Upcoming Events

Event Information:

  • Tue
    04
    Oct
    2016

    Native Plants of Jerry Smith Park

    6:45 pmAnita Gorman Discovery Center

    Tuesday, October 4 at 6:45pm at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center auditorium. Kansas City Wildlands with support from Burroughs Audubon and The Westport Garden Club through Garden Club of America have sponsored several botany studies at KC Wildlands site, Jerry Smith Park. Jerry Smith Park is the only known, unplowed prairie left in Jackson County and is maintained by Kansas City Wildlands and KCMO Parks and Rec. Justin Thomas and his team have surveyed this last remnant for an inventory of plant species.

    The prairie once covered vast areas of North America and is now one of the least preserved, most endangered ecosystems. Justin Thomas has over 17 years of botanical field work divided between The Nature Conservancy, Missouri Department of Conservation, the National Park Service, Dunn-Palmer Herbarium, William Sherman Turrell Herbarium, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Learn about the prairie plant community in Missouri and what we have preserved in Kansas City.

    Also of interest, Mike Arduser will be presenting the results of his bee survey of Jerry Smith Park and Rocky Point Glad on Tuesday, November 1 at 6:45pm at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center.