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  • Hundreds of unidentified flies hover above a bison (Bison bison) during sunset in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. <br />
<br />
Among the flies that are a pest to bison are horn flies (Haematobia irritans). As many as 500 to 1,500 horn flies will feed on the blood of a bison 20 to 40 times a day.<br />
<br />
Prairie State Park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Flies hover above bison.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star at sunset.jpg
  • A dragonfly perches on a sunflower as it oversees its territory along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. Dragonflies hunt mosquitoes and other small flying insects. Prairie State Park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Dragonfly.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star at sunset.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star-4.jpg
  • Ashy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) grows along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Ashy sunflower-2.jpg
  • Ashy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) grows along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Ashy sunflower on tallgrass prairie-...jpg
  • The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, located in the Kansas Flint Hills, opened its new $6 million visitor center in 2012. The visitor center has interpretive displays along with education and office facilities. The low-profile visitor center with its grassed over roof was designed to be visually unobtrusive on the prairie landscape and to architecturally mesh with nearby historic buildings through the use similar stonework. The energy efficient building was built using green construction techniques. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The new visitor center’s cost is split evenly between the state of Kansas and the National Park Service. The Nature Conservancy, and the state shared the cost in the development of the buildings plan.
    New visitor center 1.jpg
  • Ashy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) grows along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Ashy sunflower.jpg
  • Bumblebees collect nectar and pollen from prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Bumblebees and prairie blazing star-...jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star-5.jpg
  • Bumblebees collect nectar and pollen from prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Bumblebees and prairie blazing star.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star-3.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star-6.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star-2.jpg
  • Ashy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) grows along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Ashy sunflower on tallgrass prairie.jpg
  • The National Park Service is restoring the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve from agricultural use to its natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. This scene, photographed at the Bottomland Trail trailhead, is indicative of the on-going restoration project with some weeds and cool-season grasses still mixed with native perennial wildflowers and warm-season grasses. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bottomland Trail plants.jpg
  • Prairie grass is silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 1.jpg
  • Prairie grass is silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 2.jpg
  • The roots of a bur oak drape down the bank of Fox Creek in the lowland prairie area on the Fox Creek Trail in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The bur oak is is able to sustain drought conditions by way of a long taproot and is also fire-resistant, both important features for survival on the prairie. Bur oaks often live to be 200-300 years old. The National Park Service is restoring the lowland areas from agricultural use to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bur oak.jpg
  • Recently burned prairie seen in the background is contrasted with unburned prairie grass in this photo taken of the Red House Pasture located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Prairie grasses are burned in the spring to help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem and prepare the land for cattle grazing. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Burned prairie comparison.jpg
  • Smooth brome grass grows in the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. This view, seen from the Fox Creek Trail, is indicative of the type of cool-season agricultural hay grass that the National Park Service hopes to replace with true warm-season prairie grasses in an effort to restore the lowland prairies to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lowland prairie-2.jpg
  • The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The glowing light on the right is from the city of Emporia some 20 miles away to the east. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Stars and Lower Fox Creek School-1.jpg
  • The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The glowing light on the right is from the city of Emporia some 20 miles away to the east. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Stars and Lower Fox Creek School-1.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers light up during a fall sunset at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • A visitor to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve passes by a patch of goldenrod during a fall morning hike in the West Traps Pasture of the preserve. Goldenrod is incorrectly associated with hay fever; wind doesn't spread its pollen, insects are responsible. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Goldenrod.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison on tallgrass prairie.jpg
  • A hiker hikes one of the several trails cut through the tallgrass prairie and rolling hills of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fall tallgrass prairie hiker.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 10.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek School is a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The building had been completed in 1882 with the first school semester beginning on September 1, 1884. Average enrollment was between 1-19 students that included all grades. The school was closed in 1930. In 1968 the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas renovated the building. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Lower Fox Creek School.jpg
