Baker University announced a new partnership with Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands & Streams (KAWS) to manage its nearly 1,000-acre Baker University Wetlands, which includes over 600 acres of wetlands. Recognizing the area’s ecological importance, DU and KAWS proposed this collaboration to ensure proper care and management. The partnership involves hiring a full-time director with wetland management experience and leveraging DU’s biologists, land managers, and engineers, alongside KAWS’s local watershed protection and resource interpretation staff.

The Baker University Wetlands, a valuable extension of the Baldwin City campus, faces challenges like aging infrastructure and invasive plant issues. Restoration plans include new water-control structures, embankment construction, and improved water management to promote native vegetation. New director Andrew Rutter, with 12 years of experience in wildlife and wetland management, will lead these efforts.

The partnership aims to build local collaborations to enhance conservation and educational outreach, strengthening connections with Kansas’s natural resources. This initiative reflects Baker University’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship, highlighted by its registered arboretum and Tree Campus USA designation since 2011.