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!
2,476
Volunteer Hours Worked
64
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
Naturalist
Citizen Representative
Midwest Field Representative
The Conservation Fund
Conservationist
Burroughs Audubon Society
Biologist
Habitat Architects
Biology Professor
Rockhurst University
Environmental Chair
Shumaker Family Foundation
Program Manager
Text and Photos by Tom Schroeder You have got to love Bee Poo Science. I recently had the opportunity to do a Citizen Science project as part of KC WildLands volunteer work. In 2016 and 2017, a Native Bee Survey was done on KC WildLand sites. It uncovered a population of the Snail Nesting Mason … Continued
We are SO PROUD to have made the Pitch’s Best of Kansas City 2019! KC Wildlands is preserving spaces we didn’t even know we had “Kansas City will never be known as a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. We’re at peace with that. But don’t let that knowledge fool you into believing we don’t have … Continued
To Battle! Join in our Annual Honeysuckle Battle to help restore Kansas City’s beautiful wild lands. On Saturday, November 2, Kansas City WildLands will host two public work days–one at Ogg Road Prairie in Shawnee Mission Park and one at the Hidden Valley natural area located north of the river. We will be cutting and stump … Continued
By Kristin Riott Executive Director, Bridging The Gap If you, like me, have been worried about climate change for a long time, the publication of the book Drawdown is a deep draught of water during a long walk through the desert: you can go on with renewed hope and vigor. Drawdown, edited by leading … Continued
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