultz, helped burn a site directly behind the Armitage Education Center. This burn was part of the restoration plan for a future teaching prairie, which will help K-12 students learn about our native ecosystems. Members of the KU Grounds team also came to learn about using fire as a sustainable management practice and practiced skills that will allow them to continue their efforts to make campus a more sustainable and wildlife-friendly environment.
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Not on social media? No problem.
Here are a few of our favorite photos from the past month.
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🌱 Spring ephemeral wildflowers are waking up at Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve! 🌱
Featuring: False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum)
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 It's Wildfire Awareness Week in Kansas!
Did you know that one of the ways that you can help prevent wildfires is by using prescribed fire? Using intentional fire helps eliminate fuel build up AND many of our native prairie species are fire adapted so that warmth and access to sunshine can be the nudge they need to start growing!
Everyone has a role to play on the fire line. Before fire touches the ground, each person is assigned a job. A well-coordinated team in constant communication is critical to ensuring the safety of everyone involved.
Let's break down their responsibilities, from front to back:
Liam is lighting using a drip torch. He must maintain communication with the team on the opposite side of the burn to ensure both sides progress at the same pace. This coordination is important for controlling the fire's spread.
Sheena is supervising this training burn. As the most experienced person on the line, she is watching fire behavior and giving instructions to the team as needed. Being on the fire rig will allow her to respond quickly.
Eric is on primary suppression. His job is to put out fire using the hose to make sure that it carries into the burn unit and not into the fire break. Establishing a clean "black line" between the fire and the break minimizes the risk of fire escaping the burn unit.
Scott and Ben are on secondary suppression. They use rakes to manage smoldering piles along the burn line, ensuring they burn completely while maintaining the control line of the fire.
Ben is also demonstrating something really important - don't forget to look behind where you've been! Everyone on the line should keep tabs on the fire's behavior within the burn unit but also behind the team, ensuring that they are aware of any changes in fire dynamics downwind and can respond quickly to any issues.
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 A beautiful morning to build bee houses with the KU Beekeeping Club! 
These houses will become part of a pocket prairie on Jayhawk Boulevard, supporting our native bees and the other wildlife species that depend on them. Thank you for helping make our campus a better place for wildlife!
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 Students from Morning Song Forest School helped us count birds for Project FeederWatch this morning!
We spotted 63 birds from 13 different species visiting the feeders!
Swipe to see the evolution of extreme birding technique.
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 Stargazing with the Astronomy Associates of Lawrence
Featuring: A full moon; Jupiter and the four Galilean moons.
Did you know that Jupiter is orbited by ~92 moons? Its four largest moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto - were first observed by Galileo Galilei in 1610, and marked the first known celestial bodies to orbit another object, apart from the sun or Earth.
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Keep in touch with the KU Field Station!
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University of Kansas Field Station Mission:
To foster scholarly research, environmental education and science-based stewardship of natural resources.
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