2015 was a very exciting year for the Platte Land Trust. Because of you and your support, we helped monarchs, nature, and saved some land. Here are the highlights.

  • Launched the Partner with Nature program to assist homeowners with native plant selections for their yard and landscapes.
  • Installed a 1600 square-foot butterfly garden with Missouri Master Naturalists along 64th Street, Parkville, MO. Several monarch caterpillars were sighted on the flowers this first summer! Thanks to the Osage Trails and Loess Hills MMN chapters and others for the hard work. Thanks to Platte County Parks & Recreation for the grant funds to purchase plants and supplies.
  • Built a hiking trail and removed invasive plants with Mizzou Alternative Break students at the PLT Sawyers’ property in southern Platte County. Thank you ladies and volunteers.
  • Rescued Snowball Hill Prairie at land auction in June. Thanks to the Missouri Prairie Foundation, Burroughs Audubon, and several individuals for the financial support to pursue this effort. Title was transferred to MPF. PLT and MPF signed an agreement to work together to pay off the loan and steward the land. See the PLT website for ways to contribute.
  • Gave away 400+ native plants at several events. Thanks to the Grow Native! program for the plants.
  • Supported the Kansas City Native Plant Initiative. Several organizations with this endeavor partnered to win a Fish & Wildlife Federation grant to restore monarch butterfly habitat in the Kansas City region. Thanks to Mary Nemecek for leading this effort. See below for PLT’s upcoming work on this grant.
  • Enhanced the outdoor education classroom and restored prairie at Park Hill South HS with native flowers and removal of invasive Asian honeysuckle. Thanks to Backyard Bird Center and Burroughs Audubon for partnering on these efforts.

MAB trail warriors SBH Sept2015-3  64th street gardenfree-plants

Each New Year brings opportunity to build on past success, work with others to achieve more, and protect and restore a small piece of planet Earth for quality communities and future generations. Here are a few items in the works for 2016.

  • Complete two conservation easements to protect Missouri woodlands for wildlife, especially migratory songbirds.
  • Distribute 1000+ native plants and oversee their planting at schools and landscapes in the KC metro. This is part of the Fish & Wildlife Federation grant. Another 1000 plants will go in the ground in 2017.
  • Build more trails and remove invasive plants during the March 12 Girl Scout Community Service Day to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award.
  • Open PLT’s Sawyers property for guided hikes and nature education programs.
  • Assist gardeners with native plants for their landscape through the Partner with Nature
  • Celebrate the long days of summer watching a prairie sun set – field trip!
  • Learn how to conduct a Christmas Bird Count.

Ring in the New Year and join us. Welcome 2016!