A captivating collection of shadow boxes featuring seed heads, pressed flowers, botanical prints, and whimsical fairy doors is currently on display at the Lawrence Public Library, designed to inspire wonder and curiosity about native plants and ecosystem diversity. The installation, created by regional artist Lisa Nelick, is showcased along the library's self-check wall as part of their ongoing public art display program.
Nelick originally began crafting these intricate shadow boxes as a personal educational tool to learn about native plant species. Each artfully arranged display includes carefully pinned seed heads accompanied by informational tags displaying both scientific and common names of the featured species. "I was collecting the seeds to try and diversify my prairie, so I needed to know their names," Nelick explained. "It was educational for me, and I also liked the look of them, so I was making them for my friends."
The artist's property, which she and her husband have named The Prairie Harbor, now thrives with native species, but this wasn't always the case. When Nelick first acquired the land, years of damaging farming practices including excessive tilling and chemical usage had severely degraded the ecosystem. Determined to restore the natural balance, Nelick embarked on an ambitious restoration project. "I could just kind of turn it into a native area that could help sustain the wildlife around me," she said.
With financial assistance from the Conservation Reserve Program, Nelick initiated a multi-year process of seeding native grasses across her property. Over time, she strategically added wildflowers and forbs specifically chosen to attract and support local wildlife populations. "These are the species that diversify a grassland, so they support the mammals, the insects and the birds, the snakes and all those things need to live on," Nelick explained. "So if you put down food for the mice and the voles and the birds, then the other predators will come too, and you'll have your hawks and your snakes and your bobcats."
A dedicated section of The Prairie Harbor, dubbed "fruit central," now serves as a year-round buffet for local fauna. The seasonal abundance includes wild strawberries and mulberry trees in spring, followed by gooseberries, black raspberries, mayapples, hackberries, dewberries, and plums during summer months. Fall brings pawpaws, hedge apples, and pecans, while winter provides rose hips and acorns. "These are just a few of the native foods that sustain the wild insects, birds, and animals of Prairie Harbor," Nelick noted.
Nelick's artistic work incorporates elements of fantasy and imagination alongside scientific accuracy. One particularly enchanting piece resembles a self-contained natural world, complete with a fairy door designed to spark viewers' imagination. The door features a deer tooth with a snapping turtle jaw serving as an awning. All displayed pieces are assemblages created from found objects that Nelick collected in wild areas around Lawrence, emphasizing her connection to the local ecosystem.
The artist hopes her installation will help library visitors recognize native species in their natural habitats while encouraging them to approach nature with renewed curiosity. "I'd like for them to pause at that untended lot at the end of the street and look around to see what's there," Nelick said. "Because we think of all these things as weeds, but a lot of them are actually native plants."
Nelick's installation will remain on display at the library through Sunday, August 31, with all pieces available for purchase. For those interested in learning more about native flora and fauna, Nelick recommends starting with the library's extensive book collection on the subject. The library also offers a seed library program complete with gardening resources to help community members begin growing native plants.
A complementary display of books about native flora and fauna has been arranged next to Nelick's installation. The artist also suggests planning foraging trips to help identify and understand local "weeds" and wildflowers. Upcoming educational events at the Lawrence Public Library include birding classes, composting workshops, and meetings of the Restoring Our Landscapes community group.
Several local organizations offer public programming for those interested in native plants and wildlife, including the Prairie Park Nature Center, Grassland Heritage Foundation, Monarch Watch, the Haskell Greenhouse, Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, and Botanical Belonging. Community members interested in displaying their own public art at the library can apply through the library's established process, though applicants must be residents of the northeast Kansas region and follow all exhibit policies and guidelines.
