At the Tallgrass Preserve

This week’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette:

AT THE TALLGRASS PRESERVE

THE PLACE has fly-fishing spots, a horse named Badger, and long pastures with swaying wildflowers.

In the one-room schoolhouse, children can practice penmanship, read from McGuffey readers and play old-time games at recess.

Visitors have the opportunity to count birds in the International Migratory Bird Count (this Saturday) and count butterflies for the North American Butterfly Association Count (June 27).

All this and more is what you’ll find at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City. The spring and summer calendar can barely contain all the events and activities.

And it’s free. There’s no admission charge to the park. This year they’ve even eliminated the fee for the bus tours of the backcountry.

Recently, I stopped by the preserve and visited with Park Ranger Heather Brown, chief of interpretation and visitor services, to learn what they have in store for tourist season which, for them, kicked off on April 25.

Brown said fly fishing is new this year. For that, people can walk to Fox Creek on the Bottomland Trail.

In addition to fishing in the creek, there are three ponds. But you can’t take your catch-of-the-day home; it’s all catch-and-release here.

“Fishing is a nice activity to get kids involved.” Brown said, adding that the park offers children a great avenue to explore nature.

“It’s almost a bit of a selfish thing to get kids involved,” she admitted, “Because who is going to take care of the Park Service sites in the future if we don’t get them interested?”

“Kids are so excited and eager to learn. There’s an opportunity for them to do seed collecting and experience nature trails and history as well,” Brown said.

Memorial Day Weekend events are geared toward this younger generation.

Children’s Ranch Day is May 23, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jim and Marilyn Wallace of Lebo are scheduled to bring their band of traveling farm animals to create a petting zoo.

Children’s Fishing Day is May 24. From 1 to 3 p.m., youngsters can fish with the park rangers. Poles will be provided.

Children have the chance to experience a classroom of the past on School Day, Monday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the one-room schoolhouse.

Badger the horse

These are just a few of the upcoming events, but you can have an adventure any day in the Flint Hills.

Hiking is a popular activity with nature trails as short as a half-mile and as long as 6.4 miles.

May and June are prime months to view gorgeous wildflowers in the Flint Hills. A “What’s Blooming Now” display is available in the barn.

“People can take photos with their cell phones and then come back here and find out what the plants are,” Brown said.

Brown has been at the Tallgrass Preserve for seven years. Some visitors are surprised that out of all grand and glorious places in the National Park Service, she wanted to be in Kansas.

“It was a choice. I competed for the position and was happy to get it,” she said.

Park Ranger Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services

Brown is from LeRoy in Coffey County. Before coming to the Tallgrass Preserve, she worked at Fort Scott, then Leavenworth. She was a park ranger on the National Mall in the District of Columbia and also at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

“I like the peacefulness here and the people who visit,” Brown said. And she is grateful that members of the community work so well with the Preserve. “We work with them and they work with us and that’s the way it should be. There are a lot of good people in this area.”

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas) is located along K-177, two miles north of Strong City, is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (620) 273-8494, or visit www.nps.gov/tapr.

Copyright 2009 ~ Cheryl Unruh