Though I have driven past it hundreds of times, I never looked into the history and management of the Konza Prairie Biological Station in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas until today. Owned by Kansas State University and the Nature Conservancy, this 3487 hectare reserve stretches across rolling tallgrass prairie, just north of Interstate 70. Indeed, it protects the largest remnant of unplowed tallgrass prairie in North America.
Established in 1971 and significantly enlarged by the addition of the Dewey Ranch in the late Seventies, the Station is named for the Kaw or Kanza People, who occupied the region before they were forced out during the mid-late 19th Century. The Konza Prairie is managed by the KSU Division of Biology with the primary goals of conservation, education and research; the latter includes ecologic, hydrologic and geologic studies, including the effects of periodic burning and ungulate grazing (cattle, bison or none).
The Station Headquarters is off McDowell Creek Road (north of I-70), where a trail provides access to the prairie ecosystem. Information for this post was obtained from the Station's website; your financial support for their research is encouraged.