  • Evening sunset light bathes evening primrose and the rolling hills of the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Evening primrose.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Some of the bison are shedding their winter coat to stay cool. Birds use spent bison hair to line their nests. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers and other prairie grasses and plants light up during a fall sunset at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie wil...jpg
  • Butterfly milkweed (orange flowers) and wild alfalfa are some of the wildflowers seen along the Fox Creek Trail in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. Butterfly milkweed is also known as pleurisy root. It was named this because American Indians and settlers used the plant's roots to treat respiratory illness. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Butterfly milkweed and blue wild ind...jpg
  • A barbed wire fence surrounds the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Barbed wire fence.jpg
  • The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The glowing light is from the city of Emporia some 20 miles away to the east. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.  Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Stars and Lower Fox Creek School-2.jpg
  • Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills, like this prairie hilltop in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. The prairie has survived here because the soil is heavily laden with limestone and chert (commonly called flint) making it unsuitable for plowing. This rocky soil, combined with a cycle of wildfires and animal grazing has preserved the tallgrass prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    prescribed burn, prairie hilltop.jpg
  • New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...jpg
  • A solar panel powers an electric fence used for controlling cattle and bison along the Windmill and West Traps pastures at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The electric fence is powered by a Kyocera Photovoltaic Module (Model KC5COT) solar panel that is connected to a fence battery system manufactured by Taylor Fence, Inc. (Cyclops Power on Demand Brute Battery). The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Solar powered electric fence.jpg
  • A Delaware skipper butterfly rests on unidentified prairie grass in the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The National Park Service is restoring the lowland areas from agricultural use to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Delaware skipper.jpg
  • Limestone, like this piece photographed at sunset on the prairie at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills, is a common sight and the reason for the survival of the tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills. Prairie soil is heavily laden with limestone and chert (commonly called flint) making it unsuitable for plowing. This rocky soil, combined with a cycle of wildfires and animal grazing has preserved the tallgrass prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Flint Hills limestone.jpg
  • The massive 60 x 110 foot three-story limestone barn on the Spring Hill Farm and Stock Ranch located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills was built by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. The bottom level is built into the side of a hill for insulation and the second level is even with the top of the hill for access. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Spring Hill barn.jpg
  • Native wildflowers are mixed in with prairie grasses in this scene taken in the lowland prairie along Fox Creek in the tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Pictured are butterfly milkweed (orange flowers), common spiderwort (purple flowers), and Philadelphia fleabane (white flowers). The National Park Service is restoring the lowland prairie from agricultural use to its natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland areas provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fox Creek Trail wildflowers.jpg
  • Evening stars flicker in the skies above the prairie near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The remote location of the preserve allows for good viewing of the night skies. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Stars over prairie.jpg
  • Smooth brome grass grows in the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. This view, seen from the Fox Creek Trail, is indicative of the type of cool-season agricultural hay grass that the National Park Service hopes to replace with true warm-season prairie grasses in an effort to restore the lowland prairies to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lowland prairie-1.jpg
  • New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...jpg
  • New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...jpg
  • The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. (PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTE: Red light is from red filter on photographer's headlamp.)
    Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse with sta...jpg
  • Smooth brome grass grows in the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. This view, seen from the Fox Creek Trail, is indicative of the type of cool-season agricultural hay grass that the National Park Service hopes to replace with true warm-season prairie grasses in an effort to restore the lowland prairies to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lowland prairie-3.jpg
  • The seeds of eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) emerge in the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The large seeds of eastern gamagrass are used by many birds and small animals. This warm season grass is indicative of the success of the restoration efforts in the Fox Creek lowland prairie area of the preserve. The National Park Service is restoring the lowland areas from agricultural use to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Eastern gamagrass seeds.jpg
  • Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) photographed along the Fox Creek Trail near trail marker 53. Introduced from Europe, mullein is typically found in well-lit, disturbed and or rocky areas. The hairy, biennial plant was used by American Indians for a variety of medicinal uses including the treatment of colds, coughs, bronchitis, asthma and rheumatism. The plant produces flowers which only bloom for a single day. The flowers of the plant self-pollinate if they are not pollinated during the single day that a flower blooms. This plant was photographed in the lowland prairie area  along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The National Park Service is restoring the lowland prairie from agricultural use to its natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Common mullein.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison herd.jpg
