Free State Prairie
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Lawrence Free State High School
Data from the Free State Prairie
Free State Prairie Feedback July 2021:
Voluntary responses from former students
What do you remember about visiting the Free State Prairie?
I just remember going out there every so often with my biology class and taking notes and such.
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We burned it !! lots of butterflies and cool plants.
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That is was extremely organized and every plot was different
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The beautiful sitting area and tall grass
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it was hot out, but i had lots of fun! i got to learn about native plants and wildlife and help in a research study documenting the differences between plots
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The shelter, beautiful native plants, and pretty animals around
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I worked with environmental club in the prairie while we were working on making improvements throughout FS, we did not make the prairie a large part of our club but we did visit it once or twice, my main focus in the club was recycling and helping plan the garden
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Visiting the prairie during APES was always my favorite part of the day. Taking a break from the monotony of sitting at a desk all day, getting to breathe fresh air, and engaging in hands-on learning were all welcome changes. The presentations from the prairie experts were engaging and fun, and led to Leah Matthews and I being able to photograph the prairie a few times.
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I remember the prairie as a fascinating resource that was lovely to have so close to our school. Though I unfortunately only went out to work there a few times, I remember it fondly as a beautiful spot that gave us an opportunity to do some field work.
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Tall grass, lot’s of bugs, beautiful view
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I remember the different plots and how some are planted with just grasses, some with grasses and forbs, and some with grasses and more forbs. I could recognize some of the plants throughout the prairie such as Indian grass and blue sage.
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I remember that the prairie was started by Miss Schwarting with the intention of studying the tall grass prairie. Miss Schwarting and her students study the plots of land, documenting what plants are growing in them, how many of such plants, and when and where the plants grow in them. In addition, they document the fauna, such as insects, that are in the plots of land. Also, the plots of prairie are on a scheduled burn cycle, so they can document how that driving factor affects the growth of the prairie.
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I remember learning about the grasses and forbs that are indigenous to the Kansas praries, the niches they fill, and about the invasive/non-indigenous plants that have threatened the ecosystem.
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I remember that I loved it, it really added to the learning experience to do something so hands on.
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I remember we went to the prairie to collect data about the frequency of native plants in each square.
How have your experiences on the FS Prairie impacted your thoughts or actions since you left school?
I havent been there since the pandemic.
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Yes, it made me want to plant my own native plant garden, and made me realize that it’s possible to make a restoration project in your own yard.
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the prairie is a reminder to me that the natural world is fleeting. going out there and seeing how everything is so much different than the usual things you see like cut grass or organized gardens, make you realize that there is so little left in the world untouched by humans, and that something has to get done if we ever want to save the things in that make the world the earth.
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It increased my love for working in nature
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i've been able to identify native plants out in the wild, helping spread information and educate the people around me :)
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Even though I'm not at FS anyway, I still visit the prairie often. It's a great place to hang out with friends and to get some quiet time. Also, tons of great opportunities for nature shots and sunsets
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I used the prairie in my actions by making sure i’m keeping the nature around me the way i find it and trying to preserve the world around me.
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Well, I will be studying environmental science in college this year, so I’d say it left an impact (though I’ve always had a connection to nature)! :) The prairie also strengthened my connection to Kansas, getting to know the local grasses and flowers. I also now have a firm belief that outside time should be mixed into every school day. It truly makes a huge difference in my personal enjoyment and focus at school, and I hope to have future opportunities like the FS Prairie in my academic experience.
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As someone interested in doing scientific research, specifically in biology, I appreciated my visits to the FS prairie much like I have other opportunities to do a little data collection. It was a nice, manageable site for bridging the gap between classroom theory and the actual acquisition of new information.
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It just made me more concerned for the animals, and us taking their habitats. It made me want to speak up more when construction workers talked about cutting down trees just to make another house or road
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Learning about the prairie really put into perspective how much humans have impacted native lands. This is not exclusive to the midwest prairie. Also, learning about the prairie and though taking APES I have become more willing to take action to help and make a difference.
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I took an independent study my junior year to actually study the tall grass prairie at a broader scale than just how it works and how it can be restored. My independent study mostly focused on how and why the Great Plains region ultimately lost a majority of its prairie and eventually I looked into how it could be restored. Since then, I have still been actively studying and enjoying the plants of the tall grass prairie specifically. Of course one of the main reasons I wanted to study the prairie, was, and still is, the fact of climate change. The fact that most of the Great Plains was destroyed and now we don’t have a huge carbon sink that we once did disturbs me still. Although I am going into a STEM field, one of my main concerns is climate change and avoiding ecological disasters.
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I think that learning about the FS prairie, and about the Kansas prairie ecosystem as a whole, as well as the general experience of taking APES, has changed the way I view other ecosystems I see. While I don’t remember several details, I understand that all ecosystems have a delicate balance and have several niches and factors that create a fully functioning system.
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I think those experiences encouraged me to seek out more volunteer opportunities where I could be around nature, like volunteering to plant a bioswale later down the line because the experience on the prairie was such a positive one.
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Before taking APES, I never knew how important native plants are to ecosystems. Since learning about that, I have encouraged my mom to buy native plants for her garden. I will also try to plant native plants in my yard once I have a house!