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  • 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 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
  • 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
  • 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-2, Tallgrass ...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
  • Early evening 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 ast...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 ast...jpg
  • Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills, like this pasture south of the town of Clements in Chase County, 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.
    Rocky soil of tallgrass prairie-2.jpg
  • A male dickcissel, in breeding plumage, perches on several blades of prairie grass and sings 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 singing, Tallgrass Prairi...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.
    Tallgrass prairie storm clouds.jpg
  • This 1997 photograph of a sign just outside Cottonwood Falls on Kansas Highway 177 is an example of the controversy that surrounded the formation of the nearby Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, formerly the Z-Bar Ranch. <br />
<br />
Initially, the Flint Hills communities surrounding the proposed park were supportive, but then opposition developed. According to National Park Service document "Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Legislative History, 1920-1996" most local business owners were supportive but many ranchers had overall concerns about federal involvement and federal land ownership with some ranchers specifically concerned about land being lost by eminent domain. The park proposal became a divisive and heated issue between the two community groups.<br />
<br />
In the end, an unique compromise was reached with a public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. Today, the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.<br />
<br />
According to a National Park Service study, 13,548 non-local visitors in 2013 fueled $849,400 in spending at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and in communities near the park.
    No to tallgrass prairie preserve sig...jpg
  • Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills, like this pasture south of the town of Clements in Chase County, 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.
    Rocky soil of tallgrass prairie.jpg
  • Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills, like this pasture in Chase County near Strong City, 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.
    Rocky soil of tallgrass prairie-3.jpg
  • New growth of recently burned grass grows in a prairie in the Flint Hills in Chase County near Clements, Kansas. Prairie grasses 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 prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. This new grass is prized by cattle ranchers and their cattle for being high in protein allowing cattle to gain more weight, quicker than cattle in other areas of the country. While some land managers and cattle ranchers in the Flint Hills burn their grassland every year, it is considered better for the prairie ecosystem to skip one or two years to allow for a greater diversity of plants and protection for birds who nest in the tall  prairie grasses.
    New growth of burned tallgrass prair...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
  • 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
  • New growth of recently burned grass grows in a prairie in the Flint Hills in Chase County near Clements, Kansas. Prairie grasses 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 prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. This new grass is prized by cattle ranchers and their cattle for being high in protein allowing cattle to gain more weight, quicker than cattle in other areas of the country. While some land managers and cattle ranchers in the Flint Hills burn their grassland every year, it is considered better for the prairie ecosystem to skip one or two years to allow for a greater diversity of plants and protection for birds who nest in the tall  prairie grasses.
    New growth of burned tallgrass prair...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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • This wavy-leaf thistle was photographed in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Kansas Flint Hills. American Indians ate the roots of the wavy-leaf thistle and also used the roots to make an eye wash tea for the treatment for eye diseases in people and livestock. 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.
    wavy-leaf thistle.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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Snow-on-the-mountain blooms on the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Avoided by grazing cattle, the plant's milky sap can cause a poison ivy-like skin irritation. 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.
    Snow-on-the-mountain.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 hike.jpg
  • Fall comes to the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre 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 prairie grass.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 4.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 5.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
  • 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
  • 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.
    Prairie sunset with clouds.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
  • 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
  • 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-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
  • 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 warning sign at the cattle guard gate to the Windmill Pasture in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve warns visitors not to approach the bison herd and of the solar-powered electric fence that is in use. 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. 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 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.
    Bison and electric fence warning sig...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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • 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.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 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 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 10.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 and wildflowers are bathed in early light of 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 7.jpg
  • Evening sunset light bathes showy evening primrose in prairie grasses at 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.
    showy evening-primrose 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 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
  • The historic limestone ranch house at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills was built by cattleman Stephen F. Jones and completed in 1881. Jones only occupied the house for 5 1/2 years. The house's Second Empire architecture with its mansard roof is noted for its adaptations for prairie life and was considered a showcase at the time. 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 Farm ranch house.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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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-2.jpg
  • The tiny white flowers of heath aster are contrasted against the prairie grasses in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve on a fall day. Heath aster is one of the last plants to remain in flower in the fall. It has deep roots which can be three to eight feet below the surface. 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.
    Heath aster.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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • A large American elm tree provides shade at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve as a pickup truck passes by on Kansas State Highway 177 near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Highway 177, a National Scenic Byway, passes through the heart of the Flint Hills. 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.
    American elm.jpg
  • Prairie grasses and wildflowers are bathed in 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.
    Prairie sunrise 6.jpg
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