Growing future gardeners through Earth Partnership for Schools

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Scott Vogt

This week, is National Public Gardens Week. All week we are celebrating, with other public gardens around the country, the unique role botanical gardens and arboreta have in our communities and neighborhoods.

In the last month we have been preparing for and hosting many different events and celebrations, including our spring FloraKansas Native Plant Festival, during which we sold over 15,000 plants. During graduation weekend, there were several graduation receptions and parties, and in the next two weeks we will host four weddings, a college alumni luncheon and the Kansas Native Plant Society board meeting.

We are happy to be part of this community. Your support helps us fulfill our mission to cultivate transformative relationships between people and the land. We are truly grateful.

Over the past several weeks, I have been reflecting on how/why I got into this crazy world of horticulture. I think it started by working in the vegetable garden and then planting trees around our family farm. Like most teenagers, I grumbled, but at some level I enjoyed it. I had the opportunity to get my hands dirty and establish plants that I watched grow and mature. It started simply, with a little curiosity and enjoyment of being in nature.

The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) program takes the same approach. Through the training of teachers, we are able to introduce generations of students to the wonders of prairie plants and the pollinators and wildlife they attract. Children are naturally curious and these school prairie gardens are an oasis and teaching tool in science, math, music, art, biology and so much more.

For many of these students, these prairie gardens may provide the first opportunity for them to plant a plant or watch a monarch butterfly on their milkweeds. These students are the next generation of land stewards. The more they understand and appreciate the land, the more they will be able to care for and protect it for future generations.

*Fourth graders at Sunset Elementary in Newton, Kansas, investigate a common milkweed plant for monarch caterpillars.*

We believe the EPS program, which is celebrating its thirteenth year in 2019, is vitally important in shaping future leaders who are aware of and connected to the natural world around them.

As part of our membership in the American Public Gardens Association, we have the unique opportunity to participate in a one-week-long, flash fundraising campaign, called the MYGARDEN campaign. We are seeking funding support for the upcoming EPS summer institute. This year we are hosting over 30 teachers from 12 schools. Help fund their participation in this inspiring week of training. To date, over 40,000 Kansas students have been impacted by the EPS program. Your gift will have an impact now and into the future as more children become stewards of the land.

Kansas – A Rich Heritage of Environmental Education

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Brad Guhr

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Photo by Brad Guhr.

The prairie is central to our environmental education in Kansas (Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, KS).

It is Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) summer institute time again at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. For the 10th year in a row, we are hosting teachers from around South Central Kansas for a week to learn about, plan, practice, and celebrate the environmental education process of teaching students about natural and cultural history of the native Kansas prairie. This year’s EPS summer institute with its 33 teachers (our largest group ever), 482 years of collective teaching experience, and ample enthusiasm for providing prairie project-based, hands-on education for their students provides the perfect setting to be thinking about environmental education in Kansas.

I have taken a bit of time to inventory, categorize, and provide a brief description of the vast array of environmental education resources in Kansas. It turns out to be a pretty rich heritage indeed.

State-Sponsored

Our state-funded conservation entity Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism has a focus on just those things. They promote hunting, fishing, and camping opportunities throughout the state and connecting people with outdoors Kansas. Their long-running Outdoor Wildlife Laboratory Sites (OWLS) Program is a great promoter of establishing native wildlife habitat on school grounds.

Museums and Zoos

Exploration Place – This was a favorite end-of-summer destination for my boys when they were younger. They were first attracted to the blocks, climbing/play areas, and model train set, but eventually became hooked on the hands-on exhibits featuring wind currents, stream morphology, weather, and geology. The most memorable visit was when retrieving an errant mini golf shot led to three hours of getting wet and sandy in the Arkansas River under the watchful eye of the Keeper of the Plains.

Flint Hills Discovery Center – One of the newer facilities in Kansas that not only wonderfully interprets the natural and cultural history of the Kansas Flint Hills Prairie, but it is also an architectural and landscaping gem.

