The calendar shows events we are part of and events we are sponsoring. Do you have an event we should know about? Send us a message.
Springtime in Bluebell Valley: A Nature Walk to Reconnect and Renew 💙
Date: Sunday April 13, 2025
12600 E 98 St, Kansas City, MO 64138
Join us for our April Nature-Connection Event, a rejuvenating springtime walk through one of Kansas City’s most beautiful and serene landscapes—Bluebell Valley, located just off the Rock Island Trailhead. This rich, vibrant bottomland along the Little Blue River comes alive each spring, blanketed with the delicate hues of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) and other stunning spring ephemerals. It’s a breathtaking celebration of nature’s renewal and the return of warmer days.
This walk offers more than just a scenic route—it’s an opportunity to slow down, reconnect with nature, and restore your own sense of balance and peace. We’ll take our time to enjoy the beauty around us, appreciating the wildflowers, the sounds of the river, and the quiet serenity that this area provides.
Highlights for the Walk
While the trail along the river is mostly flat, there is one short, steeper hill on the way down from the Rock Island Trail. Be prepared with sturdy shoes that can handle a little mud, and leave your worries behind as you engage fully with the natural world around you.
After the walk, take some time to reflect, chat with fellow participants, and absorb the peace of the surroundings. It’s not just a walk—it’s a chance to deepen your connection to nature, cultivate resilience in the face of life’s challenges, and foster a sense of community.
Details:
Location: Rock Island Trailhead, Bluebell Valley
Distance: Short but meaningful (with time to linger and connect)
Footwear: Sturdy shoes suitable for mud and uneven terrain
For more information or any questions, please contact Anna Graether at anna@theresilientactivist.org.
We hope to see you there for a walk that will nourish your spirit and deepen your connection to the natural world.
Why Nature-Connection is Important 🍄🟫
We *are* nature but our culture and lifestyle can separate from our connection with our environment. Re-establishing our sense of awareness and belonging in nature by breaking down barriers and spending more time outdoors helps each of us in different ways. It can reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical health, inspire creativity, improve clarity of thought, facilitate problem-solving, and help us gain perspective.
In a society where loneliness is an epidemic, rediscovering our sense of belonging within nature can help us feel a little less adrift and provide comfort when relationships with others fall short.
Walk Leader
This event is led by Anna Graether, a dedicated The Resilient Activist board member who will guide you through this immersive experience, sharing her knowledge and appreciation of the land, its history, and its healing power. Whether you’re new to the area or a seasoned local, this walk offers a fresh perspective on the beauty of Kansas City’s spring landscape and provides the perfect opportunity to pause, breathe, and simply be present.
Photo Credits: Anna Graether
KC Farm School Work Day: A Morning of Gardening & Community 🌻
Date: Saturday May 3, 2025
4223 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS
Join The Resilient Activist and the staff of KC Farm School for this work day event. Depending on weather, we’ll help with planting annuals or work in the greenhouse transplanting seedlings. Wear clothes that can get dirty (layers are recommended), bring some water and get ready to enjoy working as a community!
KC Farm School
“KC Farm School at Gibbs Road, established in 2018, is a 14.5-acre urban farm in southern Wyandotte County bringing the community on-farm, hands-on to connect to land and soil, food community and opportunity. Through educational opportunity and equitable access to local food for all, we create tomorrow better than today in our shared communities across KC. Our food and programming are always Pay What You’re Able. When we all share as we’re able, we all have what we need. The Farm School at Gibbs Road Inc., doing business as KC Farm School at Gibbs Road, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.”
Highlights for the Day
Highlights for the DayDepending on the weather during our work day we could be inside of the Greenhouse or working outside in the sun. Be prepared with sturdy shoes that can handle a little mud, layers are a good idea as the greenhouse can heat up quick.
If it’s your first time at the Farm set aside some time after to take a tour of their beautiful and extensive plot. If you’re lucky enough someone from the Farm School might be able to give you a guided tour with history of the land and their plans for the future.
Why Nature-Connection is Important 🍄🟫
We *are* nature but our culture and lifestyle can separate from our connection with our environment. Re-establishing our sense of awareness and belonging in nature by breaking down barriers and spending more time outdoors helps each of us in different ways. It can reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical health, inspire creativity, improve clarity of thought, facilitate problem-solving, and help us gain perspective.
In a society where loneliness is an epidemic, rediscovering our sense of belonging within nature can help us feel a little less adrift and provide comfort when relationships with others fall short.
Work Day Leader
This event is led by Sarah Mayerhofer, a board member of The Resilient Activist, Sustainability Consultant, and aspiring homesteader. She focuses on addressing climate change through education on food waste and composting, collaborating with nonprofits that are making a difference in the community, and inspiring individuals to make small, impactful changes in their lives for the environment.
Photo Credits: Sarah Mayerhofer
Roots & Remedies: An Exploration into Plant Medicine 🍄🟫
Date: July 12th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM CT
Location: Kansas City (full address available after you RSVP)
Join The Resilient Activist community and Luke Welsh for a native garden tour, discussion on local medicinal plants, community connection, and a chance to take some promising seedlings home!
While walking through the garden, Luke will share the physical and emotional benefits of utilizing the medicinal plants we find that are currently in season. Once you leave the event with a seedling or two of your own, you’ll come away with an enhanced understanding and appreciation of what these native plants can offer.
The event location will be available once you RSVP.
Native gardening can be a powerful form of self-care and activism. One of the best ways to support wildlife is to plant natives, because insects and birds have evolved alongside the plants they rely on. Without specific plants, we wouldn’t have specific insects. When we provide a healthy environment for insects to thrive, birds and pollinators get to eat, birds and pollinators pollinate, and humans are able to eat and be nourished!
Along with supporting ecosystem balance, the process of native gardening and connecting with the soil can lower our blood pressure, calm our mind, and nourish us on a deeper level.
Why Nature-Connection is Important 🍄🟫
We *are* nature but our culture and lifestyle can separate from our connection with our environment. Re-establishing our sense of awareness and belonging in nature by breaking down barriers and spending more time outdoors helps each of us in different ways. It can reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical health, inspire creativity, improve clarity of thought, facilitate problem-solving, and help us gain perspective.
In a society where loneliness is an epidemic, rediscovering our sense of belonging within nature can help us feel a little less adrift and provide comfort when relationships with others fall short.
Contact TRA Board Member Anna Graether at anna@theresilientactivist.org with questions.
To learn more about how you can start your own native garden, read Anna’s informative blog post: “From Lawn to Wildlife Habitat: Conservation Starts in Your Own Backyard.”
“Using plants [facilitates] a biochemical conversation which is far beyond our comprehension or our understanding.” – Bevin Clare
Photo Credit: Sarah Mayerhofer