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Kansas

Rolling hills that look like a wrinkled green blanket of grass.
Aerial view of the Flint Hills The rolling Flint Hills extend farther than the eye can see. This image was taken in the Beaumont area, north and east of Wichita, Kansas. © Jim Richardson

Make a Difference in Kansas

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. For more than 30 years, we’ve worked in Kansas to do just that. We've permanently protected 161,000 acres across the state, including six preserves that are open to the public.

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Two birds with wings in the air jumping from snow covered ground.
Dancing Prairie Chickens Dancing Prairie Chickens // Two male greater prairie chickens dancing in Smith County Kansas in late March after a dusting of snow. © Dale Stephens/TNC Photo Contest 2023
A few strands of tall grass wave above rolling fields.
Tallgrass Prairie Of the 170 million acres that once covered the North American heartland, less than 4% is left, and most of that is in the Flint Hills of Kansas. © Dave Bryan (Timeless Changes)

Places We Protect

Hiking Trails in Cassoday Now Open!

For the first time in 50 years, the Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Cassoday, Kansas is open to the public. This TNC property is located 30 miles south of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and is less than an hour's drive from Wichita.

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A wood bench sits at an overlook point at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park on a clear day. In the distance is a view of rock formations and prairie.
Rest and Revel in the Vastness Take a moment to stop at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park. The Rockies might take your breath away, but the spacious Kansas landscape will give it back again. © Brian G. Schoenfish

Places We Protect

Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park

332-acres of dramatic chalk rock formations and rare plants protected by The Nature Conservancy. We partnered with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to make portions of the area open to the public in 2020.

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An adult least tern with raised wings shelters a chick on sand.
Least Tern and Chick Each summer, least terns can be observed along the Kansas River, where sandbars provide critical nesting habitat and abundant fish feed adults and chicks alike. © Harry Collins/Shutterstock

Latest News

Two men wearing cowboy hats on horseback herding cattle with dust flying.

Southern High Plains Grasslands

We're working across 5 states and 71 million acres that can boost climate change, preserve biodiversity & support sustainable agriculture.

Sun sets on open prairie with two trails merging on a hilltop.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Whether you're a birdwatcher, wildflower lover, hiker or just an eternal student with an interest in history, this preserve will keep you busy.

Aerial view of winding river with many sandbars.

Kansas River

One of the world's longest prairie rivers provides drinking water for more than 800,000 people.

Eight cows standing in a line in a grassy green field.

Flint Hills Ranching to Save the Tallgrass Prairie

The Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area is the first under the America’s Great Outdoors program.

VIEW MORE ITEMS
Wildflowers in silhouette as the sun sets.
2022 Year In Review

Read about last year's conservation gains in Kansas.

DOWNLOAD Read all Kansas Newsletters
A female hiker pauses to view the lush grasslands and blue oak woodlands that characterize Dye Creek Preserve and Canyon
Dye Creek Preserve and Canyon A female hiker pauses to view the lush grasslands and blue oak woodlands that characterize Dye Creek Preserve and Canyon © Ian Shive

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See the Places We Protect in Your Community

For more than 30 years, The Nature Conservancy has worked to conserve the lands and waters of Kansas, permanently protecting 161,000 acres including 6 preserves open to the public.

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The Nature Conservancy's History in Kansas

1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2009
2010-2019
2020-

1960-1969

Early Nature Conservancy members in Kansas encourage the organization to begin protecting natural areas in the sunflower state.

John Strickler, Wayne Lebsack and Kenny Baum are founding members of the Kansas board of trustees. Pictured here in 1999.
Founding Kansas Trustees John Strickler, Wayne Lebsack and Kenny Baum are founding members of the Kansas board of trustees. Pictured here in 1999. © The Nature Conservancy
Large sand sage brush plant in front of blue sky.
Sand Sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) adds a soft greenish-gray hue to grasslands and a wonderful smell. © © Jim Griggs
1965

TNC's first project in Kansas was the purchase of 80 acres of sand sage prairie in Harvey county. With no staff in Kansas, TNC transferred the property to Bethel College to encourage scientific research and education.

1970-1979

More nature preserves are acquired as TNC develops new partnerships to manage the properties.

Yellow prairie sunflowers rise in front of blue sky/con
Konza Prairie Wildflower bloom over tallgrass prairie as far as the eye can see at Konza Prairie Biological Station. © Joanna Gilkeson/USFWS
Brown wooden sign reads Konza Prairie
Konza Prairie 8,600 acres owed and preserved by The Nature Conservancy with a research station managed by Kansas State University. © © Laura Rose Clawson/TNC
1971

TNC established the Konza Prairie under a management agreement with Kansas State University's division of biology. K-State continues to utilize the preserve as a site for long-term ecological research.

