July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 34

PHOTO BY BILL HARRISON

CONSERVATION

A child plays on the nature
playground in Black Hoof
Park in Lenexa, Kansas.

Conservation Education and Recreational
Opportunities in Lenexa, Kansas
By Jenny Doty and Allysha Walmann

F

rom the Rain to Recreation program, to the development of the I
Like Lenexa app, the city of Lenexa, Kansas, has capitalized on an
interdepartmental approach to provide recreational opportunities,
while also connecting its residents to conservation education.
Lenexa's Rain to Recreation program was developed in 2000 and is a
nationally recognized infrastructure and community education initiative.
The program calls for building stormwater management systems that incorporate high-quality natural habitats and recreational water features
within city parks. These projects also present many opportunities to educate residents about conservation and water quality, while providing valuable recreational amenities.

Interpretive signage throughout
the park educates visitors about
native plants and wildlife, as
well as the park's innovative
stormwater treatment and
water-quality functions.
32

Parks & Recreation

| J U LY 2 0 1 8 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Lake Lenexa
One such project, a community
favorite, is Lake Lenexa at Black
Hoof Park, which officially opened
in 2009. The initiative required the
close work of many departments,
such as municipal services and
parks and recreation, to make the
public's experience with the pro-

gram informative and seamless.
A 35-acre lake, dam and spillway control flooding around
Coon Creek by temporarily holding back rainwater and slowly releasing it after a storm. Visitors
flock to the lake for fishing and
boating, and the unique architecture of the dam and spillway
provides a stunning backdrop for
family gatherings and photos.
About 3 miles of trails for hiking and biking wind through
the 160-acre park surrounding
the lake, immersing visitors in a
woodland habitat and offering
the occasional glimpse of deer,
red foxes and birds. Interpretive
signage throughout the park educates visitors about native plants
and wildlife, as well as the park's



July 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018 - Parks & Recreation

July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 1
July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 2
July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 3
July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 4
July 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 5
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