Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center

Named in honor of longtime Kansas City resident Anita B. Gorman, this nature center offers various programs and community spaces along with eight acres of natural habitats that are representative of the region. In addition to programs within the center, visitors to the center can enjoy interpretive nature trails through woodland, wetland, and prairie habitats. The center also hosts educational programs for schools and families along with a children's play area.

In recognition of her service to the community and leadership of the Kansas City, Missouri Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners, this urban space became a park in the 1960s and then remained to honor Anita Gorman in 1991. The designation was fitting, not only because Gorman was the first woman appointed as a parks commissioner but because of her leadership in preserving this land in the years prior to the park's establishment, a time when this land was under consideration for commercial development. Anita B. Gorman was the first woman appointed to the Missouri Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners when she joined the board in 1979, and she also served as the president of the board from 1986 until 1991.

Gorman was born Anita Belle McPike and attended North Kansas City High School, and graduated from William Jewell College before earning a master’s degree from Boston University. She married Gerald Gorman in 1954, and the couple worked together to support North Kansas City through the preservation of public spaces along with community service. Anita Gorman worked to preserve a Native American archaeological site as well as an open space in North Kansas City that is now home to the Northland Fountain and a public park that bears her name. A leading supporter of the Kansas City Zoo, Starlight Theater, the City of Fountains, and the National World War I Memorial, Gorman's legacy remains closely connected to her work preserving natural spaces in urban settings, including this nature center and its winding trails.

In addition to eight acres of birds, plants, butterflies, and trails that wind through dedicated prairie, wetland, woodland, and forest habitats, the Discovery Center also offers exhibits inside its building and free nature programs. There are also programs for Missouri schools, scheduled tours, activities for bird watching, and programs for families. The Missouri Outdoors Nature Shop offers books and educational materials and a place to obtain hunting and fishing permits.

Missouri Department of Conservation. Field Trip Opportunities, Discovery Center School Programs. Accessed February 8th, 2023. https://education.mdc.mo.gov/field-trip-opportunities/discovery-center-school-programs.

Keegan, Charlie. Fountain Day Kansas City ceremony to honor Anita B. Gorman, KSHB News. April 19th, 2022. Accessed February 8th, 2023. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/fountain-day-ceremony-to-honor-anita-b-gorman.

Mrs. Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City Parks and Recreation . March 29th, 2022. Accessed February 8th, 2023. https://kcparks.org/whm-anita-b-gorman/.