Honoring the Legacy of Sarah Dean

The Kansas Land Trust was saddened to hear of the recent passing of KLT founding board member Sarah Dean. 

Sarah grounded herself with caring for the land. Her passion and work extended from her early experiences on her family’s ranch in the Flint Hills to contributing her energetic leadership with the Land Institute, Kansas Rural Center, and the Kansas Land Trust.

Sarah financially supported and worked with farmers with on-farm sustainable farming practices. With the Kansas Land Trust, Sarah was a founding board member guiding KLT towards saving our beautiful landscapes. Sarah lent her financial acumen to KLT as a treasurer guiding a fledging organization which continued to grow and mature. Sarah cultivated diverse networks including politicians, scientists, farmers and ranchers, attorneys, activists, neighbors, and anyone working towards a better future.

KLT Board Member Kelly Kindscher, who worked closely with Sarah during the early days of KLT, remembers Sarah as an important contributor who brought many attributes to the table.

“Sarah had first-hand knowledge of caring for Kansas land and was very organized,” Kelly said. “She was good with business and always willing to ask the hard questions. Her insights and leadership helped build our organization’s strong foundation.” 

 Sarah was both kind and tenacious, striving to leave a conservation legacy for us all. We remember Sarah’s many contributions and send condolences to her loving family.