Kauffman Museum – A Museum of Mennonite Immigration and History in Kansas. They interpret the natural Kansas setting encountered in the 1870s, have a collection of wildlife in taxidermy, and the surrounding outdoor landscape features one of the oldest reconstructed prairies in Kansas. A good destination for school field trips and summer educational programming for youth.

The University of Kansas Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center – For more than 140 years, scientists and students have collected and studied life on Earth. The museum has more than 8 million specimens of plants and animals, including prehistoric and living species gathered from every continent and ocean.

Sternberg Museum of Natural History – Museum features include a replicated fossil dig site & a discovery room with hands-on activities. While I have not been there, I understand it features a great collection of marine and flying reptiles and fish fossils from the Cretaceous Era.

Sedgwick County Zoo – Accredited wildlife park and major attraction in Wichita that has become recognized both nationally and internationally for its support of conservation programs and successful breeding of rare and endangered species. Having over 2,500 animals of nearly 500 different species, this zoo ranks as the number one outdoor tourist attraction in Kansas. They also do a nice job of interpreting the native fauna of Kansas.

Sunset Zoo – City zoo of Manhattan is home to over 300 animals representing more than 100 species.

Tanganyika Wildlife Park – Family-friendly destination in Goddard where parkgoers have up-close, hands-on interaction with the animals.

Environmental Education /Nature Centers/Botanical Gardens/Arboreta

Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) – A statewide non-profit association of many public and private agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals promoting and providing quality, non-biased and science-based environmental education in Kansas for 45 years.

Chaplin Nature Center – A 230-acre nature preserve with four miles of hiking trails and environmental education for all ages along the Arkansas River near Arkansas City.

Dillon Nature Center – 100-acre park/arboretum with a pond opened in Hutchinson in 1994. The visitor center includes a nature display gallery with dioramas, interactive exhibits and live reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Great Plains Nature Center – Experience 240-acre Chisholm Creek Park via 2 miles of accessible trails through wetlands, prairie, and riparian habitats. The visitor center has dioramas that feature Great Plains ecosystems including their plants and wildlife.

Konza Environmental Education Program – 8,600 acres of rolling hills marked with flint and limestone dominate the landscapes around Manhattan KS. The Kansas State University Biology Department conducts prairie research here and The Nature Conservancy owns the land. Trained docents will lead your group in an activity that highlights the biology, geology, ecology, and history of the tallgrass prairie.

Botanica – The Gardens are decorated with a collection of 20 elegant sculptures, flowing streams, fountains and waterfalls that complement the beauty of plants and that create a visually stunning atmosphere. Facility rentals as well as educational, artistic, and cultural experiences are plentiful.

Bartlett Arboretum – This 105 year-old botanical gem features state champion trees, picturesque views of waterways, bridge and pergola architecture, a quaint location for an outdoor wedding, art classes, a tulip festival and an outdoor concert series.

Dyck Arboretum of the Plains – 28 acres established in 1981 in Hesston featuring hundreds of species of native and adaptable wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees. Whether planted with horticultural intention or as prairie-based ecosystems, Kansas native plants are promoted here in ways pleasing to both people and pollinators. Pay a visit if you are looking for scenic facility rentals, recreation, environmental landscaping, ecological restoration, Great Plains seminars, environmental education for teachers, and an acoustic music concert series.

Conservation/Specialized Education

Audubon of Kansas – Promotes appreciation and stewardship of ecosystems in Kansas and the heartland, with emphasis on conservation of birds, wildlife, prairies and other habitats.

Kansas Land Trust – By crafting customized conservation agreements with landowners, KLT helps permanently protect Kansas lands of ecological or agricultural importance and of historic, scenic, and recreational merit.

The Nature Conservancy of Kansas – The leading conservation organization working to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Areas of current focus in Kansas include the Flint Hills, Red Hills, Osage Cuestas and Cheyenne Bottoms.

Kansas Herpetological Society – Encourages conservation, scholarship, research, cooperation, and dissemination of scientific information regarding the herpetofauna of Kansas.

