KU Roots: Global Reach

Beneath the Kansas prairie, the roots run as deep as 12 feet. They draw sufficient moisture and nutrients to support dozens of species of grasses, sedges and flowers, even during times of extended drought. The plants, in turn, attract a variety of birds, mammals and insects that together sustain a complex ecosystem. And scientists believe the prairie’s underground ecosystem may be even more diverse than the one we see.

The world’s prairies serve as reservoirs of genetic diversity, harboring rare species that may provide yet undiscovered medicines and foods. Like the prairie, the university is a rich well of resources that must be maintained.

KU Endowment’s founders and early donors understood KU’s vast potential to contribute to human knowledge — and the kind of opportunities that could come only through private funding. Their gifts of land, campus buildings, scholarships and unrestricted funds continue to nourish the university community.