KU Field Station

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KU Field Station

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Field research station of the University of Kansas. Est. 1947.

10/28/2026

Those crisp fall leaves though...🍂🦝🫠

10/27/2026

It’s been a busy couple of months at the KU Field Station!

We have lots to catch you up on, so keep an eye out over the next few weeks.

First up, a look back at August’s lunar eclipse. 🌕

10/05/2026

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰: There's a Bug in My Water! 🪰💧

Insects are all around us, but what can they tell us about the health of the places where they live? Aquatic insects are particularly useful indicators of water quality because different species have different tolerances to environmental conditions. By looking at the diversity of insects in our state’s freshwaters and how their communities change over time, we can gain valuable insights into the condition of Kansas waters and the challenges aquatic ecosystems may face in the future.

Join Rachel Glynn, aquatic insect taxonomist with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, to learn about the diversity of aquatic insects, the ecological roles they play, and how scientists use them to assess ecosystem health. Together, we’ll take a closer look at what these tiny creatures can tell us about the waters they call home, and why that matters for all of us who depend on clean water.

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Sunday, October 11 at 2:00 p.m.

📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

☕ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: A mug for tea/coffee to help us reduce waste.

📧 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣 to Wendy ([email protected]) as space is limited. It also helps us plan for seating and snacks! 🍪

𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘜 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥!

10/03/2026

👀 One last Visitors’ Day sneak peek: the limited-edition KU Field Station shirt! Shirts, hats, and stickers will be available tomorrow while they last!

The artwork is by Avery Johnsmeyer, a KU student studying Environmental Science and Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology who creates illustrations with dry erase markers.

At the center of the design is Cryptomonas, a tiny freshwater alga with a big story. The artwork nods to the long-term dataset Jerry deNoyelles built by sampling Cross Reservoir for decades, where he studied the vertical migration of tiny organisms like zooplankton and algae. Jerry is preparing this incredible dataset for publication... stay tuned!

Find Avery’s art on Instagram at Avery Johnsmeyer Art.

NeverStopLearning ExploreLawrence

10/02/2026

☀️ Here’s a look at the stations for tomorrow! The forecast looks perfect, with sunny skies, calm winds, and a high near 70°F. 😎

From hands-on research and fire ecology to lakes, mammals, fungi, plants, art, and more, there’s plenty to see along the way!

It takes about 𝟮.𝟱 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 to complete the entire loop at a leisurely pace, including time to visit each station along the way. If you’d like to walk the full loop, we recommend arriving early enough to give yourself plenty of time. The loop closes to new visitors at 2 p.m., and all stations close by 3 p.m.

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: KU Field Station, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

🥾 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Water bottle, sun protection, long pants, and closed-toe shoes made for walkin'!

👀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: The 1.5-mile walking loop includes interior gravel roads and mowed paths through research areas. Expect uneven footing and some elevation change. Ticks, poison ivy, and other wildlife are always possible, so please dress with that in mind.

👉 See our previous posts for more details! 👈

Kansas Bio Survey & Center for Ecological Research

09/27/2026

A little sneak peek at what’s waiting for you at Visitors’ Day! 🔬🌾

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look, chat with experts, and explore some of the research happening at the KU Field Station.

Walk the 1.5-mile loop through research areas, check out current experiments, and talk with researchers about their work. You’re also welcome to just visit the stations closest to the buildings. It’s up to you!

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

📍𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: KU Field Station, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

🥾 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Water bottle, sun protection, long pants, and closed-toe shoes made for walkin'!

👀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: The 1.5-mile walking loop includes interior gravel roads and mowed paths through research areas. Expect uneven footing and some elevation change. Ticks, poison ivy, and other wildlife are always possible, so please dress with that in mind.

No RSVP is needed, but please check our social media pages for weather updates. Fingers crossed for beautiful fall weather on October 3! 🍂

Kansas Bio Survey & Center for Ecological Research

09/26/2026

✨ Next Saturday! Visitors' Day! You're invited! ✨

Come see what’s happening at the KU Field Station and learn more about the research taking place here. 🔬🌾

Walk a loop through parts of the Field Station that are not normally open to the public, where you can check out current experiments and chat with researchers about their work.

You’re welcome to walk the entire loop or just visit the stations closest to the buildings. It’s up to you! Tea made from native prairie plants will be available to keep you refreshed and hydrated.

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

📍𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: KU Field Station, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

🥾 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Water bottle, sun protection, long pants, and closed-toe shoes made for walkin'!

👀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: The roughly 1.5-mile walking loop includes interior gravel roads and mowed paths through research areas. Expect uneven footing and some elevation change. Ticks, poison ivy, and other wildlife are always possible, so please dress with that in mind.

No RSVP is needed, but please check our social media pages for weather updates. Fingers crossed for beautiful fall weather on October 3! 🍂

Kansas Bio Survey & Center for Ecological Research

09/24/2026

Happy fall, y’all! 🌻🌾

09/10/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰: What do Geologists and Sherlock Holmes Have in Common? 🔎🐖

Geophysics is a specialty within geology that utilizes non-invasive technologies to help scientists look below the surface. It is often associated with oil and gas exploration and the study of earthquakes; however, many of these technologies have also proven invaluable in shallow investigations. An often-overlooked area of application is forensic investigation. Geological tools can also help solve crimes!

Join Blair Schneider, Research Project Manager at the Kansas Geological Survey, and Katie Steinauer, PhD student in the University of Kansas Department of Geology, to learn how scientists are investigating the applications of different types of geophysical methods for forensic investigations. Blair and Katie will focus on their current investigation studying how decomposition affects the geophysical response of 𝘚𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 in a controlled experimental environment at the KU Field Station.

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Sunday, September 20 at 2:00 p.m.

📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: KU Field Station, Armitage Education Center, 350 Wild Horse Road, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

☕ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: A mug for tea/coffee to help us reduce waste.

📧 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣 to Wendy ([email protected]) as space is limited. It also helps us plan for seating and snacks! 🍪

𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘜 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥!

Address

350 Wild Horse Road
Lawrence, KS
66044

Website

http://fieldstation.ku.edu/

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