photo by: Contributed

The Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum

Douglas County residents are invited to take part in a countywide needs assessment aimed at identifying the strengths and challenges of local heritage organizations.

The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council in collaboration with Coneflower Consulting will be conducting the assessment, and the responses will help the county better understand how the community uses and values local heritage organizations. Residents are encouraged to share their perspectives on local history and the organizations that preserve it, according to a news release from Douglas County.

The brief survey will keep all participants anonymous and take two to three minutes to complete. The results will be used to guide future planning and support for heritage organizations in Douglas County – such as the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council, Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, the Watkins Museum of History, the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum, the Eudora Community Museum, the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society and the Territorial Capital Museum in Lecompton.

Residents interested in completing the survey can visit the Douglas County website. The survey will be open until Oct. 1, 2025, and the findings will be shared when the project is finished.