Wildflowers--third in a series of the 8 Natural Wonders of the Red Hills

     The floral display in the Red Hills in most years is good enough to deserve a spot on the top 8 list of Natural Wonders of the Red Hills. This year has been spectacular. From the earliest blooms of Easter Daisy in March to the last puffs of purple from gayfeathers in the fall, the chronological march of flowers paint the mixed-grass prairie with remarkable beauty. A wide variety of habitats from gypsum and sandy soils to loamy range sites set the table for a diverse floral component. It all translates to an amazing amount of eye-candy for anyone traveling the roads of the Red Hills during the growing season.

     Craig Freeman, Senior Curator for the R. L. McGregor Herbarium at the University of Kansas states there are about 630 plant species in the Red Hills. It would be impossible to present pictures of  all of just my own collection of images. I have chosen a selection here to hopefully delight the viewer and to perhaps demonstrate the legitimacy of this component of this ecosystem as one of the 8 Natural Wonders in this land of enchantment. This posie parade starts with the iconic, showy fall wildflower of the Red Hills, Ten-petal Mentzelia or "Candleflower."

                      

       Indian Blanket Flower (AKA Cowboy Daisy--one of the most recognizable and
common long-season bloomers.  Also called Rosering Gaillardia.)

Blue Funnel-lily

Blue Wild Indigo

Buckeye and variegated butterflies on Black Sampson (AKA Snakeroot)

Butterfly Milkweed

Cardinal Flower--along streams

Cobea Beardtongue

Prairie Coneflower

Stout Scorpion-weed attracting a Digger Bee

Dotted Gayfeather

Butterflies on Echinacea (Black Sampson or Snakeroot)

 Rayless Gaillardia (tall ones) in with Norton Flax (blue), Stiff Stem Flax (yellow)
and Narrowleaf Yucca (Soapweed along the fence)

Purple Locoweed, AKA Lambert Crazyweed, with Plains Hymenoxis (yellow)

Scarlet Globe Mallow

Purple Poppy Mallow (AKA Prairie Winecup or Cowboy Rose)

A reddish version of the usually yellow flower of Prickly Pear cactus

Bush Morning-glory

Plains Gayfeather

Lemon Bee Balm

White Beardtongue (Penstemon)

Pincushion Cactus

Prairie Blanketflower (Gaillardia)

Purple Poppy Mallow (Prairie Winecup or Cowboy Rose)

Cat-claw Sensitive Brier

Golden Prairie Clover (Silk-top Dalea)

Prairie Spiderwort (Cow Slobbers)

Smooth Twist Flower (foreground), Spotted Bee Balm(background)

Want to see more?  Here's a handy guide to Red Hills wildflowers.  Contact me if you'd like one. Also, one of the best sources on-line is Michael Haddock's website called Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses.  Google it for plants of the Red Hills and the rest of Kansas.  Also, just out this year is a fantastic book called "Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds" by Michael Haddock, Craig Freeman and Janet Bare.  It is available through the University Press of Kansas.

Galapagos/Red Hills Similarities

     A recent trip to the Galapagos archipelago certainly highlighted the uniqueness of these islands and their natural resources. One might think a prairie traveler would be hard pressed to find similarities between the rolling mixed-grass prairie and these amazing habitats and their inhabitants. Surprisingly, some of the same species occur in both places.The seemingly ubiquitous Yellow Warbler is common to many of the islands of the Galapagos just as it is here on the plains.  And so it is with the Great Blue Heron as well. Even the Magnificent Frigatebird has been observed in Kansas and likely at least in the air space over the Red Hills. The most evident commonality though rests with the somewhat natural element of humans. Humans began occupying the Galapagos by early in the 1800's. Whaling ships had visited them much earlier. Humans have been in the Red Hills for much longer then when Sperm Whales were being slaughtered off the coast of South America. 

     The problem has been that the European humans which invaded both the Galapagos and the middle of this continent brought huge problems with them. Perhaps the biggest problem for the Galapagos Islands were the European rats-the Norway and the Black rats. They decimated native rodents as well as many species of birds and other wildlife. As is the case for so many exotic animals, when placed in a new environment, they have a major advantage and out-compete, out-populate, and eradicate native species.The Yellow Warbler and the Great Blue Heron are native species of both the Galapagos and the Red Hills and have adapted with the other native species. The Magnificent Frigatebird is just a very occasional visitor to Kansas and poses no threat. The European rats continue to be a huge threat to the Galapagos biota but not as prevalent in the grasslands of the Red Hills. However, humans are still introducing exotic species to the Red Hills. Old World Bluestem is the latest, greatest threat. We will deal more with that in a later blog post but for now, enjoy some of the critters that call both the Red Hills and the Galapagos home.

