In 2023, the biology department broke ground to expand the established tallgrass prairie demonstration garden on the south side of Stoffer Science Hall. This ongoing project involves replacing the existing lawn with plants native to northeast Kansas to create a curated garden that is used for formal and informal education. In 2024, the large cedar bushes were removed and the ground was prepped for the next expansion which will total 4,500 square feet.
The garden supports courses such as Systematic Botany, giving students an accessible area by Stoffer Hall to practice plant identification skills. It also serves as an extension of existing efforts to expand public access to the biology department’s natural history collections, and increase visibility and public interest in ecological research. Having access on campus to a native plant garden will allow for outreach events like plant identification workshops that will foster connections with the larger Topeka community. In addition to being an educational asset, the garden is an aesthetic addition to campus that increases appreciation for Kansas’s native biodiversity. In 2025, we will expand the project outreach by creating an interactive online platform and continuing to improve the function of the garden space.
Funds raised on the Day of Giving will primarily go toward topsoil, mulch, native plant plugs and educational signage. The project is a collaboration between the biology department, EcoBods, Women in STEM and the Facilities Services Department.
