Around the state

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150th anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers – June 25 in Nicodemus

From the HaysPost.com:

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Photo by Mark Conard

…in Nicodemus Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. [join us] as living historians guide you through a typical buffalo soldiers camp and regale you with tales of the Old West.

It’s a celebration of the all African-American regiments, known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

In 1866, these regiments were given full military status by Congress and the Army designated the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalries.
From thehomeontherange.com:

The Nicodemus Buffalo Soldier Association was established in 1996 in Nicodemus, Kansas, with the purpose of performing historic cavalry maneuvers and sharing the history of America’s forgotten heroes. Most of the Nicodemus Buffalo Soldier Foundation members are from Nicodemus. Nicodemus, a National Park Historic Site about 50 miles northwest of Hays, is best known for its 19th century pioneers of African descent.

Nicodemus is about a 10 to 15 minute drive west from Webster State Park, which has an expanding set of trails.

 

Great Outdoors Month is Here!
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Great Outdoors Month is Here!

State governors across the country have declared June as “Great Outdoors Month”!  While we don’t need a declaration from the governor to celebrate the best of outdoor Kansas, it’s a good excuse to get out and enjoy the best of what the state has to offer.  To celebrate, El Dorado State Park will host the “Governor’s Campout” on June 18th.  There are some awesome events lined out for the day, including kayaking and canoeing, archery, natural history programs, horse rides, and even a fishing clinic!  If that’s not enough, don’t forget the Boulder Bluff Trail, which crosses open expanses of prairie as it winds around the coves and inlets of the reservoir.

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Boulder Bluff Trail

The party will continue into Saturday evening with more events, door prizes, Dutch Oven cooking and of course camping.  If you’re interested in camping out as part of the event, make sure to contact Kati Westerhaus at 620-672-0740 or emailing Kati.westerhaus@ksoutdoors.com to pre-register.  Click here for more information about the event.

 

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Flint Hills Festival – Saturday 5/21

Entrance to the Flint Hills Discovery Center

Entrance to the Flint Hills Discovery Center

This Saturday, the Flint Hills Discovery Center will be hosting their annual Flint Hills Festival.  Live music, tasty food, archery, rock climbing, and, yes, bison chip throwing – all focused around celebrating the Flint Hills.

On their website, you can find out more details about the schedule.

If you go:

Buy your tickets at the door or get in free with a Flint Hills Discovery Center membership.

Adult (18-64): $9
Youth (2-17): $4
Military, College Students, Educators and Seniors (65+): $7
Under 2: free

315 S 3rd St.
Manhattan, KS 66502

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4/23/16 = Free state parks day!

Pick a park, any state park in Kansas on Saturday, April 23, 2016 and entrance is free! It’s tied in with Earth day celebrations, and really, since it’s free, there’s no reason not to get out there and check out some of what Kansas has to offer.

Plus, some of the parks are holding special activities from snacks to guided nature hikes to 5k run/walks. Get more information from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, here’s our list of top 10 trails, many of which are in the state parks. And if you need more info on just what’s out there, we know of a good book!

Top 10 trails

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Kansas Day events 2016

January 29 marks Kansas Day. It celebrates the day that Kansas was admitted into the Union back in 1861, becoming the 34th state. Flag_of_Kansas

A great way to celebrate the Sunflower State, particularly since the weather should be so nice for January, would be to get out on a trail, helped out by our handy Kansas Trail Guide!

Here are just some of the places holding special Kansas Day events. Click on the links to get info about times and other details.

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Check out Quivira Wildlife Refuge after dark on 11/6/15

Our relationship with Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (well, by our, it’s mostly Jonathan) is a long one. He has tracked and spotted all kinds of animals out on the salt marshes and sand prairie lands. Some of that has included night spotting of deer, which can be a cold and tiring business. But dedication to wildlife and learning more about it can make those sacrifices worth it.

