December 2017 - Great Plains Nature Center

Outreach Programs

Outreach Programs let us bring nature to you! COVID Program UpdateDue to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant, Great Plains Nature Center is not currently accepting in-person field trip or outreach requests for Grades K-8. Our staff is working to make virtual alternatives available as soon as possible.High School Aquatic Education Field Trips…

Teacher Resources

Environmental Education Resources Earth Partnership for Schools (Dyck Arboretum)CollapseProject-based learning curriculum focused on creating and using a prairie pocket garden for learning on your school ground. 3-hour graduate credit is available. FREE for K-12th educators. Where: Dyck Arboretum in Hesston, KS When: Monday, June 1st, through Friday, June 5th, 2026 More information Kansas Association for…

Honeybee Portrait

Photo by P.O. Gustafson Common Name: Honeybee Scientific Name: Apis mellifera Awards: State Insect of Kansas (1976), Arkansas (1973), Georgia (1975), Louisiana (1975), Maine (1975), Mississippi (1980), Missouri (1985), Nebraska (1974), New Jersey (1974), North Carolina (1973),Oklahoma (1992) South Dakota (1978), Tennessee (1990), Utah (1983), Vermont (1978) Wisconsin (1977) One of the most familiar insects in the world is…

American Burying Beetle

Photo by Bob Gressused by permission Common Name: American Burying Beetle Scientific Name: Nicrophorus americanus Range: Dark Blue = Counties with designated critical habitat Light Blue = Historical records Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered Comments: The American burying beetle belongs to a small group of beetles known to bury small, dead…

Scott Optioservus Riffle Beetle

Photo by Kyle Gerstnerused by permission Common Name: Scott Optioservus Riffle Beetle Scientific Name: Optioservus phaeus Range: Dark Blue = Counties with designated critical habitat Light Blue = Historical records Federal Status: None State Status: Endangered Comments: The only known place in the world where the Scott optioservus riffle beetle can be found…

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus written by Jim Mason The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl to live year-round in Kansas. Adults weigh around 3 – 3 1/2 pounds and have a 5 foot wingspread. There are nine other species of owls that are known from Kansas, ranging in size from the tiny Northern…

Canada Goose Branta canadensis written by Jim Mason You wouldn’t know it to look around today, but the Canada Goose was once an uncommon bird. In particular, the subspecies known as the giant Canada Goose was considered extinct until a few remnant populations were discovered in the early 1960’s. Over-hunting and destruction of wetlands had…

Eastern Red Cedar

Photo by Jim Mason Common Name: Eastern Red Cedar Scientific Name: Juniperus virginiana Favorite Hobby: Helping birds survive the winter There is not much green in the winter landscape of the Great Plains. In fact Kansas has only one native evergreen tree. It is called the Eastern Red Cedar. All other native trees in Kansas…

Sycamore

The white bark of the sycamore stands out,even when seen from a distance. Common Name: Sycamore Scientific Name: Platanus occidentalis A.K.A: American Plane Tree, Buttonwood, Lacewood While walking along a creek bottom in Eastern Kansas on a bright, sunny winter afternoon, your eye is drawn to a large white tree. Initially you think it is…

Osage Orange

Common Name: Osage Orange Scientific Name: Maclura pomifera A.K.A.: Hedge, Hedge Apple, Bodark Osage orange trees are a common sight on the Great Plains today although they were not a widespread member of the prairie community originally. Found primarily in a limited area centered on the Red River valley in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, they were…