Kansas City WildLands is a coalition of resource professionals, private conservation organizations and conservation-minded citizens established to restore and conserve the remnants of Kansas City’s original landscape by involving people in the stewardship of the land.
Relatively undisturbed prairie, glade, savanna and forest natural communities still exist on public lands in the metro area, but they need our help! Over time, these remnant wild places have been overtaken by trees and brush, invaded by exotic plants and deprived of the natural processes that maintained them.
In addition to a lack of management, these natural communities also suffer from a lack of recognition and appreciation by the urban public. An equally important dual goal of the WildLands coalition is to involve citizens and metro communities in the care of these lands that represent Kansas City’s natural heritage.
Learn more about the KC Wildlands Projects, and how YOU can get involved!
2,000
Volunteer Hours Worked
24
Workdays Hosted
84
Species of Wildflowers our Seed Team Collected
250
Invasive Cedar Trees Removed at our Annual Cedar Tree Event
The wild lands await! Many people are unaware that there are so many beautiful, undisturbed natural areas in the Kansas City region. Come out and take a walk and visit these living natural history lessons.
Currently WildLands volunteers help to restore thirteen remnant sites within the Kansas City metropolitan region. These are some of the most diverse, beautiful places in the Midwest ... we challenge you to visit all 13!
Hike a WildlandCalling all nature enthusiasts! Volunteer with Bridging The Gap’s Kansas City WildLands (KCWL) program! At our workdays, we explain why it’s important protect and restore our native ecosystem, then we split into small groups to remove and treat invasive plants. We work on designated WildLands (native forests and prairies) throughout the metropolitan area, on both sides of the state line.
An under-story shrub in woodlands, Asian bush honeysuckles invades quickly and out-competes native plants. Because it leafs out so early, the shrub steals light from native plants that need a sunny forest floor in spring in order to flower, fruit, and gather energy for the next year. Birds and small animals eat the berries and deposit the seeds elsewhere, spreading this noxious weed. Learn to identify this aggressive invader, and then kill it before it spreads more seeds elsewhere.
Learn more
Field Biologist
Johnson County Parks and Recreation District
Midwest Field Representative
The Conservation Fund
Conservationist
Kansas City Native Plant Initiative
Natural History Biologist
Missouri Department of Conservation
Professor
Rockhurst University
Environmental Chair
Shumaker Family Foundation
Program Manager
Bridging The Gap has three employment opportunities! We are an equal opportunity employer and understand the value of having a team with a diversity of experiences and perspectives to optimize our potential for compassion, collaboration, creativity and excellence in service. We encourage people from all backgrounds and perspectives to apply! 1. Programs Director 1.0 … Continued
by Patti Beedles, Kansas City WildLands Seed Tech Listen my friends, I have a plea. Pull yourselves from your cubicles, your screens, your stuffy house that’s held you hostage all winter long. Now’s the time to take a hike through a high-quality woodland and witness true magic. I realize, I’m a crazy plant lady with … Continued
Over-application of fertilizers is a source of water pollution. Use the proper amount of fertilizer to keep your lawn green and prevent algae blooms in our lakes and streams.It’s a waste of money to apply fertilizer to your lawn if it doesn’t need it. The only way to know how much fertilizer your lawn needs … Continued
If it’s on the ground in the Kansas City Metropolitan region it could end up in the Missouri River and then in the Gulf of Mexico. Litter takes on many forms – paper, aluminum, cigarette butts – everything that is improperly placed on the ground. Much of this waste finds its way into our water … Continued
Planning a neighborhood clean-up? Bridging The Gap has tools and other supplies! Is your neighborhood looking a little rough in late-winter with litter, leaves, and brush piling up? Late-winter/early-spring, while the weather is mild and before new growth gets going, is the perfect time to organize a volunteer clean-up with your neighborhood group or homeowners … Continued
