Prairie Park Nature Center Sign Project

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Presenter(s)

Kailyn Alani, Ellie Preston, Alyssa Lynn Rosales-Stephens, Adrian Delacruz, Shuntaro Shimakura, Isabella Wingrove

Abstract or Description

Prairie Park Nature Center, in Lawrence, Kansas, enriches the local community through prairie conservation and environmental education. The nature center needs updated signage containing information about native plants and animals around the outdoor trail. The current signs are over 25 years old, some of the information is no longer accurate, and many signs are unreadable due to weathering. The new signs are important to Prairie Park as it is an integral part of the Lawrence community and helps educate people of all ages about the environment.  

To fund the signs, we applied for a grant from the City of Lawrence for $5,000 which will cover the overall cost of having them made. The signs are being designed by group members and then will be sent to a sign company to be printed and assembled. We studied the benefits of having outdoor education centers, like Prairie Park, and their importance to the community, which we used as a focal point in the grant application. We found that environmental education has profound positive impacts on community members. 

Through observations, research, and consulting with various experts we have created content and new signage covering an array of environmental topics like the history of the prairie, the animals; such as the native bird species, indigenous ethnobotany, invasive species, and other features that can be seen around the nature trail. We created 18 educational signs that will be placed throughout the Prairie Park trail and installed in the upcoming year.  

Mentor

Ali Brox and Kelly Kindscher