Kansas Native Plant Society – Encourages awareness and appreciation of the native plants of Kansas in their habitats and in our landscapes by promoting education, stewardship, and scientific knowledge.

Kansas Ornithological Society – A statewide organization devoted specifically to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of birds. Collectively, the KOS has unrivaled knowledge about the status, distribution, ecology, and identification of the state’s avifauna.

Research

Kansas Biological Survey – A University of Kansas research center of natural sciences research, environmental mapping, conservation and education. Scientists work with graduate and undergraduate students, as well as visiting scholars on research covering water, air and soil quality; land use; threatened and endangered species; global change biology; environmental engineering; and aquatic ecology and watersheds.

Teacher Groups

Kansas Association of Teachers of Science (KATS) – KATS shares ideas and techniques for teaching science education to Kansas students.

Kansas Association of Biology Teachers (KABT) – Current and former educators interested in advancing the practice of science teaching within and beyond the borders of the state of Kansas.

Natural Areas

Natural areas rich with flora and fauna can be found around the state featuring prairie and wetland ecosystems. In southwestern Kansas, the Cimmaron National Grassland features shortgrass prairie. Tallgrass prairie is featured in the Flint Hills at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Maxwell Wildlife Refuge features Smoky Hills mixedgrass prairie and herds of bison and elk. Marshes critically important in the Great Plains Flyway include the rare inland salt marshes at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest interior marsh in the United States.

Now get out there and find and engage with these great environmental education resources in Kansas!

The Power of Many

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Brad Guhr

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller

Consider the power of one vs. the power of many. The power of one may at first seem insignificant. However, with persistence, consensus-building, and sometimes even a little luck, that power can grow to many and build to a formidable presence.

A few examples of this in nature…

From one seed, a typical annual sunflower head produces hundreds and sometimes over 1,000 seeds depending on the species variety. A few plants in an area with open soil can quickly turn into an area dominated by this species over the next couple of years.

One Canada goose only has so much energy to give while covering miles during migration to fight wind currents and arrive at its intended destination. But by flocking into a V formation in flight, each individual rotates through the more energy-intensive front position in a cyclical fashion, shares overall flight fatigue, and greatly boosts the efficiency and range of the whole.

Eurasian_Cranes_migrating_to_Meyghan_Salt_Lake

Photo by Hamid Hajihusseini – http://www.panoramio.com/photo/43585282

One by one, individual plants of hundreds of species of wildflowers and grasses took advantage of a favorable climate on the Great Plains after the last ice age 10,000 years ago. They extended their roots to a depth of 10 feet or more, produced flowers and distributed seeds, and filled new spaces as long-lived perennials. Prairie plant roots partially died and regenerated year after year after year, and in the process pumped loads of atmospheric carbon into a deep soil horizon, and created a long-lasting friable matrix that today helps produce food for the rest of the world.

While pondering these examples on a walk this morning, I tried to swat individual mosquitoes, only to be overwhelmed by the presence of a blood-thirsty mosquito CLOUD. I was reminded of the “success of many” concept in the book Gnats of Knotty Pine from my favorite children’s author, Bill Peet.

Last week, we finished our ninth annual Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) summer institute. We were joined by 21 educators for this intense 40-hour workshop to learn how to engage K-12 children in the preparation, creation, maintenance, study and enjoyment of schoolyard prairie gardens. These individuals came with energy, passion, a willingness to learn, and 287 years of experience and expertise. (side note: this group fittingly helped a volunteer weed a large bed in about five minutes and conducted a big planting in about 30 minutes that would have taken our grounds manager all day!)

As during previous EPS summer institutes, spending a week with these people was a blast – exhausting, yet energizing, and ever so powerful for all involved on so many levels. They will return to school in the fall with detailed action plans, an expanded toolbox of curriculum activities, and a new appreciation for the success of project-based, hands-on environmental education.

