Winter is a good time to get out the field guides
and page through them to refamiliarize yourself with the wide variety of
flora available in Kansas. Re-reading the text entries will often
yield surprising flashes of insight based on the experiences you had since
you last read them.
Of course, one can never have enough field guides!
Don't limit your bookshelf to the "Kansas-only" books. Often you will
find species from Kansas in the field guides from neighboring states and
other species that are not be listed in Kansas books that are also found
here. Every author brings a
different suite of experiences to what they write, and different books may
have different features of a species illustrated as well, so these too can
provide you with valuable knowledge. You can find a list of books on
Kansas wildflowers and other natural history topics here.
Want a real identification challenge? Try
finding your favorite species in winter! See if you can use the seed
pods and vegetative structures to recognize a species. This is a great
way to broaden your familiarity with a plant. There was a 1984 book
useful for this purpose called "Pods: Wildflowers and Weeds in Their Final
Beauty" written by Jane Emberton that is currently out of print (and really
deserves a second edition), but you may be able to locate a used copy online
or through your local bookstore.
Think Spring!
2009 Wildflower
Programs and Outings
JULY
 |
July 2:
Prairie Seed Harvesting at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in
Strong City, Kansas. Help staff harvest prairie seeds from 9am - noon. The
seeds will be used to restore bottomland prairie areas at the preserve.
Contact:
tapr_interpretation@nps.gov
or (620) 273–8494 |
|
July 7:
Explore Kansas prairies with Brad Guhr, Education Coordinator of the Dyck
Arboretum.
Come along to gather seed, observing wildlife and identify prairie plants
on high quality native prairie remnants. Leave the Dyck Arboretum
(south side of Hesston) at 4:00 PM and return by twilight. Fee: $5,
children under 13 are free. Call 620-327-8127 to reserve a spot.
Directions can be given to late arrivers. Bring a sandwich and enjoy
the sun setting over the prairie! |
|
July 11:
Kansas Native Plant Society Summer Board Meeting and
Outing outside Canton, KS. The Board meeting will be held at Maxwell
Wildlife Refuge Tour Center following the outing. We have been invited to
tour "Buffalo Hill", a 160-acre private prairie bordering Maxwell from
10am-noon. Non-Board Members may want to bring their own lunch to eat
prior to the Board Meeting.
For questions, contact KNPS Board Member Susan
Reimer susanr@mpks.net
or (620) 245-9055. |
|
July 18: Volunteers are
needed for prairie maintenance and preservation projects. The Grassland Heritage Foundation
Groundhogs meet on the third Saturday of every month except December.
Wear appropriate clothing. No special skills or tools needed.
Contact Frank Norman, Kansas Native Plant Society Board Member
fjnorman@sunflower.com or (785)
887-6775 (home) or (785) 691-9748 (cell)
|
AUGUST
|
August 4:
Explore Kansas prairies with Brad Guhr, Education Coordinator of the Dyck
Arboretum.
Come along to gather seed, observing wildlife and identify prairie plants on
high quality native prairie remnants. Leave the Dyck Arboretum (south
side of Hesston) at 4:00 PM and return by twilight. Fee: $5, children
under 13 are free. Call 620-327-8127 to reserve a spot.
Directions can be given to late arrivers. Bring a sandwich and enjoy
the sun setting over the prairie!
|
|
August 15: Volunteers
are needed for prairie maintenance and preservation projects. The
Grassland Heritage Foundation
Groundhogs meet on the third Saturday of every month except December.
Wear appropriate clothing. No special skills or tools needed.
Contact Frank Norman, Kansas Native Plant Society Board Member
fjnorman@sunflower.com or (785)
887-6775 (home) or (785) 691-9748 (cell)
|
|
August 18:
Explore Kansas prairies with Brad Guhr, Education Coordinator of the Dyck
Arboretum.
Come along to gather seed, observing wildlife and identify prairie plants on
high quality native prairie remnants. Leave the Dyck Arboretum (south
side of Hesston) at 4:00 PM and return by twilight. Fee: $5, children
under 13 are free. Call 620-327-8127 to reserve a spot.
Directions can be given to late arrivers. Bring a sandwich and enjoy
the sun setting over the prairie!
|
SEPTEMBER
|
September 3:
Prairie Seed Harvesting at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in
Strong City, Kansas. Help staff harvest prairie seeds from 9am - noon. The
seeds will be used to restore bottomland prairie areas at the preserve.
Contact:
tapr_interpretation@nps.gov
or (620) 273–8494 |
|
September 5:
Fall Wildflower Tour at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge,
McPherson County, KS. Board the tram for a tour of the prairie with
wildflowers and buffalo, 10am. There is also a self guided walking tour
with flowers flagged. The Refuge is located 6 miles north of Canton, KS.
Contact: (620)
628-4455 |
|
September 12-13: 3rd
Annual Wildflower Weekend at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in
Chase County, KS. Bring the family; the weekend will be educational and
enjoyable for all ages, 10am-4pm. Members of the Kansas Native Plant Society
will be on hand to lead wildflower hikes.
website: www.nps.gov/tapr email:
tapr_interpretation@nps.gov
phone: (620) 2738494
|
|
September 18-20: Kansas
Native Plant Society’s Annual Wildflower Weekend 2009 dates are set! Come
enjoy native plants in Kansas with us! The weekend is filled with outings,
programs, a silent auction, photo contest, dinner, and socializing. Location
to be announced soon!
Contact KNPS for more information:
email@KSNPS.org or (785) 864-3453
|
|
September 19:
Volunteers are needed for prairie maintenance and preservation projects. The
Grassland Heritage Foundation
Groundhogs meet on the third Saturday of every month except December. Wear
appropriate clothing. No special skills or tools needed.
Contact: Frank Norman, Kansas Native Plant Society Board Member
fjnorman@sunflower.com or (785)
887-6775 (home) or (785) 691-9748 (cell)
|
OCTOBER
|
October
1:
Prairie Seed Harvesting at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong
City, Kansas. Help staff harvest prairie seeds from 9am - noon. The seeds
will be used to restore bottomland prairie areas at the preserve.
Contact:
tapr_interpretation@nps.gov
or (620) 273–8494
|
|
October 17: Volunteers
are needed for prairie maintenance and preservation projects. The
Grassland Heritage Foundation
Groundhogs meet on the third Saturday of every month except December. Wear
appropriate clothing. No special skills or tools needed.
Contact: Frank Norman, Kansas Native Plant Society Board Member
fjnorman@sunflower.com or (785)
887-6775 (home) or (785) 691-9748 (cell)
|
NOVEMBER
|
November 21: Volunteers
are needed for prairie maintenance and preservation projects. The
Grassland Heritage Foundation
Groundhogs meet on the third Saturday of every month except December.
Wear appropriate clothing. No special skills or tools needed.
Contact: Frank Norman, Kansas Native Plant Society Board Member
fjnorman@sunflower.com or (785)
887-6775 (home) or (785) 691-9748 (cell)
|
For a look online at what Kansas has to offer throughout the year, visit these web sites:
Southwest Kansas Wildflowers
- featuring the photos of Fred Meyer Jr.
Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas
- by Mike Haddock
Top of page
|
Funded by the
Chickadee Checkoff Program
Click here for a brochure! |
The Natural
Kansas web site
©2009
by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Re-publication of site content in any form other than for personal use
requires written permission. If you are a Kansas resident, please
assist with this and other wildlife viewing and conservation programs
by contributing to the Chickadee Checkoff on your state tax form. |
Questions or comments about Natural Kansas may be directed to Jim Mason
|
