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Although diversity is a buzzword in business these days, rarely has the concept been expanded to cross cultural and environmental lines. In the heart of Kansas City, though, lies a project that will cross those lines over the course of the next three years: the Blue River Glade.
By definition, a glade is an area of prairie vegetation surrounded by woods. Missouri once included more than 400,000 acres of glade, until practices such as suppressing fires and importing invasive plants reduced most glades to overgrown thickets deprived of sunlight. When that happens, the natural biodiversity becomes a monoculture. Although the Blue River Glade never became completely overgrown, it will require a tremendous amount of work if it is ever to regain its original state. Toward that end, a public-private partnership will work toward restoration of the glade over the course of the next three years. KCPL, as one of the partners, provides funding for a part-time
project manager who will And the project fits perfectly into KCPL's environmental activities, as well as the company's diversity and core city revitalization agenda. The key ingredient in making this project work is combining the
KCPL's expectations for this project focus only partly on how much of the glade is restored when we're finished. The project's success will be measured, at least in part, by the number of people who choose to get involved and the diversity of their backgrounds. As local schools, neighborhood groups and others work at the site, our hope is that they will take ownership of this natural jewel, right in their own backyards. While we work at maintaining our ecological diversity to release the beauty and diversity of the glade, we'll also be encouraging local groups to take ownership of the project and develop a deeper appreciation for natural diversity - a measure of the health of our community. If you would like more information about the Blue River Glade or if you would like to volunteer for a workday on the glade, call the Blue River Glade Project, Vicki Richmond - Project Coordinator, at Kansas City Harmony, 816-231-1077. If you're not sure how to find the Blue River Glade, we've provided a map to make it a little easier. As the project's tagline says, "Discover Diversity: It's Only Natural."
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oversee
the glade restoration. The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department
owns the land, and the glade abuts Swope Park. The Kansas City Zoo and Lakeside Nature Center joined
the partnership because of the educational opportunities it poses.
The Nature Conservancy of Missouri and the Missouri Department of
Conservation want to restore the natural environment, especially
in an urban area. Kansas City Harmony, which is spearheading the
effort, sees it as an opportunity to expand its work in cultural,
racial and ethnic diversity. 
efforts
of a wide range of community volunteers. Harmony and the project
coordinator will pull together the people power needed to restore
the glade, both from the communities surrounding the Swope Park
area and from volunteers throughout the metropolitan area. An ethnically
and socially diverse group of volunteers will focus on restoring
a biologically diverse area. 
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