(All photos except the rat and Quito are from the Galapagos Islands.)

This Yellow Warbler was photographed in the Galapagos Islands but is common to Kansas as well.

Another species photographed on the Galapagos Islands but very common in our prairie world as well is the Great Blue Heron.

A young Magnificent Frigatebird such as this has been documented in Kansas skies as well as the Galapagos Islands where it is common.

Probably the biggest threat to the Galapagos Islands are humans.  As evidenced by this concentration of humans in Quito on the mainland of Ecuador, there is a growing population in three main communities in the islands.  New residency as well as tourism is tightly controlled although it could change drastically in the future.  The new demands for space and resources for additional residents and tourism infrastructure could "love" the islands to death.  

The Norway Rat was brought to the Galapagos Islands even before settlement as stowaways on whaling ships before 1800.  It and its relative, the Black Rat, have decimated native wildlife and plant populations.  However, in recent decades, there has been some success in eradication programs for these species on some of the islands.  (Photo courtesy of Kansas Mammals Atlas, Sternberg Museum and Fort Hays State University.) 

Caves--second in the series of 8 Natural Wonders of the Red Hills

      Over half of the estimated 700 or so caves in Kansas occur in the Red Hills. Ranging from openings big enough to drive a truck through to crevices so tight it would make an earthworm claustrophobic, they harbor adventures and fascinations beyond belief. The many caves of the Red Hills occur in that portion of primarily Barber and Comanche counties where the Blaine Formation of gypsum is exposed. Water dissolves this mineral which is made up of calcium sulfate in various forms. Besides the amazing bats and other animals which make these holes their home, there are beautiful crystalline ceilings and walls in some of the caves. The Kansas Speleological Society has mapped many of these caves and is a dedicated group of spelunkers who take pride in not only enjoying these treasures but taking great measures to protect them and their wildlife. 

     All of these caverns and crevices are on private ground. They are not readily accessible to the public and this is probably a key reason they have not been significantly impacted in bad ways. However, increased energy and mining development in this portion of the Red Hills could definitely affect them. These are fragile and unique ecosystems for Kansas and deserve our collective conservation attention. They also deserve recognition as one of the 8 Natural Wonders of the Red Hills. 

Paxon admires the sun shining through an opening and onto a reflecting pool in
 Triple Arches Cave.

       No one knows more about the cave bats of the Red Hills than Stan Roth, retired instructor from Lawrence. Stan spent over four decades taking students to caves in the Red Hills and studying all the interesting features in this Kansas Outback! Stan still devotes time and trips to the Red Hills, and continues to educate more students of all ages. Here, Stan enjoys a maternity colony of Cave Myotis bats in Gentry Cave.

Adaira wiggles her way through Double Entrance S Cave.

  

Lance Hedges was an incredible friend and colleague. Here, he spends some quality time in Havard Cave along with local rancher, Nate Harts, who is checking out the Registry.  Registries, where cavers record their names and visit dates, are maintained in a number of Red Hills caves by the Kansas Speleological Society.

The author sits next to the head of a distiller tank once used to make "spirits" in Still Cave.   Intriguing stories such as this abound in this land of enchantment and mystique. 

Townsend's Big-eared Bats hang out in many of the caves of the Red Hills.

A classic scene in the Red Hills is where gypsum outcrops are seen. This is known locally as the "Gypsum Hills," because, well, that's where we are able to observe the gypsum.

The Red Hills are Green!

     What a change about a year can make in the landscape.  Prior to June of last year, the Red Hills area was parched, tortured with over three years of drought.  Pastures were barren with much-reduced stocking densities of cattle by ranchers trying to just survive harsh economic times.  Residents' attitudes paralleled the sad state of the land.  But the rains started last June and with practically a magical transformation, the Red Hills turned green.  Grasses responded with amazing growth and tall seed stalks.  Then, the rains continued this spring and summer.  Grass grew.  Wildflowers painted the rangeland in profusion.  Some ranches reported record precipitation for July!  The residents celebrate in consort with the land.  And most recently, the Gyp Hills Prescribed Burn Association toured area ranches to evaluate the lush grasslands as a result of the more than a dozen successful spring prescribed burns of over 13,000 acres.  We join in this celebration with this posting.  

