September 2019
Meeting Program – Jurassic Lark: Why Birds Are Dinosaurs by Rachel Roth
From brooding behaviors to pneumatic bones, the similarities between modern birds and dinosaurs go well beyond feathers. In the last two years huge leaps in research and hundreds of new fossils continue to paint a picture of ancient birds that blurs the line between "avian" and "non-avian." Rachel will explain why dinosaurs still exist; they simply took to the sky. Rachel Roth is the Great Plains Nature Center's resident bird nerd who got hooked on all things feathered while studying…
Find out more »October 2019
Meeting Program – People and Wildlife: An Anthropologist’s Journey to Namibia by Dr. Ryan Klataske
Join us for a public talk by Dr. Ryan Klataske about his research in southern Africa and its relevance to conservation issues and efforts in the Great Plains. African wildlife face an array of formidable threats, from habitat loss and fragmentation to human-wildlife conflict and illegal trafficking. Similar threats to wildlife exist around the world. Fortunately, in southern Africa, groups of people are working together to manage and conserve wildlife and natural resources in innovative ways. For the past decade,…
Find out more »November 2019
Meeting Program – The Impact of Road Mortality on Wildlife by Dr. Bill Langley
We have all seen dead animals along the road and wondered how often did this occur? My study described the road mortality for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and birds along Highway K254 over a two-year period. A total of 88 species comprised the 4484 individuals found during this study. Hear about what I found and its importance. Bill has lived in in El Dorado or Wichita for the past 42 years. He retired from Butler Community College after 30 years…
Find out more »February 2020
Meeting Program – Australia – Adventures Down Under by Jim & Patty Marlett
Jim and Patty Marlett have made two trips to Australia, both times with Carol and Hal Cumberland. In 2015 they visited Queensland, Sydney, and Tasmania for four weeks. They returned in 2018 to spend three weeks in Victoria and South Australia, traveling from Melbourne to Adelaide. The wildlife in Australia was amazing, and like nothing in Kansas! They will show you everything from Emus and penguins to blue-tongued skink to Tasmanian devils. Jim and Patty are both retired. He was…
Find out more »March 2020
Meeting Program – Nature Highlights of Scotland and Ireland by Bob Gress
From rugged coastlines to Caledonian forests to mountain highlands, the Scottish islands maintain some of the most pristine wilderness in the United Kingdom. Wildlife thrives in much of this country of castles, lochs, moors, heaths, glens and firths. The Emerald Isle’s physical appeal endures, but by no means is entirely green. The gray limestone Burren’s in County Clare and black peat bogs of the Midlands accent this beautiful landscape. This program highlights Scotland and Ireland’s traditional culture, landscapes, rural life…
Find out more »April 2020
Meeting Program – Life History and Current Status of Prairie Chicken in KS by Vickie Cikanek
Greater and Lesser Prairie chicken are an iconic symbol of the Kansas prairie. Their mating habits alone make them a must see when visiting the great plains, but there is so much more to their lives than what goes on in the spring. They have been coined by some as umbrella species of the central plains, and it is because of that, there has been a lot of concern over their population statuses across their range over the last 10 years. This…
Find out more »May 2020
Meeting Program – Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight by Mark H. X. Glenshaw
Mark H.X. Glenshaw is an award-winning naturalist who has closely observed and documented the lives of Great Horned Owls in Forest Park, a large urban park in St. Louis, Missouri, since December 2005. Mark's work with Great Horned Owls involves extensive outreach as each year he gives dozens of talks across Missouri and Illinois (this is his first talk in Kansas!) and leads scores of owl prowls in Forest Park. Mark is a Missouri Master Naturalist and a volunteer for Forest…
Find out more »July 2020
Picnic
Join us at the Great Plains Nature Center at 6 p.m. for our annual pot-luck dinner. Dinner will be followed by a short, fun program. Bring a dish to share and your own service.
Find out more »