  • Dung beetles roll a ball of bison dung along a road in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Dung beetles feed on manure, using it provide housing and food for their offspring and for prairie and pasture nutrient recycling. A male and a female beetle will work in a pair to roll a ball of dung away from a manure pile. They then will bury the ball as a home for their young. Drawn to manure by odor, a beetle will fly up to 10 miles in search of the right manure. Studies have also shown that dung beetles use the Milky Way as a directional bearing to navigate. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Dung beetle.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 3.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 8.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 9.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 11.jpg
  • Prairie grasses, wildflowers and a cottonwood tree are bathed in the dawn light moments before a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 4.jpg
  • Lower Fox Creek School is a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The building had been completed in 1882 with the first school semester beginning on September 1, 1884. Average enrollment was between 1-19 students that included all grades. The school was closed in 1930. In 1968 the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas renovated the building. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Lower Fox Creek School-3.jpg
  • Trees are few on the prairie areas of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve due to prescribed controlled burning of the prairie. Prairies in the Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Tree on prairie grass.jpg
  • Purple coneflowers, also known as Black-sampson echinacea prefer the rocky dry soil of prairies as these flowers do in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the the Kansas Flint Hills. Purple coneflowers were used by American Indians as a pain-reducer in treating toothaches, burns, sore throats, mumps and wounds. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Purple coneflower.jpg
  • The The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse is located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. NOTE: A comparison of this photo with an two-month earlier burning of the prairie is available. See photo id# I0000pM2aeeuFTvk
    Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse rear.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. A calf born in May 2010 brought the size of the herd to 14 bison. The preserve plans to add more bison form Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison on prairie.jpg
  • A bison grazes at the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. This bison is losing its winter coat to help it stay cool. Birds use spent bison hair to line their nests. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison.jpg
  • A bison rubs against another bison at the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. These bison are losing their winter coat to help them stay cool. Birds use spent bison hair to line their nests. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison.jpg
  • Solar prominences (electric pink in color) are visible in this photo taken during a total eclipse of the sun. Solar prominences are formed from hot hydrogen gas rising from the lower regions of the sun’s atmosphere known as the chromosphere. Rising from tens of thousands of miles above the sun’s surface, they can be seen past the moon during a total solar eclipse.<br />
<br />
Also visible is the white corona that surrounds the sun. This photo was taken in Columbia Mo. at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary in Columbia, Mo. on August 21.<br />
<br />
A solar eclipse occurs when a full moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks the sun when they are in alignment with each other as seen from Earth. The astronomical term for this alignment is known as syzygy.<br />
<br />
The August 21, 2017 eclipse was viewed by millions as it raced across the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina. The last total eclipse in the continental United States was in 1979. The last total eclipse in Missouri was in 1869. While total solar eclipses will hit any one spot on Earth every 375 years, they take place somewhere about once every 18 months.<br />
<br />
The next total eclipse to have its path through Missouri will occur in 2024.
    Solar prominences during total solar...jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree next to the Lower Fox Creek School basks in the sunrise light on a fall morning at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Cottonwood tree sunrise.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 2.jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree basks in the sunrise light on a fall morning at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Cottonwood tree sunrise 4.jpg
  • The pappus of dotted gayfeather contain the seeds for the plant as seen on this hillside on a fall afternoon in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The plant's taproot can be up to 15 feet deep. Native American's used the plant for medicinal purposes and food. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Dotted gayfeather.jpg
  • Lower Fox Creek School is a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The building had been completed in 1882 with the first school semester beginning on September 1, 1884. Average enrollment was between 1-19 students that included all grades. The school was closed in 1930. In 1968 the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas renovated the building. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Lower Fox Creek School_.jpg
  • Lower Fox Creek School is a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The building had been completed in 1882 with the first school semester beginning on September 1, 1884. Average enrollment was between 1-19 students that included all grades. The school was closed in 1930. In 1968 the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas renovated the building. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. EDITORS NOTE: This image is a panorama composite consisting of multiple overlapping images.
