Skip to main content
Home
Rockhurst Small Logo
light blue background Search Icon
mobile menu
  • ADMISSIONS
  • ACADEMICS
  • CAMPUS LIFE
  • ALUMNI
  • ATHLETICS
  • ABOUT
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Give
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Give

Invasive Species Become Christmas Trees in Conservation Project

  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Give

  • Admissions
  • Academics
  • Campus Life
  • Alumni
  • Athletics
  • About
Monday, December 23, 2013

Though the sight of a field full of Christmas trees should not seem out of place at this time of year, at least one assistant professor of biology at Rockhurst University said when those trees are an invasive species, it can be cause for concern.

That’s why Mindy Walker, Ph.D., along with a number of Rockhurst students and other volunteers worked on behalf of Kansas City WildLands, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the area’s natural landscape, to clear an area of Shawnee Mission Park of invasive native red cedar trees, holiday style.

“We find a grassland or prairie that is a remnant natural habitat that has these red cedars taking over, we set up shop and let people come in and cut down their own Christmas tree,” Walker said.

Walker said Kansas City WildLands, on whose steering committee she serves, has organized the event for a number of years in conjunction with municipal parks and recreation departments around the Kansas City metropolitan area. More than 400 visitors came to this year’s event on Saturday, Dec. 6, to claim their tree with the help of volunteers, netting donations of about $3,400 for Kansas City WildLands and its parent organization, Bridging the Gap, in the process.

Though this species of red cedar is native to the area, Walker said patterns of modern residential and commercial development have made periodically culling their numbers necessary in order to prevent the trees from choking out the rest of the native landscape.

“We don’t maintain our prairies and natural ecosystems the way they used to be maintained naturally. In the past, fires would sweep through and take out all these invasive trees and plants and then the prairie would grow back itself,” she said. “Well, now we have Shawnee Mission Park in the middle of Johnson County and if a fire shows up, you’re going to put it out. We just don’t have the natural controls anymore.”

In addition to eliminating the need to dispose of the trees outright, Walker said the event gave KC WildLands volunteers a chance to educate the public on those changes to the environment. For the Rockhurst science students that made up the majority of the volunteer force at the event, it also made for a unique opportunity for service learning. And those who came equipped with saws and rope to secure their own fresh-cut Christmas tree got an opportunity to take part in a holiday tradition.

“People love it,” Walker said. “Some of them spend a lot of time out there trying to pick out the perfect tree.”

Recent Headlines

  • Past Headlines
Rockhurst Bell Tower
Rockhurst University Logo
1100 Rockhurst Road | Kansas City, MO 64110
816-501-4000 | info@rockhurst.edu
1100 Rockhurst Road
Kansas City, MO 64110
816-501-4000
info@rockhurst.edu
Instagram    Facebook    Twitter    Youtube

RESOURCES

University Catalog
Bookstore
Calendar
Campus Map
Consumer Information
Directory
Library
Photo Albums
Web Portal

I WANT TO:

Apply
Visit
Give
Find a Job
Hire a Hawk
Reserve Event Space
Contact Rockhurst

SCHOOLS

College of Arts and Sciences
College of Business, Influence, and Information Analysis
Saint Luke's™ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
Kansas City's Jesuit University
© Rockhurst University | Privacy Notice | Web Accessibility
© Rockhurst University
Privacy Notice | Web Accessibility