Discover
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Explore​
Experience
we will be clearing invasive and woody plants from the remnant prairie at the park, primarily targeting invasive black locusts. Please RSVP by filling out this form (https://forms.gle/v1o5q1eKvnnYG14L9) so that we have an accurate count of how many people plan to attend. We will send an email reminder before the workday and will contact you if we need to reschedule the event due to weather or other circumstances.
This is your opportunity to support the Black Jack Battlefield prairie restoration! We will plant native wildflowers and then focused on the removal of woody species, primarily black locust. No experience needed - our team will provide education, tools, and gloves. Please come prepared to work outside, including wearing long pants and closed-toed shoes. Also bring your own water bottle, snacks, bug spray, sun block, and hat. There is a porta potty on site. RSVP to battleofblackjack@gmail.com.
Join Lawrence Preservation Alliance and Black Jack Battlefield as we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our partnership that secured and preserved the site of this pre-Civil War battle between forces led by John Brown and Henry Pate. We will reflect on our shared history while looking forward to a recap of how far Black Jack Battlefield has come, as well as next steps. We will then enjoy a presentation from Douglas County Sustainability Office on the new Douglas County Open Space Plan.
Experience the Battle of Black Jack in a free walking tour led by legendary abolitionist John Brown (AKA local historian Kerry Altenbernd). The tour will involve an explanation of the events leading up to the battle, a blow-by-blow account of the battle, and a walk through prairie grass paths. Please dress accordingly. This tour is part of the Maple Leaf Festival! Tickets are not required for this tour. This event is cohosted by the Watkis Museum.
Images from the 2023 reenactment of the Battle of Black Jack!
Now that the Black Jack Gate has been installed, we are raising funds to landscape around the gate. We plan to add a pollinator garden! If you'd like to donate to this fund, please be sure to add a note to your donation! www.blackjackbattlefield.org/donate
Learn more about this project:
Black Jack is ready to make history again! We have raised 93% of our $2.1 million dollar goal to build a visitor center and adjacent parking lot, and to restore the battlefield to tallgrass prairie.
About
Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park is a non-profit organization devoted to preserving and sharing the history of the Battle of Black Jack, Pearson Farmstead, woodland nature trails, and restored native prairie area. We are located east of Baldwin City, Ks on 56 Hwy at 163 E 2000 Road, Wellsville, KS 66092
Projects
Help us preserve the Pearson house and restore the prairie. Whether a novice or seasoned professional, Black Jack can use your skills as a volunteer. Our volunteers regularly help us with park clean up, general maintenance, or perhaps a special project we are planning. To learn more about helping at Black Jack, click below.
Donate
Your time and charitable giving are greatly appreciated. Black Jack is one of only a few non-profits in Kansas that can boast that less than 10 percent of our donations go toward operating costs. This means that your contribution is going directly into action and helping maintain and preserve the Battlefield, prairie and history of our site.
Becoming a member is easy! Click the Become a Member link below and you can begin your membership with a secure payment through Paypal.
Membership Levels:
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Student - $10.00 - Non Voting Member
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Individual - $35.00
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Supporting - $50.00 - $99.00
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Sustaining - $100.00 - $249.00
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Patron - $250.00 - $999.00
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Benefactor - $1000.00 and up
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Lifetime Member - $2000.00
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Select your Membership Or Donate Today!
Prairie Restoration and Management
Prairies have historically been sustained by the disturbance mechanisms of fire and grazing. Fires set by lightning or Native Americans would burn for long distances before going out and grazers including bison, elk, and deer would feast on the lush green growth that followed.
These processes of disturbance kept trees and shrubs from invading the prairie ecosystem where it has dominated the Great Plains landscape for 10,000 years since the last ice age. But times have changed. Due to a highly fragmented landscape, fires now must be prescribed by people and grazers now are mostly represented by area-restricted cattle. Mowers and swathers help simulate both of these activities too. The key now is that people must purposefully implement disturbance regimes of fire and/or cutting in order to resist the invasion of woody plants and restore/maintain prairie plant communities dominated by grasses, hedges, and wildflowers.
Sponsors