Sunset at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Mark Conard

Sunset at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Mark Conard

And if you want a chance to see what’s out and about in the refuge at night, Friends of Quivira is hosting a night tour on November 6. From their website:

Discover the Refuge after dark, when many of the creatures not seen during the day can be spotted. Participants ride in vans and SUVs along the Refuge roads using spotting scopes to find deer, beaver, coyotes, bob cats, raccoons and any other nocturnal creature that may be out and about.

For more information, call the Refuge at 620-486-2393 or email FOQ@friendsofquivira.org

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Birds and butterflies at Chaplin Nature Center on 9/26

Back in high school biology, each fall, part of our homework was to tag monarch butterflies. It involves capturing the little orange and black buggers and putting a small, special tagged sticker on them and then releasing them back into the world.

Photo by USFWS Midwest

Why do this? Well, I have to say that I never forgot that biology class and running around Sunset Park with a butterfly net. But on a more practical and less specific level, it allows biologists (real ones, not high schoolers) to see when and where a butterfly was first captured and tagged and track it to where it was recovered to look at migration patterns, effects of weather, life span, etc. (I suppose at the other end of the migration path are people looking for dead butterflies with stickers on them, which seems less fun.) You can find out about the project at Monarch Watch.

And why do I ramble on about this? Because the monarch butterflies have arrived in Kansas, and Chaplin Nature Center will be running a free event this Saturday 9/26 from 10am to 3pm where you can help capture and tag monarchs as well as learn more about their migration through the Sunflower State.

There will also be members of the Wichita Audubon Society leading free nature hikes throughout the day.

If you go:
Chaplin Nature Center
27814 27th Dr, Arkansas City, KS 67005

2 miles south of Geuda Springs, then 2.6 miles east on 272nd Rd, or 3 miles west of Arkansas City on Hwy 166, then north 2 1/4 miles on 31st Rd.

Trails are open from sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week

The Visitor’s Center is open on Saturdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. year round. It is closed Mondays and holidays.

September 1 – November 15, Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

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Kansas state parks will be free on 9/26 this year!

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas have come together for Healthy Fun at the Parks Day on Saturday, September 26, 2015. As a part of that, all of the state parks will be free on that day! Normally, a daily use entrance fee is $5.

Plus, they’ve made a coloring book and a map of all 26 state park locations. Coloring books will be available across the state at state park locations, rest stops, and tourism offices, or you may have picked one up at the Kansas State Fair.

So head out to a state park near you on Saturday and enjoy a free visit! If you need some guidance on the trails you can find at the parks, check out our book.

You can learn more about the free day here.Screen Shot 2015-09-22 at 4.33.15 PM

Portland Alley Pedalfest – September 12 and 13
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Portland Alley Pedalfest – September 12 and 13

PedalfestPoster2015There are lot of great ways to enjoy the Prairie Spirit and Southwind Rail Trail, but what better way than with camping, live music, food vendors, and a beer garden? Oh, and of course – cycling!

Props to Thrive Allen County for driving a grassroots effort to promote healthy living and a vibrant trails community in Allen County.  Saddle up your bike and head out to Iola September 12 and 13th to join the fun at the annual Portland Alley Pedalfest.

They’ve got a Family Fun Ride as well 25, 50, 75, and 100 mile rides – sign up at EventBrite.

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National Trails Day is June 6!

National-Trails-Day-copyright-American-Hiking-Society-00001We were pretty excited about National Trails Day – the first Saturday of June. It’s the country’s largest celebration of trails, and Kansas has hundreds of miles of great trails (hint, find out more with our book!).

But then, as can happen in Kansas, the weather has turned and a lot of trails may not be in great condition for a hike. Something to keep in mind – as best you can, stay off trails for a couple of days after a big rain since bike treads and hoof prints particularly will leave indentations in the mud that will then harden, making a previously well-groomed trail into a rutted mess.

For those ready to take on the always changing Kansas weather, volunteers have worked hard to put together some events across the state. Here are the National Trails Day events happening in Kansas –