    Lower Fox Creek School panorama.jpg
  • Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, leads a group of visitors on a tour of the prairie on a fall day in October. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie tour.jpg
  • Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, leads a group of visitors on a tour of the prairie using the park's tour bus on a fall day in October. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Visitor bus.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison on tallgrass prairie 2.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison on prairie.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 7.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 12.jpg
  • Prairie grasses, wildflowers, and a cottonwood tree are bathed in the dawn light moments before a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 5.jpg
  • Evening sunset light bathes the skies over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse.jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree stands witness to the setting sun on the rolling hills of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lone tree at sunset.jpg
  • Late afternoon sunlight bathes the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Pictured is the main road as it travels through the Windmill Pasture. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    main road.jpg
  • Bison footprints are captured in dry cracked earth in the Windmill Pasture of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills in Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    cracked earth.jpg
  • A male dickcissel, in breeding plumage, perches on several blades of prairie grass at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Singing dickcissels are commonly heard on the prairie. Dickcissels winter far south of their summer breeding areas in the midwest, typically migrating in large flocks to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    dickcissel-1.jpg
  • The sun dramatically disappears behind clouds above the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Sunset.jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree stands witness to the setting sun on the rolling hills of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Cottonwood tree sunset-1.jpg
  • A barbed wire fence surrounds the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Barbed wire fence-2.jpg
  • Morning sunlight bathes the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Tallgrass prairie.jpg
  • An early morning storm encroaches  the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.  Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. Pictured is a trail in the West Traps Pasture of the preserve, near trail marker 15 and the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse.
    Prairie hiking trail.jpg
  • Recently burned prairie seen in the background is contrasted with unburned prairie grass in this photo of the Lower Fox Creek School, a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Prairie grasses are burned in the spring to help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem and prepare the land for cattle grazing Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. NOTE: A comparison of the burned area of this photo with an two-month later photo of the prairie growing back is available. See photo id# I0000s35tbY0nhE8
    Lower Fox Creek School with burned p...jpg
  • Morning sunrise light bathes the Lower Fox Creek School, a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The building had been completed in 1882 with the first school semester beginning on September 1, 1884. Average enrollment was between 1-19 students that included all grades. The school was closed in 1930. In 1968 the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas renovated the building. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Lower Fox Creek School-3.jpg
  • A recently born bison calf, the first born at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve since at least the mid-1800s when the property was fenced for cattle ranching, grazes with the rest of the bison herd. The calf was born on Mother's Day, May 9, 2010. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Newly born bison are lighter in color but as they grow older, their color changes to dark brown. The pictured older bison are losing their winter coat to help them stay cool. Birds use spent bison hair to line their nests. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Bison calf.jpg
  • A recently born bison calf, the first born at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve since at least the mid-1800s when the property was fenced for cattle ranching, grazes with the rest of the bison herd. Newly born bison are lighter in color but as they grow older, their color changes to dark brown. The calf was born on Mother's Day, May 9, 2010. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Bison calf-2.jpg
  • A bison grazes at the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. This bison is losing its winter coat to help it stay cool. Birds use spent bison hair to line their nests. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison-3.jpg
  • The “diamond ring effect” is visible in this photo taken during a total eclipse of the sun. The diamond ring effect, typically lasting only a few seconds, is visible at the beginning and end of totality. It is caused by sunlight passing through the valleys on the moon’s circumference edge, a phenomenon known as Baily’s beads. The diamond of the ring is formed when one of Baily's beads is much brighter than the others.<br />
<br />
Also visible are solar prominences (electric pink in color). Solar prominences are formed from hot hydrogen gas rising from the lower regions of the sun’s atmosphere known as the <br />
chromosphere. Rising from tens of thousands of miles above the sun’s surface, they can be seen past the moon during a total solar eclipse.<br />
<br />
This photo was taken in Columbia Mo. at the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary in Columbia, Mo. on August 21.<br />
<br />
A solar eclipse occurs when a full moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks the sun when they are in alignment with each other as seen from Earth. The astronomical term for this alignment is known as syzygy.<br />
<br />
The August 21, 2017 eclipse was viewed by millions as it raced across the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina. The last total eclipse in the continental United States was in 1979. The last total eclipse in Missouri was in 1869. While total solar eclipses will hit any one spot on Earth every 375 years, they take place somewhere about once every 18 months.<br />
<br />
The next total eclipse to have its path through Missouri will occur in 2024.
    Diamond ring effect during total sol...jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers light up during a fall sunset at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree basks in the sunrise light on a fall morning at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Cottonwood tree sunrise 3.jpg
  • The urn shapped heads of the tall thistle attracts butterflies and songbirds. The plant can reach up to eight feet in height. This tall thistle was found at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the West Traps Pasture. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Tall thistle.jpg
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