I’m sure you will agree that every individual teacher has the power on his or her own to impact the lives of so many young people. Together, this 2015 cohort has increased the number of EPS educators in Kansas to 194 teachers from 64 schools. These individuals, as a collective group, have reached over 21,000 students in the last eight years and that number will continue to grow.

I’ll leave you with one final question. Between the bison and the grasshopper (pre-European settlement era when the bison were still common), which organism as a whole consumed more prairie biomass in a given year? I think you know where this is going…

Winter Dreams of Prairie Gardens

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Brad Guhr

ThinkingMan2

We are near the longest nights of the year when your landscape is cold, brown, and sometimes snowy with few creatures stirring. But soon, if not already, you will be having visions of coneflowers and ground plums dancing in your head.

Since landscaping labor is not taking up your free time at the moment, now is the perfect time to be thinking about and planning the logistics of your spring or fall prairie garden.

Here are a few things you can be doing during the months of winter to prepare for your prairie garden:

Identify Desired Area

Identify the area you want to plant and measure the square footage. With a generally recommended planting rate of one plant/2-4 sq. ft., knowing your planting area will allow you to estimate the number of plants you need and help establish a budget (~$4/plant).

Install Edging

Edging around your prairie garden is not only aesthetically pleasing, but functionally critical to establish where you should stop weeding and start mowing. Garden center options include plastic, metal, wood, or brick, but my favorite is Kansas limestone. A good source in Central Kansas is the Florence Rock Quarry where I last acquired an inexpensive load for $20.50/ton.

Embedded limestone for a garden border.

Acquire Mulch

Mulch is essential to reduce water and nutrient competition for new prairie plants, reduce weeds, and slow soil moisture loss. Garden center mulch is always available in easy-to-transport bags but, you also have to pay for it. Many municipalities offer free self-serve mulch or a friendly request to a local tree-trimming contractor may get a pile delivered right to your desired location. A layer of newspaper under the mulch will give a bit more biodegradable weed protection in the first year.

Newspaper under mulch is a great first year weed barrier.

Plan for Bermuda Grass Eradication

Believe me, you don’t want it in your prairie garden. If your site gets plenty of sun you most likely have it; delay your planting till late summer so you can eradicate this species during its growing season. This is the one scenario for which I use herbicide and plan for two to three glyphosate treatments (e.g., Roundup) in the months of June-September to eliminate this very difficult-to-weed warm-season grass.

Killing Bermuda grass is essential before planting.

Hardscape Features

Water features and feeders attract wildlife, seating allows you to relax in your garden, and weatherproof artwork adds beauty.

Leopold Bench (http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/LeopoldEvents.shtml)

Petersen Elementary’s Artwork by Erin Dresher Dowell

Consider Sun Exposure and Other Notable Features

Sun exposure and notable features that affect soil moisture such as low spots or downspouts will affect your plant choices. Consider structures or tree canopies that will block sunlight anywhere from straight overhead to about 45 degrees off the southern horizon. Prairie plants can thrive with at least six hours of sunlight. With less sunlight you should consider more shade-tolerant woodland understory species. Water from downspouts will wash away mulch.

Consider the amount of sunlight your garden area receives (Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_altitude.svg)

Pick Plants

Peruse our Dyck Arboretum plant library and keep an eye out for our spring and fall plant sale lists. Have fun choosing the plants that fit your preferences with regard to season of bloom, flower color, height, dormant season texture and color, wildlife attraction, and more. See our website for further tips and ideas on landscaping with native plants.

Attention to these items in advance will make your native landscaping endeavor much more successful and enjoyable. Enjoy your winter planning during the darkest days of winter and signs of spring will be here before you know it!

Five Reasons We are Giving Thanks at the Arboretum

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Scott Vogt

November is a great time to reflect on the many blessings of the past year here at the arboretum. We are grateful for so many things. We enjoy serving you and serving with you to fulfill the mission of this organization, to promote through education and stewardship the conservation and use of plants native and adaptable to Kansas.

