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Kansas Citians know a thing or two about growing an empire that lasts. You reap what you sow.
That is why dozens of volunteers were in the soil, getting dirty on Tuesday morning, so that for generations to come, Chiefs Kingdom at the Truman Sports Complex remains local and stays Missouri.
“I love Missouri. I love taking care of our native habitat,” said volunteer Teala Sadler. “As I got older, I realized how much we really need to like actually protect it and take care of it. And stewardship is super important to me, so that’s why I’m really happy to be here.”
They planted a total of 5,600 native Missouri plants across 5,000 square feet of land.
“We have six different types of native plants, from grasses to beautiful blooms, and this is all in anticipation of the World Cup coming to Kansas City next year,” said Outdoor Education Manger with Deep Roots KC, Cydney Ross. “What you plant matters.”
The project is a partnership between five entities: the Missouri Department of Conservation, Deep Roots KC, the Jackson County Sport Complex Authority, KC’s Native Pitch, and Sur Landscape Architecture.
Their one shared goal is to showcase the best of Missouri to the world.
“I want to see Kansas City on the screen and make it recognizable, right? And native plants do that. So, though we’re excited for the World Cup, my personal goal is for this to be a longterm project that brings beauty and excitement to the folks who are coming to the sports complex center,” said Ross.
The Missouri Department of Conservation will create signage for the different species of plants and flowers. Not only will be it be educational and pleasing to the eye, but it will also be a love letter to Midwest pollinators.
“We lose a whole niche of wildlife and then it just kind of goes up the chain. The whole food web will collapse and that includes people,” said Ross.
Not to mention, conservation is cost-effective as well. John Rizzo with the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority takes care of the grounds at the Truman Sports Complex.
“They’re accustomed to the climate and the weather that we have here in Missouri and Kansas City area, so they should be able to thrive on their own and not need as much maintenance as they would normally get,” said Rizzo.
Sadler believes lack of care for the land leads to lack of care for the community. She hopes visitors will notice the flowers, get curious, and appreciate what was grown to last.
“I hope they can see that we’re more than just like a flyover state. This is a place that has a lot of heritage both with the land and with the culture,” said Sadler.
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