Wooden sign reading St. Jacob's Well hangs from a post
St. Jacob's Well The Nature Conservancy sold Big Basin Prairie Preserve and the St. Jacob's Well sinkhole to Kansas wildlife & parks with the stipulation it be managed as a nature preserve. © © Ken Brunson/TNC
1972

TNC acquires Big Basin Prairie Preserve and the St. Jacob's Well sinkhole in the Red Hills region of south-central Kansas. It is later sold to the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks with the stipulation it always be managed as a nature preserve.

Sun setting on the horizon of vast green prairie
Tallgrass Prairie Sunset at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, Kansas. © Ryan Donnell
1973

Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie Preserve becomes the first property both owned and managed by TNC in Kansas. The 2,188 acres of tallgrass prairie is located in the heart of the Flint Hills.

Old photograph of metal preserve sign in front of tress
Rice Woodlands The Rice Woodlands were TNC's first protected forest in Kansas. It has since been incorporated into to Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve, a research field station. © © The Nature Conservancy
1974

80 acres of undisturbed forest in northeast Kansas is donated to TNC. The land has 31 different species of trees, 21 species of shrubs and vines and several rare plants. TNC transfers the title to the nearby University of Kansas with the restriction that it be maintained as a protected area and used for ecological study.

1980-1989

By the end of the decade, the Kansas Chapter is established and the first Kansas director of TNC is hired.

Black and white photo of metal preserve sign.
Dingus Natural Area 167 purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1980, Dingus Natural Area was later transferred to the Kansas Ornithological Society to be maintained as a nature preserve. © © The Nature Conservancy
Black and white photo of metal preserve sign.
Dingus Natural Area 167 purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1980, Dingus Natural Area was later transferred to the Kansas Ornithological Society to be maintained as a nature preserve. © © The Nature Conservancy
1980

TNC turns over management of the Dingus Natural Area to the Kansas Ornithological Society. The oak-hickory forest is home to pileated woodpeckers and remains open to birdwatchers to this day.

cover 1987 issue of Kansas newsletter
Kansas Newsletter Vol 1, No 1 The first Kansas newsletter is published in 1987 and announces the natural heritage inventory. © © The Nature Conservancy
1987

Kansas becomes the 45th state to establish an ecological database network with TNC. The Kansas Biological Survey is contracted to carry out the initial research.

Alan Pollom sitting at desk holding papers
Alan Pollom Alan Pollom, first Kansas director of TNC, on his first day in August 1989. © © TNC
1989

TNC hires Alan Pollom as Kansas director and establishes the Kansas office in Topeka.

1990-1999

The '90s usher in campaigns to protect multiple priority conservation areas that were identified in the '80s. This leads to TNC's purchase of the largest property ever acquired in Kansas for conservation purposes.

Yucca pods rise in front of an orange chalk bluff
Smoky Valley Ranch Chalk bluffs and yucca plants at Smoky Valley Ranch in Kansas. © Lance Hedges/TNC
Two whooping cranes flying low above open gray water
Whooping Cranes Whooping cranes in flight at Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve, Kansas. © Dan Witt
1990

With a new director in Kansas, TNC quickly gets to work and begins purchasing lands to establish Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve. The central Kansas wetlands complex is a vital habitat used by migrating birds like the endangered whooping crane.

Nine men and 1 woman stands next to entrance sign.
1992

TNC brokers the deal creating the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in 1992. Original Kansas state director Alan Pollom stands second to left from the sign during groundbreaking.

Green Mead's milkweed pod droops from its stalk
Mead's Milkweed An endangered tallgrass prairie plant. The largest know reproducing popultation of Mead's milkweed is in Anderson County, Kansas where TNC owns 1,450 acres. © Laura Rose Clawson/TNC
1998

TNC buys precious remaining fragments of tallgrass prairie east of the Flint Hills. The area is known to have the largest population of the endangered Mead's milkweed plant.

Yucca pods rise in front of an orange chalk bluff
Smoky Valley Ranch Chalk bluffs and yucca plants at Smoky Valley Ranch in Kansas. © Lance Hedges/TNC
1999

A decade after the Kansas Chapter is formed, TNC's acquisition of the 16,800-acre Smoky Valley Ranch in western Kansas is the state's largest-ever land purchase for conservation purposes.

2000-2009

Community conservation efforts begin to focus on private ranchlands where TNC empowers landowners to enhance wildlife habitat and protect native plant diversity.

Woman smiles from atop a brown horse in green field.
Amy Lyons Langvardt of Angus Ranch in Altavista, Kansas. © Ryan Donnell
Pair of wood ducks on water
Wood Ducks A male and female pair of wood ducks in Shawnee County, Kansas. © Tom Gross
2000

TNC partners with the state of Kansas and Ducks Unlimited to buy and restore the McPherson Valley Wetlands.

woman on horse in an open field
Amy Lyons Langvardt of Angus Ranch in Altavista, Kansas. © Ryan Donnell
2001

TNC begins working with private landowners through the Flint Hills Initiative which is focused on saving the last large expanse of tallgrass prairie in the world.

