Annual Wildflower Weekend > 2011

2011 Annual Wildflower Weekend (AWW)

Location

Lawrence, KS; September 16-18, 2011

About

Native plant enthusiasts from across Kansas will converge on Lawrence, Kansas, September 16–18, for the Kansas Native Plant Society’s 33rd Annual Wildflower Weekend. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Native Plants and Landscapes of Northeast Kansas.” The meeting will be a unique opportunity to explore and learn about the amazing diversity of native plants and their habitats in northeast Kansas, where the forest and grassland biomes of North America meet. Visits to a variety of prairie, forest, and wetland sites are planned.

Cost

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to join us for some or all of the events throughout the weekend.

Instructions

Print the itinerary, make your hotel reservations, and pay your meal reservations (send a check or pay online), and come to the AWW!

Itinerary

The Itinerary includes tour locations, weekend schedule, and photo contest rules as well as hotel listings, restaurant listings, and the meal reservations form.

2011 Annual Wildflower Weekend Itinerary (PDF)

Meal Reservations

If you plan to eat with us on Friday and/or Saturday, you need to pay in advance.

Make meal reservations for the 2011 AWW.

Photo Contest

The photo contest is a popular part of the AWW. We encourage all members to enter photos. For more information see the Photo Contest Rules & Categories.

Location Maps

Use these maps to help you find the various locations where we will be meeting.

Schedule

Friday, September 16

  • 1:00 pm  Fall Board Meeting at the Armitage Education Center, University of Kansas Field Station (board members only)
  • 3:20 pm  Presentation: “The University of Kansas Field Station” by Dr. W. Dean Kettle, Associate Director, KU Field Station
  • 3:45 pm  Hiking along any of the 8 nature trails at the KU Field Station; guides will lead hikes along several trails (a plant list will be available on the KNPS website @ www.ksnps.org);  attendees also may wish to visit the nearby KU Native Medicinal Plant Research Garden
  • 6:00 pm  Catered barbecue at the Armitage Education Center – bring a folding chair if you wish to eat outdoors

Saturday, September 17

  • 8:30 am  Registration on the first floor of Raymond Nichols Hall (Space Technology Center), University of Kansas West Campus.  Nichols Hall is located at 2291 Irving Hill Drive, immediately south of the Lied Performing Arts Center and west of Pioneer Cemetery.  Parking is available on the northeast side of Nichols Hall. Coffee, tea, and pastries available. Set up Silent Auction, Photo Contest, and Merchandise Displays.
  • 9:00 am  Annual Business Meeting – Apollo Auditorium
  • 9:45 am  Awards & Election
  • 10:15 am  Refreshment break. Silent Auction continues.
  • 10:45 am  Presentation: “Roadside Kansas: a Traveler’s Guide to its Geology and Landmarks” by Rex Buchanan, Interim Director, Kansas Geological Survey and co-author of Roadside Kansas
  • 11:45 pm  Break
  • 12:00 pm  Catered lunch
  • 1:00 pm  Carpool to Leavenworth County prairies (a plant list will be available @ www.ksnps.org)

Sunday, September 18

Google map of Prairie Park Nature Center

Google map of Baker Wetland Restoration Site

Google map of Coblentz Prairie

Tour Sites

For more details see the 2011 AWW Itinerary (PDF).

KU Field Station

Attendees may hike as many as eight nearby nature trails at the Field Station to visit the Rockefeller Prairie, Kaw Valley Overlook, and Fitch Natural History Reservation.  Attendees also may visit the nearby KU Native Medicinal Plant Research Garden. 

Leavenworth County Private Prairies

These prairies contain a rich diversity of plants and are managed as hay meadows. Portions of each prairie have been left un-hayed just for our visit! Two tracts will be visited, each with a unique array of prairie plants. The owner is a lifetime KNPS member.

Prairie Park Nature Center

This 71-acre park includes a 9-acre remnant prairie behind the nature center, a pond, and paved and rough trails.  The nature center hall does not open until 1 pm, but the trails will be open.

Baker Wetlands Restoration Site

This 140 acre site is being restored to wetlands. In the 1800's it was converted from wetlands to agriculture. In 2008 the process of restoring the wetlands began.

Coblentz Prairie

This glaciated tallgrass prairie offers diverse native plants (over 270 species) as well as uncommon birds like Henslow's Sparrow, notable insects like Golden Byssus skippers, and interesting rocks like Sioux Quartzite. The prairie overlooks the Coblentz marsh.

Plant Lists

Plant lists are being provided for the tour sites. There is a separate list for each day. Three different sorts are provided for each list.

Friday lists
Saturday lists
Sunday lists

Accommodations

The Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau offers a full list of local attractions, accommodations, restaurants, and events in the Lawrence area.  We encourage you to visit their web site to explore the local offerings.  Following is a partial list of other motels and restaurants in Lawrence.   

Flyer

Help us publicize the event by printing and displaying the 2011 AWW Flyer (PDF).