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Kansas Native Plant Society
Mission Statement
The mission of the Kansas Native Plant Society is to encourage awareness and appreciation of the native plants of Kansas in their habitats and in our landscapes by promoting education, stewardship, and scientific knowledge.
History
The Kansas Native Plant Society (KNPS) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. It was organized in 1978 as the Kansas Wildflower Society (KWS) to make people more aware of the beauty and value of our state's native wildflowers. In 2004, the "Wildflower" was replaced with "Native Plant" in our name to more accurately reflect the spectrum of plants we study and promote and to put more focus on our indigenous flora.
The new name embraces the state's entire flora - wildflowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs; and the lesser known mosses, liverworts, ferns, horsetails, sedges, and rushes.
Furthermore, the new name emphasizes the plants that are native to our state. A plant present in a given geographic area without human involvement is considered to be native or indigenous. In contrast, a plant that was introduced from another region, such as Europe or Asia, is considered to be alien.
What we do
The Kansas Native Plant Society (KNPS) educates the public about Kansas plants - wildflowers, grasses, trees, shrubs, and lesser known groups, including sedges, rushes, liverworts, mosses, and ferns. These plants are encountered in the state's prairies, woodlands, and wetlands, from the Ozark Plateau in the southeast to the High Plains in the northwest. The alien or introduced plants are also noted - some being invasive.
KNPS sponsored wildflower walks are our most popular venue for sharing knowledge about wildflowers and other plants with the public. People who attend learn plant identification, are made aware of uses of the plants by people and animals, and enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of our native flora - all in the friendly atmosphere of other plant-lovers.
Our educational resources include our quarterly newsletter, the prairie patch program, a wildflower growing guide, booklet of resources for plant identification, a gardening with natives fact sheet, and an invasive plant fact sheet.
The society recognizes, with formal awards, those individuals and organizations that complement its mission through education, research, or the use of native plants in the landscape. Scholarships are awarded to students conducting research on native plants. Limited financial support is provided to organizations with projects that promote native plants.
The mission of the Kansas Native Plant Society is to encourage awareness and appreciation of the native plants of Kansas in their habitats and in our landscapes by promoting education, stewardship, and scientific knowledge.
History
The Kansas Native Plant Society (KNPS) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. It was organized in 1978 as the Kansas Wildflower Society (KWS) to make people more aware of the beauty and value of our state's native wildflowers. In 2004, the "Wildflower" was replaced with "Native Plant" in our name to more accurately reflect the spectrum of plants we study and promote and to put more focus on our indigenous flora.
The new name embraces the state's entire flora - wildflowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs; and the lesser known mosses, liverworts, ferns, horsetails, sedges, and rushes.
Furthermore, the new name emphasizes the plants that are native to our state. A plant present in a given geographic area without human involvement is considered to be native or indigenous. In contrast, a plant that was introduced from another region, such as Europe or Asia, is considered to be alien.
What we do
The Kansas Native Plant Society (KNPS) educates the public about Kansas plants - wildflowers, grasses, trees, shrubs, and lesser known groups, including sedges, rushes, liverworts, mosses, and ferns. These plants are encountered in the state's prairies, woodlands, and wetlands, from the Ozark Plateau in the southeast to the High Plains in the northwest. The alien or introduced plants are also noted - some being invasive.
KNPS sponsored wildflower walks are our most popular venue for sharing knowledge about wildflowers and other plants with the public. People who attend learn plant identification, are made aware of uses of the plants by people and animals, and enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of our native flora - all in the friendly atmosphere of other plant-lovers.
Our educational resources include our quarterly newsletter, the prairie patch program, a wildflower growing guide, booklet of resources for plant identification, a gardening with natives fact sheet, and an invasive plant fact sheet.
The society recognizes, with formal awards, those individuals and organizations that complement its mission through education, research, or the use of native plants in the landscape. Scholarships are awarded to students conducting research on native plants. Limited financial support is provided to organizations with projects that promote native plants.