Our Staff
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she/her
kstanley@klt.org | (785) 749-3297As the Director of KLT, I get to work alongside our incredibly talented team to find ways to protect more land and connect more people to the land. While I have my hands in all aspects of our work here, one of the best parts about my job is getting to develop relationships with the diversity of people whose lives are interwoven with the places we protect.
My favorite place in Kansas really depends on the season! In the winter months, I tend to gravitate more toward sandbars along the Kansas River. Public access is so hard to come by in Kansas and, as a navigable river, many sandbars on the Kaw are places people can readily enjoy and explore.
I recently welcomed a new little human into my life who I get to explore Kansas alongside. My husband and I lovingly call our new addition Toadis because his name is Otis and his pouting face looks remarkably similar to a toad!
Executive Director
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she/her
As the Conservation Coordinator, I work to meet the responsibilities related to managing conservation easements. This includes land conservation and stewardship, fostering healthy partner relationships, and working with the KLT Board, Staff, and Interns to meet the vision and mission of the organization.My favorite outdoor place in Kansas is Otter Creek, Greenwood County because this land is the origin of my Kansas roots. My great-great-grandfather Edward Beedles was a factory worker in Waterloo, NY when, in 1870, he was urged by a dear friend to consider settling in Greenwood County. I often visit this part of Kansas, stopping at the cemetery in Eureka and driving gravel north to Matfield Green, reminiscing about the many stories passed down to me by my family.
As a dual citizen of Australia and the US, I'm particularly interested in flora on the local, regional, and global scales. I have one cat, one dog, one daughter, and one husband, all of whom I enjoy spending time with.
Conservation Coordinator
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she/her
As the Outreach and Public Programs Coordinator, my goal is to expand inclusive conservation partnerships and offer accessible programming that engages diverse audiences as KLT continues to learn from protected spaces and share our appreciation of Kansas lands with the community.
My favorite place in Kansas is Monument Rocks National Landmark. The chalk formations are so visually striking against the prairie and call to mind Kansas’ rich natural history. We are so much more than flatland!
Outside of KLT, I am a florist, quilter, and cookie enthusiast. I am also an avid hiker and camper, working on visiting every national park.
Outreach and Public Programs
Coordinator
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she/her
I am the Stewardship Intern for the Kansas Land trust. I monitor easements and help with various work in the land trust.
My favorite outdoor spot has to be my backyard by the river at my childhood home, as there is where I learned of the wonders of native plants, and the importance of creating a connection with nature.
When not working or attending classes, I love to explore natural areas in search of wildflowers to identify.
Stewardship Intern
Board of Directors
Interested in joining the
Kansas Land Trust
Board of Directors?
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President and Board Member
Realtor
Great Plains Land Co, LLC
President
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Vice President and Board Member
Director of the Bureau of Waste Management, KDHE
Vice President
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Treasurer and Board Member
Landscape Designer
Treasurer
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Secretary and Board Member
Senior Scientist & Professor
Kansas Biological Survey & KU Environmental Studies
Secretary
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Board Member
Professor Emeritus
Washburn University School of Law
Board Member
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Board Member
Owner
Juniper Hill Farms
Board Member
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Board Member
Founding Partner
Bark Media
Board Member
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Board Member
Stinson Leonard Street, LLP
Board Member
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Board Member
Secretary of Kansas Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism
Board Member
Our History
Over the past three decades KLT partnered with our many supporters, landowners, Fort Riley’s Army Compatible Use Buffer program, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to protect 30,000 acres of the Flint Hills. Today our conservation footprint is similar to the size of Topeka spanning across 78 properties in 22 counties.
Working with you we have learned our quality of life, health, prosperity, and productivity arise from our connections to nature. They are rooted in access to healthy food, diverse habitats, healthy streams, clean air, and shared social relationships in nature. As we look forward we envision a future in Kansas where people enjoy our natural lands, clean air and water, access to public spaces, and flourishing livelihoods provided by sustainable connections to the land. The Kansas Land Trust works with you to protect prairies, preserving biodiversity, scenic landscapes, and wildlife habitat. Together we preserve native stream banks, reducing flooding and protecting water downstream for recreation and drinking.
The vision of the Kansas Land Trust grew out of a tragedy. Under the cover of darkness, the Elkins Prairie, a 70-acre prairie near Lawrence, Kansas, was plowed.
Developing a vision and a plan for preserving special places, KLT worked with the Kansas Legislature to authorize a legal framework to protect natural landscapes for future generations.
All these years of planning and organizing enabled KLT to preserve the Akin Prairie in Douglas County.
We strive to expand public access to protected woodlands, streams, and prairies, enriching our connections to nature and each other. Our shared work conserves agricultural lands generating livelihoods for farm families and resilient local food systems. Together we must address climate change through habitat restoration and agricultural practices that sequester carbon in regenerative ecosystems.
Since our founding, we have worked to earn and maintain your trust. We have learned to be adaptive and effective. KLT works with a broad range of landowners conserving diverse landscapes of all sizes. We generate a remarkable return on investment. Averaged over the past 12 years, each of your donated dollars leverages approximately another 20 dollars. A gift of $40 helps conserve another acre of land. Over the past 32 years, KLT conserved $31M of our natural heritage.
With more than three decades of conservation experience, the Kansas Land Trust strives towards protecting more special places. We cherish your trust and generosity. Together we protect our iconic Kansas landscape for future generations.