Though words cannot adequately express our appreciation and thankfulness, here are five reasons we are giving thanks this holiday season:

Generous Supporters – When I became director, I had no idea how many people there are who underwrite the work we do throughout the year. I have been amazed at the generosity of our supporters. Your financial gifts are not taken for granted. Each membership and each donation is accepted with much appreciation. I view your support as a partnership. Thank You!

Dedicated Volunteers – When people come along side us and give us their time and talent, it makes a difference. Volunteers are special people. Last year, volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours of valuable service to help us accomplish the work of the arboretum. We encourage volunteers to use their skills and interests to help in our valuable work. Volunteering is a great way to support our mission, as you share your experiences about this prairie garden with others, learn about plants, meet new people and serve our visitors. Thank You!

An Important Mission – Since its inception, the arboretum’s mission has been about the prairie. We are a prairie education facility that promotes stewardship and conservation. Advocating for plants that use less water, teaching children about the prairie and its many benefits, and hosting events that bring visitors to the arboretum are at the heart of our calling as an organization. Our core values have never been more important in the world.

Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) – This signature arboretum program has impacted over 21,000 students, 173 teachers from 58 schools over the past eight years. Thanks to the dedicated work of teachers, who were guided by our EPS staff, students are able to detach themselves from the daily distractions of technology, slow down and observe the beauty of the prairie. This program perfectly fits our mission and is having a positive impact on students in Kansas.

A Successful Year – All the reasons above and many more have helped the arboretum continue to grow this year. Our goal is to increase our influence, educate more people, and enhance the arboretum gardens and programs we offer throughout the year. We had one of our most successful years because of your efforts and support. THANK YOU!

Bonus Reason! Dedicated Staff – I am fortunate to lead a team who love the arboretum. These individuals strive daily to champion the mission of the arboretum and provide you with excellent programs and events. I wish you could see their diligence, hard work and passion. I am blessed to serve with them. Thanks Brad, Janelle, and Brett!

Take time to count your blessings. Be grateful for the good things you enjoy.

Make Your Favorite School an EPS School

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Brad Guhr

Kansas Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) has become a flagship program at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains since we received training from EPS founders at University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum in 2006. Over the last eight years, we have enjoyed helping 173 teachers form 58 Kansas schools pass along knowledge of the prairie to more than 21,000 K-12 students.

Here are five reasons why you should share this post with a teacher or administrator and make your favorite local school an EPS school:

1. Kids thrive on outdoor, hands-on, project-based learning.

When students get the chance to learn by doing and are asked to solve a problem in an inquiry based way, not only do they learn and retain concepts more effectively, but they also have fun in the process.

2. Improve student health and environmental literacy.

Literature and studies show that each successive generation of students is becoming less connected to natural surroundings, more sedentary and more affected by real world problems, including attention deficit disorder and childhood obesity. The EPS Program helps schools address these problems.

3. Add environmentally-friendly landscaping, biological diversity and aesthetic interest to school grounds with prairie garden learning laboratories.

Once established, native plants survive, and often thrive, without irrigation, chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. They attract a host of insect pollinators and other wildlife too. Prairie gardens also give students outdoor laboratories where all subjects of a school’s curriculum can be enhanced.

4. Teacher training can be fun!

The EPS summer and winter teacher institute evaluations have clearly and consistently expressed that this Dyck Arboretum program gives teachers some of the most enriching, meaningful and enjoyable teacher training available today. And thanks to grant funding from generous donors, we have been able to provide this program with all of its follow-up support to teachers AT NO CHARGE.

5. Meet objectives of Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.

The new uniform national performance standards in schools are a reality for teachers and administrators, and the EPS curriculum has been fully correlated to these standards to give teachers a full toolbox of hands-on curriculum activities with which to work.

Tell your favorite teacher to check our website and put the next EPS Summer Institute on the calendar! If you have questions, or would like to schedule an in-service to learn more about EPS, please use our contact form, or call our office and ask for Brad.