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!
2,697
Volunteer Hours Worked
68
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
Program Associate
Party on the Prairie Saturday, June 1 8:00 am – Noon, Free Jerry Smith Park Celebrate National Trails Day and Prairie Day with KC Parks and KC WildLands, a program of Bridging The Gap! Enjoy free family and environmentally friendly activities amidst the flora and fauna of Jackson County’s only remnant prairie (one that … Continued
On January 17, Bridging The Gap honored our volunteers with a volunteer appreciation luncheon held at the Kauffman Conference Center. This event was a rare and unique opportunity to gather BTG volunteers across all programs into one room, thanks to a volunteer appreciation grant from Cargill Cares! The lunch was sold-out, with more than 60 … Continued
Kansas City Wildlands Annual Honeysuckle Battle Saturday, November 3, 9:00 AM – Noon Two Locations to Choose From We have an urgent volunteer need for folks to come out and help us battle the invasive, exotic shrub honeysuckle taking over our wildlands! Select a location and sign up today! Enjoy this terrific fall weather … Continued
Volunteer Saturday, September 29, 9:00 AM – Noon! In celebration of National Public Lands Day, volunteer with our Kansas City WildLands program as we’ll be removing invasive woody plants, including exotic shrub honeysuckle, while enjoying the amazing fall beauty of these wild places. Volunteers will use loppers to remove the shrub, and stump-treat the … Continued
