KU Field Station

During the 2022 season, research activity at the KU Field Station increased toward pre-pandemic levels. The number of active research projects at the Field Station varies annually and includes many long-term studies, some requiring extensive infrastructure. In 2022, 51 projects were active, engaging 37 faculty members (29 internal, eight external), two postdoctoral studies, 17 graduate students (14 from KU), and 11 staff researchers (nine from KU). In addition, a team of research technicians from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), which the Field Station is part of, continued regular visits to monitor species and atmospheric conditions.



The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research created a new position—part of the long-term plan for several years—and hired an education program coordinator for the KU Field Station. The coordinator began in August, and the number of events and visitors increased immediately, and plans for regular activities began to be developed. The Field Station's Armitage Education Center was reopened for retreats in the latter half of the year, and the public trail system and the KU Native Medicinal Plant Garden were fully open for individual visitors, special events and tours.