Bear Creek was out of its banks with a recent 5+in. rain.  

The banks of the Medicine River at Sun City can barely hold its flow!

Participants of the Aug. 1 tour of prescribed burns from last spring saw amazing, positive results on several ranches recently.  

Jess Crockford, Fire Coordinator for SW Kansas, talks about the successful prescribed burn on the Medicine River Ranch owned by Ed and Manda Bricker.  This was an incredible success, turning many acres of useless, cedar-infested pasture into healthy, productive rangeland for cattle and wildlife.

Some of the best rangeland recovery in the Red Hills were ranches, such as this, which enjoyed prescribed burns conducted by many cooperating ranchers and friends.

8 Natural Wonders of the Red Hills--Big Basin Prairie Preserve and St. Jacob's Well

Photo by Jim Mason

     With this post I launch my selections of the 8 Natural Wonders of the Red Hills of Kansas. Perhaps you've heard of the 8 Wonders of Kansas at https://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/ ? Any self-respecting Kansan should be aware of and have been to this wonderful site developed by the Kansas Sampler Foundation and a whole bunch of fine folks and led by Marci Penner. There are other 8 wonder sub-categories including such subjects as Architecture, Art, Cuisine, History and others. I'm expanding on this theme by presenting my own selections for the special place in Kansas I call the Kansas Outback. The Red Hills represents the proverbial counter to the claim of a flat Kansas. While all of Kansas offers so many interesting features in so many categories, the Red Hills is a particular land of enchantment and treasure trove of natural surprises. In this and subsequent posts, I present my selections of the best 8 Natural Wonders of the Red Hills in no particular order of rank.  First to be highlighted is Big Basin Preserve and St. Jacob's Well in western Clark County.

     St. Jacob's Well is a sink hole in a particular area of the Little Basin which is, itself, part of a larger land form called the Big Basin.  The vista from the parking lot at the well exhibits the beautiful prairie landscape.  A description is provided by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism website:

     The Big Basin Prairie Preserve is 1,818 acres of native mixed grass prairie managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. This area is in the Red Hills region of Kansas. The landscape can generally be described as rolling hills with both level uplands and small canyons. The preserve also includes an intermittent stream , Keiger Creek, which flows through the northeast corner of the preserve, and two non-draining basins that make the preserve topographically and geologically unique.

Big Basin:

     Big Basin is a large circular depression. It is about one mile in diameter and about 100 feet deep. The walls of the basin are nearly vertical. Scattered across the floor of Big Basin are a number of small ephemeral ponds that catch and temporarily hold the water that flows into the basin. U.S. Highway 283 bisects Big Basin, with approximately two-thirds of the basin lying east of the road and within the confines of the preserve. The remaining western third of the basin is privately owned.

Little Basin:

     The Little Basin is about 280 yards in diameter and 35 feet from rim to floor. Within Little Basin is a small permanent pond known as St. Jacob’s Well. St. Jacob’s Well is a pool of water about 84 feet in diameter that has never been known to go dry. The well has been the subject of many local legends, most associated with the idea that the well was bottomless and/or connected to an underground stream that was capable of washing away anything that fell in the well. The well was also reportedly inhabited by blind fish. Research has shown the well to be roughly funnel shaped and 58 feet deep. No evidence of any underground stream or blind fish has been found.

     Big Basin, Little Basin, and St. Jacob’s Well were formed in the recent geological past by a process known as solution-subsidence. This process occurs when surface water gains access and dissolves underground deposits of salt, gypsum, or limestone. The overlaying layers of rock and minerals subside to fill the volume vacated by the water soluble deposits. The process of solution - subsidence is thought to still be occurring, and small depressions have been noted forming within Little Basin.

A panoramic of the water hole in the ground known as St. Jacob's Well.

A close-up of the "bottomless" well stimulates an imagination of travel-wary and thirsty pioneers and cattle drivers gleefully diving into this refreshing water and savoring buckets of life-sustaining liquid for the next few days or weeks of hot, dusty prairie travel.

Wonderful flora and fauna greet visitors to Big Basin and St. Jacob's Well.

A small herd of Bison are kept in the Big Basin and can often be seen on the drive back to St. Jacob's Well.

      More information can be found about this unique area at the Natural Kansas website:  http://www.naturalkansas.org/bigbasin.htm .