photo by: Bremen Keasey

The visitor center at Prairie Park Nature Center in Lawrence is pictured Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

The Prairie Park Nature Center will be able to expand its footprint and restore a waterfront area thanks to an Open Space grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council.

The $71,000 grant funds a multi-faceted project focused on Mary’s Lake that involves restoring shoreline habitat, building a larger fishing dock, updating educational signage, and expanding conservational programming. The money can only be used for projects related to the grant.

Dara Wilson, the center’s supervisor, said the hope with the grant is to provide visitors more opportunities to learn and engage with green space in the park. Wilson said she hopes this can provide activities that foster community and environmental well-being.

“It’s easy to overlook the impact of green spaces,” Wilson said. “But with this grant, Mary’s Lake and Prairie Park have the potential to transform into exemplary green spaces within our community.”

The grant is also funding habitat restoration and monitoring at Mary’s Lake, which will be done in collaboration with Haskell Indian Nations University and the Kansas Biological Survey. Prairie Park will provide internships for Haskell students to work on restoration, including removing invasive species currently surrounding the lake and replacing them with beneficial native shoreline plants.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to showcase indigenous leadership in this conservation initiative,” Rachel Neff, the Prairie Park Nature Center nature programmer, said.

The grant will also fund these projects along the water:

• A new, larger dock that includes a permanent wildlife viewing scope

• Update the park’s 25 signs, including new information on history of the preserve, habitat conservation, native biodiversity, endangered and invasive species, and more.

• Add more canoes that will allow for new on-the-water programs

• A community science photo station, which allows the public to track the restoration of the prairie over time

The center hopes the projects will be completed by May 2026.