š¼š Fall projects with Native Lands Restoration Collaborative
Dear reader,
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Ā Ā So much happens on the land between these newsletters! Iāll admit, Iām still in recovery from that late summer heat and a bit leery. We prairie people know never to trust the first signs of a new season. And we donāt take these cooler days for granted. Long field days followed by frantic, late night office sessions leave us feeling humbled and a bit buried. Thank you for your patience with this little team. Thank you for believing that this work needs to be done and supporting us however you can!
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Ā Ā Today, on the equinox, our days and nights are pulling with equal strength. We are called into balance (though the scale feels a bit off this year). As we step towards winter, light becomes a more precious resource. The longer nights can be difficult for some people. But, when I think of winter, I smile. We find light in giving to the earth with all of you, every season. Winter is the time of fire and seeds ā a celebratory season we prepare for all year! Itās amazing what a little adventure can do for your heart, how impactful a few hours on the land can be on your strength.Ā When the dark starts to bring you down, come out on the land with us. Weāre stronger together. We can make a difference together.
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For the prairie,
Ā Courtney Masterson
Ecologist and Executive Director,
Native Lands Restoration Collaborative
Join Us in Restoring the Burroughās Creek Corridor
Weāre looking forward to spending many days this fall restoring the banks and tributaries of Burroughs Creek! Together, weāre strengthening habitat, improving water quality, and restoring a landscape with deep ecological and cultural significance.
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šÆšø $500 Donation Match Alert!
Friends of the Lawrence Area Trails (FLAT) have generously committed to match the next $500 in donations to this project!
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Every $1,000 raised funds another restoration workday ā covering volunteer training, tools, and native plants. š³ Learn more about the project and donate here! š³
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Our sincere thanks to FLAT for their partnership and their work connecting the community to outdoor spaces. Weāre also grateful to the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department for funding two community work days devoted to this project!
Upcoming Burroughās Creek Corridor Events
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šļø Restoring Our Waterways
Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St, Lawrence, KS 66044
Tuesday, October 6 | 6:00 ā 7:00pm
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Rachel Allai (artist, musician, and creative organizer behind the Firefly Festival) and Courtney will explore the Burroughs Creek Corridor restoration project, discussing the value and vulnerability of local waterways, which hold some of the most contiguous habitat within our urban environments.
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Registration is appreciated but not required. Questions? Ask Terese: twinters@lplks.org
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Community Restoration Gatherings
Burroughs Creek Trail, Parnell Park, 901 E 15th St, Lawrence, KS 66044
Sunday, October 11 | 10:00 am ā 12:00 pm
Saturday, October 24 | 2:00 ā 4:00 pm
Saturday, November 1 | 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Saturday, November 7 |Ā 1:00 - 3:00 pm
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Help us remove invasive plants, including bush honeysuckle, from the understory. Education and tools provided ā everyone is welcome!
Follow @BurroughsCreekCorridor on Instagram for updates about live music, potlucks and other celebrations Rachel is organizing to make these workdays extra special.
RSVP to NativeLandsKS@gmail.com
More Upcoming Gatherings
Native Seed Collection Gathering
Friday, September 25 | 5:00 ā 7:00 pm
Blazing Star Prairie, Lawrence, KS 66044
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Join the Native Lands Restoration Collaborative team in collecting native seeds to benefit local restoration projects and free seed libraries! Please rsvp to Courtney at NativeLandsKS@gmail.com.
Community Garden Stewardship: Hobbs Park
Sunday, September 27 | 1:00 ā 3:00 pm
702 E 11th St, Lawrence, KS 66044
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Join the Native Lands and Lawrence Bird Alliance teams in care of the community garden at Hobbs Park in East Lawrence. Please rsvp to Courtney at NativeLandsKS@gmail.com.
Community Garden Stewardship: Kansas Zen Center
Thursday, October 8 | 4:30 ā 6:30 pm
1201 Laura Ave, Lawrence, KS 66044
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Join the Native Lands team in care of the native gardens at the Kansas Zen Center. Please rsvp to Courtney at NativeLandsKS@gmail.com.
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Save the Date! Native Lands Annual FUN-raiser
Saturday evening, February 6, 2027
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All of these events & more live on the Kaw Valley Environmental Events Calendar. Visit the link below and add this calendar to your own device.
Update! Midco Prairie by Native Lands
This prairie is rising from an old parking lot, pushing up alongside beautiful native stone, reconnecting us with the grasslands that once covered this place. It's happening, folks! Thank you to all of our project partners for helping turn this vision into a living landscape.
A few highlights from the journey so far:
š± Native plants are finding their new homes. Our team and community volunteers are returning native plants to the soil in waves, watering through the late-summer drought as their roots dig deep.
š§ Capturing and filtering rainwater through this root filled soil will improve the quality of water entering the Kansas River!
š The prairie is already becoming a place for learning. Over the last few weeks, we welcomed our first student groups from KU and Van Go! Weāre excited for the many people who will learn and connect here.Ā Ā
š Thereās a lot of collaboration happening under the plants, as well! Our gratitude to MycoBloom for their gift of native mycorrhizal fungi inoculant to this project!Ā
We invite you to Meet Midco Prairie on Saturday, October 10.
Board Member Applications Are Open!
Want to dedicate your time and talents to a community-built organization with deep roots and a big impact? NLRC board members strengthen our mission via financial planning, fundraising, operational support, and more. Serving on the board is a meaningful way to steward restoration work behind the scenes.
Questions? Contact Apolonia Arteaga, Board Chair (arteaga.nia [at] gmail.com).
Native Lands in the News
Jayhawkās nonprofit works to restore regionās native landscapes
Courtney Masterson, ecologist and executive director of Lawrence-based Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, builds community around environmental conservation.
Rochelle Valverde, August 10, 2026, Crimson & Blue. Read now.
Give to Native Ecosystems
āNative Lands is always in every place in the community wanting to bring these ecosystems back to health and willing to teach people how to do that. I really hope that more people are able to get involved and support Native Lands because theyāre touching so many different communities in this area and that deserves to be uplifted in every way.ā ā Courtney King, Program & Land Stewardship Manager, Haskell Greenhouse
We are strengthened and sustained by recurring donors like you! Our organization is funded solely through private donations, recurring donations, and project-specific grants. Your investment in Native Lands helps ensure the long-term success of our organization, expands our capacity to educate future land stewards, and supports our work to protect native woodlands, wetlands, and prairies.
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