This artist is turning invasive species at Johnson County parks into inspiration for her craft

A new initiative pairs an artist with conservation efforts to remove the invasive species of bush honeysuckle in Johnson County’s parks.
On a humid Tuesday morning in the last week of August, artist Kirsten Taylor drove to the trailhead near the marina at Shawnee Mission Park, the largest park in Johnson County, Kansas.

A few bicyclists rode the paved trails on the way to the wooded trails, popular with hikers, mountain bikers and birdwatchers.

“I've been traveling up to Shawnee Mission Park about two times a week,” Taylor said, “spending about four hours, a little more some days, each day.”

Taylor, a graduate student in ceramics at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, was selected as the county Park and Recreation District’s first artist in residence. In August, she embedded with the natural resources team to focus on forest health and the impact of invasive species.