Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, “We have flown the air like birds and swam the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.”
In this spirit, Heartland Conservation Alliance is leading a nature walk on Monday, Jan. 16, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from 1-4 p.m. Led by a community naturalist, the walk will begin with remarks and a prayer from a local pastor at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Square Park and conclude with refreshments at Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center. Kansas City residents will be joined by hundreds of thousands across the country celebrating MLK Day.
Local residents are invited to participate in the casual, family-friendly walk for reflection and to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy of peaceful demonstrations. The walk will take place on a paved trail and is appropriate for walkers of all ages and abilities. The 1.2-mile nature walk will begin at 1 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Square Park, a Kansas City, Mo., park. And conclude at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, 3700 Blue Pkwy, Kansas City, Mo. 64130. Walkers are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for outdoor weather, including hats and gloves. Participants are welcome to stay for refreshments and view the African American Inventors and Innovators Exhibit at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center. Parking is available at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Square Park and a shuttle will be provided from the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center to Martin Luther King, Jr., Square Park after the walk.
The walk is hosted by Heartland Conservation Alliance and its presenting partners Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation; the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Missouri State Parks; Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center; Kansas City Environmental Professionals of Color (EPOC); Green Works; and Blue River Watershed Association. Dedicated to conserving natural areas, convening community members, and connecting people to nature, the Heartland Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit that works collaboratively throughout the Kansas City area.
“All are welcome to join in the fun and beauty of our natural areas while we celebrate and remember Dr. King Jr., as a man of service,” said Heartland Conservation Alliance Partnership Coordinator Joy Heaviland. “Let us walk together and inspire each other to be kind and serve others. Then I am looking forward to the inspiration of great inventors and innovators at the special exhibit at Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center.”
For more information about Heartland Conservation Alliance visit their website heartlandconservationalliance.org or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandConservationAlliance. For details about the Nature Walk, contact Joy Heaviland, Partnership Coordinator, 816-759-7300, ext. 1148, or by email at hcapartnerships@gmail.com
