Flint Hills

Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap.

Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap.

The Flint Hills Trail travels through tallgrass prairie and along riverside bluffs. It also offers a chance to stop at historic sites, such as the Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park near Council Grove.

Jim Richardson had a distinguished career making images for National Geographic Magazine stories on cultural, environmental and scientific issues. His work on the Flint Hills introduced the uniquely American landscape to an international audience.

“Strange and Familiar Places,” on view at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City through July 20, showcases 26 large-scale photographs by 10 contemporary artists, several with ties to Kansas and Missouri.

In late summer and fall, prairie grasses in Kansas’ Flint Hills can grow as high as eight feet tall. But right now, the grass is still short and wildflowers are the stars of the prairie.

The Kaw "rematriated" a part of its Kansas heritage over the weekend, a sacred rock they call "grandfather" that they had to leave behind when the tribe was forcibly relocated to Oklahoma.

Bill Haw Sr., who died at the age of 85 last Thursday, will be remembered for working to preserve the Flint Hills in Kansas and contributing to the revival of Kansas City's historic West Bottoms neighborhood.

The Kansas City business leader and rancher left a lasting legacy in the Flint Hills and helped redevelop Kansas City’s West Bottoms. He died on Thursday.

"A Survey of Elemental Gratitude," an exhibition currently at the Kansas City Public Library, showcases the beauty of the Flint Hills— and asks us to consider its environmental future. Philip Heying's photography will be on display until December 9.

Prairie landscape used to occupy broad swaths of Kansas, but only a fraction of the original ecosystems remain. A central Kansas photographer hopes his new exhibition will sound the alarm for this ecological emergency. Plus: The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra celebrates 20 years of fostering cross-cultural appreciation.

Kansas City native Philip Heying has made his home outside of Matfield Green, Kansas, for the past 3 years. He says the landscape around the speck of a central Kansas town is under threat.