Konza Prairie and Creek Bottoms
I finished up my keynote talk before the Kansas State Advanced Master Gardener Training this morning in Manhattan, KS. As always, Master Gardeners are a great group of very interested, committed gardeners. And here I am in the middle of the Great Plains, with some time on my hands. As it so happens, I love prairies, am passionate about their conservation and visit them whenever I get a chance. Here in the Flint
A Creek Running through the Prairie
Hills of east central Kansas, is a fabulous 8,600 acre tract of undisturbed prairie, The Kanzo, owned and managed by a partnership of the Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University.
So I headed out in the late afternoon to enjoy the area at dusk. The Kanzo is a beautiful mix of hills and creek bottoms. The tall grasses like Big Bluestem (Andropogon), Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium), Switchgrass (Panicum)
Panicum virgatum with Solidago
and Indian Grass (Sorghastrum) are the dominate cover in the open fields while the numerous small creeks are lined with Oaks (Quercus), Hackberry (Celtis), Honeylocust (Gleditsia) and Black Walnut (Juglans). Scattered colonies of redbud (Cercis) and Viburnam occupy the edges between grass and trees.
Normally receiving a little more than 30″ of precipitation annual, it’s been a dry summer in this part of Kansas. The tall grasses are short and wildflowers
Sylphium in setting sun
like Compass Plant (Sylphium) have beautiful fall color in their foliage but
are without their towering late summer flower spikes. However the Gayfeather (Liatris) are in full bloom and covered with clouds of painted lady butterflies and buzzing honeybees and bumblebees.
Liatris with Stiff Sunflower
The narrowleaf purple coneflower
(Echinacea angustifolia) are in seed and the prairie sage (Salvia azurea) manages to be in bloom along with small pink ornamental onions (Allium). I climb the trail to the top of a large hill to a gorgeous view of the surrounding hills and creek bottoms.
Juniperus virginiana with Solidago at sunset
It is getting late, so I turn around and head back down the trail to the parking lot, descending through a big meadow ablaze with tall Goldenrod (Solidago) as a light breeze waves their brilliant yellow flowers. I stop to smell the sweet, pure scents of the creek, the flowers and the trees.
Flocks of birds fly overhead looking to roost for the night. I give silent thanks that such a magnificent piece of the earth has been put aside for preservation and research.
Dropping down to the creek at Kanzo Prairie
I’m so privileged to be standing in such a rare gem, a tiny piece of what was once an endless sea of virgin grass that covered this country.
Deer in field of Sorghastrum, Big Blue Stem at prairie's edge
Coming to the end of the trail as the sun is setting, I look out over a field of glowing Big Bluestem and meet the stare of a curious deer who is just tall enough to see me over the grass; a wonderful “good bye” as I head back to civilization.
The first time I read “Little House on the Prairie” I was completely puzzled by Laura’s description of grasses taller than her head. I grew up in Colorado, and had only come across short-grass prairies, and you wouldn’t have walked through those barefoot like Laura did because of the prickly pears (or prickly poppies, or anthills). (Or general 20th-century, citified wussiness.) When I drove the back roads through Kansas in my twenties, it was an eye-opener. What beautiful countryside they have–the interstate doesn’t do it justice. Thanks for a lovely post, and a vivid description of that magnificent landscape. How wonderful to have been there to enjoy it.
Stacy:
The prairies of Kansas are amazing and I was very inspired to share what I experienced. And I love growing the prairie plants in my gardens.
David
A beautiful description of the Kanza. I haven’t visited it in several years – after reading your description, I’m going to move it up higher on the priority list!
I enjoyed your talk in Manhattan very much (being one of those Master Gardeners there to hear you). Thanks so much for sharing your energy and enthusiasm (as well as your considerable knowledge!) with us.
Gaia:
It was a privilege to be a presenter at the Conference. I find Master Gardeners to be some of the most enthusiastic audiences I address. Manhattan is such a nice town and of course the Flint Hill prairies are so beautiful.
David