Large bison head and shoulders viewed from the side
Bison at Wind Cave National Park © National Park Service
2003

Bison are reintroduced to Smoky Valley Ranch, returning the iconic native grazer to the land for the first time in more than 100 years.

Visitors Center sign on building
Public-Private Partnership In 2004, TNC purchased the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in order to save it from the looming fate of being divided and sold. © Paula Matile/TNC
2004

TNC agrees to purchase the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in order to save it from the looming fate of being divided and sold. Thanks to TNC, the 11,000-acre preserve is able to remain the National Park Service's only property dedicated to vanishing tallgrass prairie.

Aerial view of lush green hills
Flint Hills Aerial of the Flint Hills in the Beaumont area, north and east of Wichita. © Jim Richardson
2006

TNC establishes the first conservation easements in the Flint Hills, permanently protecting more than 3,600 acres of tallgrass prairie while it remains privately-owned and operated.

2010-2019

Conservation continues to spread beyond the borders of TNC preserves, with multi-state efforts that protect grasslands and freshwater streams.

Aerial of square plots of land with circular markings.
Grasslands How We Work Fragmentation Central Great Plains Grasslands © The Nature Conservancy
Landscape of uneven red soil
Red Hills landscape The oxidized iron in the soil gives the Red Hills their name. Also known as the Gypsum or Gyp Hills, the mixed-grass native prairie of the region extends into Oklahoma. © Laura Rose Clawson/TNC
2011

TNC launches the Red Hills Initiative to help landowners fight the “green glacier” of invasive cedar trees and improve the condition of rangelands in the vast, rugged region of south-central Kansas known as the Red Hills or Gypsum Hills.

Wind turbines towering over agricultural field
Power in the Heartland Spearville Wind Farm just north of the town of Spearville, in Ford County, Kansas. This is an example of appropriate placing of wind farms on agricultural land. © Jim Richardson
2012

TNC develops the science-based Site Wind Right model to steer energy development away from ecologically important habitat in Kansas and Oklahoma

Two women paddling a canoe in a river
Paddling the Wakarusa River © Heidi Mehl/TNC
2015

A study shows nearly 3/4 of Kansas streams are unsuitable for human use. TNC creates the David T. Beals III Healthy Streams for Kansas Initiative to recover streams and improve water quality.

Scaled Quail Scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) in Hamilton county, Kansas on 30,302 acres of sand sagebrush prairie protected by The Nature Conservancy with a conservation easement. © Jim Griggs
2017

30,302 acres of sand sagebrush prairie in Hamilton County offers refuge to scaled quail, lesser prairie-chickens and more when TNC acquires the largest conservation easement in the state of Kansas.

Red-orange rock canyon and setting sun
Little Jerusalem Little Jerusalem is not yet open to the public. The Nature Conservancy is working with partners on a visitation plan that would balance public enjoyment with management practices necessary for conserving this unique and fragile landscape. © Bruce Hogle
2019

The much-anticipated Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park opens in late 2019. The largest Niobrara chalk rock formation in the state will continue to be owned by TNC while public access is managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

What's Next for Kansas?

It is not enough to just maintain the same pace of conservation. With your support we can build on our history of success in Kansas and double our impact in the next 5 years.

Boy holding a fishing pole in each hand looks at camera
Generations Campaign Cover The decisions we make now - in Kansas, as Kansas - will determine how future generations engage with the natural world. © Jerod Foster
Aerial view of winding river with many sandbars.
Kansas River The Kansas River channel is characterized by islands and braided sandbars that provide critical habitat for many sandbar-nesting birds. © Lisa Grossman
2020

The Kansas River to the Sustainable Rivers Program, a a nation-wide partnership between TNC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Gentle sloping hills covered in tall brown grasses.
FLINT HILLS Grasslands of the Flint Hills in Kansas. © Jim Richardson
2021

TNC launches the Conservation Easement Stewardship Initiative to help ranchers go beyond protecting their land to improving the health of their land.

Undulated hills covered in green and brown grass.
Sandhills Ranch TNC purchased the 10,086-acre ranch in southwest Kansas in 2022. It features wide-open stretches of prairie and interdunal wetlands along with 2.8 miles of the Arkansas River © Brad Cory/TNC
2022

TNC purchases the 10,086-acres Sandhills Ranch, protecting one of the largest properties along the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas

Explore The Places We Protect In Kansas

The Nature Conservancy has permanently protected 161,000 acres and 600 miles of freshwater streams in Kansas.