September 10-11, 2025 in Lawrence Kansas
Registration is full as of early August. Sorry.
Overview: Small remnant prairies in eastern Kansas host exceptional levels of plant diversity, and the combination of conservation and working lands create heterogeneity on the landscape, as well as opportunities and challenges for restoration. Local experts will share their knowledge of ethnobotany, plant ecology, biodiversity, microbiomes, fungi, and plant-soil feedback in the context of restoring grasslands. A field tour of the KU Field Station will highlight a medicinal plant garden; an immersive art exhibit that applies cultural burning in a restored grassland, and research on the interactive effects of climate, mycorrhizae, and biodiversity in restored prairie.
Meet at Baker Wetlands Discovery Center, 1365 N 1250 Rd., Lawrence, KS
11:30 Pre-workshop refreshments
12:00 Welcome and meeting orientation (Bill Kleiman and Sara Baer)
12:15 Presentation on Kansas ecosystems: Helen Alexander, Professor Emeritus and Grassland Heritage Foundation Board Member
1:00 Presentation on soil inoculants: Liz Koziol, Research Professor, Kansas Biological Survey
Break 1:45-2:00
Field presentations and discussions
2:00 Group 1: Baker Wetlands – Field talk and tour of restorations
Group 2: Depart for the KU Field Station Armitage Center
Welcome Bryan Foster, Director of the KU Field Station
2:45 Group 1: Depart to KU Field Station Armitage Center
Bryan Foster, Director of the KU Field Station
Group 2: Dimensions in biodiversity experiment
Jim Bever, Professor and Sr. Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
3:30 Group 1: Dimensions in biodiversity experiment
Jim Bever, Professor & Senior Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
Group 2: Here-ing exhibit – integrating art and cultural burning into restoration.
Sheena Parsons, KU Field Station Manager
3:45 Group 1: Here-ing exhibit – integrating art and cultural burning into restoration.
Sheena Parsons, KU Field Station Manager
Group 2: Medicinal plant garden – Ethnobotany and restoration
Kelly Kindscher, Professor and Senior Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
4:30 Group 1: Medicinal plant garden – Ethnobotany and restoration
Kelly Kindscher, Professor and Senior Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
Group 2: Travel back to Baker wetlands and tour of Baker wetlands
5:30 Baker Wetlands: discussion and refreshments
Dinner with others in Lawrence or travel to Shawnee (approximately 40 minutes).
Day 2: Exploring Prairie Restorations at Shawnee Mission Park
Meeting time and address:
8:30 am
17501 Midland Dr, Shawnee, KS 66217
We will stage at the golf course and shuttle to the restoration sites in the park adjacent to the site.
Overview of activities (8:30 am – 12:00 pm): We plan to continue our restoration conversations in the field with a day hosted by Johnson County Park and Recreation District at Shawnee Mission Park. We will explore sequentially restored prairies anchored by old growth units in a park that sees two million visitors a year. These sites reflect diverse restoration strategies in a highly visible suburban park setting. Local staff will share lessons learned from years of adaptive management, volunteer engagement, and long-term monitoring. See how restoration efforts are taking root in one of the most visited parks in Kansas City area!
Optional activity: Natural resource shop visit (8204 Renner Rd.) will be held after lunch at the Tomahawk Hills Golf Course.
REGISTRATION: Follow this link to register. Please register by August 15th. The number of participants is limited, so we encourage you to register early.
To help cover costs, there is a suggested donation of $20 to the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research. Please follow this link and select “Center for Ecological Research Endowment.”
grassland restoration network 
Hello, I’m trying to register for the workshop, but the link sends me to a page that says the form is not currently accepting responses. Can someone help me register? Thanks, Karen Glennemeier Habitat Research LLC Wilmette, IL
Greetings Karen, I am asking our host if they plan to keep a wait list. The form won’t let you submit because it hit the registration limit.
Oh no! That’s too bad, I thought we had till Aug 15th to register.
Thanks for following up, please let me know what you find out.
I would also like to know if it is possible to still attend the 2025 GRN meeting. Myself and another Missouri Department of Conservation employee was hoping to attend this year’s meeting. I hope we did not miss the opportunity.
Thanks for your help/response!
The workshop did fill up. But there may be some openings. If you others comment on this post of your interest in attending I can pass that onto our host.