Experience a prairie garden right on K-State campus and open to all! The Meadow is a landscape of prairie plants native to the Flint Hills located just north of the Beach museum. The proximity of the Meadow to the museum provides a meaningful compliment to the museum’s regional art collections.
Several varieties of milkweed and other species provide food and habitat for Monarchs and other pollinators. More than 30 species have been identified in the Meadow; more may be revealed as the landscape matures.
The Meadow has been used for teaching, learning, and research on: natural dye plants, mycelium and other bio-building materials, stormwater infiltration, ecosystem services, benefits of time in nature, pollinator sampling and identification, native plant identification and root physiology.
K-State College of Architecture, Planning & Design students created cohesive seating experiences for three different spaces along the path through The Meadow. Their inventive use of concrete combined with powder coated steel (referencing the Black-Eyed Susan flower) and local walnut wood create unique place-driven solutions inspired by the mission of the Meadow and the preservation of grasslands.
Take a stroll or enjoy the view through the student-designed custom seating and experience the connections between art, science, and the natural world!
The Meadow is a project of the Beach Museum of Art’s Prairie Studies Initiative, in collaboration with K-State staff, faculty, students, and members of the surrounding community. Made possible in part by the generosity of the Hummel family, K-State’s Green Action Fund, the John & John T. Henley Meadow Fund, and a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Meadow is a living memorial to Professor William C. Hummel and Sara T. Hummel.