Our Mission, Vision, and Initiatives

MISSION

The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains cultivates transformative relationships between people and the land.

VISION

To support the Dyck Arboretum mission, our vision statement has the following four elements:

Education – Introduce people to the native landscapes of Kansas, promote ecological diversity, encourage citizen science, and re-connect people to nature through science, history, anthropology and philosophy.

Community – Enable people to find a sense of place, encourage empathy for a diversity of people and organisms, and create both active and passive community engagement experiences.

Arts – Be a source of diverse educational experiences through the visual and auditory arts that provide innovative and creative pathways to help people connect to our mission.

Organizational Sustainability – Model sustainable management of staff, infrastructure and finances, for long-term health of the Arboretum.

INITIATIVES

The principal initiatives that help us carry out our vision include prairie conservation and native/adaptable plant landscaping, maintained gardens with contemplative spaces, spring and fall FloraKansas native plant festivals, tours of the Arboretum, visits to important locations in Kansas, landscaping classes and private landscaping consultations, a winter lecture series, a spring education symposium, school field trips, and our Kansas Earth Partnership for Schools Program. Other initiatives that introduce new people to our mission, develop relationships in community, and help us establish a sense of place here at Dyck Arboretum include our Prairie Window Concert Series, Winter Luminary Walk, Go Green Leprechaun Run, visual art displays, a gift shop, and rental of our facilities and grounds.

“When I first started seeing the prairie, it was like seeing a crowd of strangers. But now I know a few faces in the crowd, and it has changed my whole experience and perception of the prairie.”

Lorna Harder, Co-author of Growing Native Wildflowers