Prairie Park Pavilion was designed and built by third-year University of Kansas Architecture students to support the Prairie Park Nature Center's mission to conserve the natural world through hands-on environmental and conservation education. Conservation and sustainability go hand in hand, and with this in mind, the shade pavilion was designed and constructed almost entirely of repurposed materials that included retired utility poles from the local power company, aluminum street signs from surrounding municipalities, and limestone seating from renovations at KU’s Memorial Stadium. The pavilion will host camps, movies, weddings, educational programming, and more.

Prairie Park Nature Center is named for the native prairie landscape that surrounds the Center’s main facility and animal sanctuary. This remnant prairie is one of the last unaltered prairie landscapes in the region and a unique example of an upland prairie ecosystem preserved alongside the educational programming at the park. Recent threats to close the Center due to budget shortages prompted a community outpouring of support that has prioritized keeping the doors open and community programming accessible. Prairie Park Nature Center has become a community staple over the past two decades, and the prairie landscape is emblematic of the challenges to conserve natural landscapes.