Vote on state’s geographic wonders By Clara Kilbourn

Special to The Hays Daily News

INMAN — Continuing its search for Kansas wonders, the Kansas Sampler Foundation announced an effort to identify the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography.

“We’re looking for specific places that exemplify the best of natural Kansas,” said Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler director.

While she’s aware of the potential for an 8 Wonders fatigue, there’s been plenty of interest from beyond the borders of Kansas. Nominations have come from all the states and many foreign countries, Penner said.

“If you Google 8 Wonders there have been 1.6 million articles, views and hits. That’s a broad scope of interest,” she said.

Rex Buchanan, of the Kansas Geological Survey in Lawrence, served on two previous 8 Wonders selection committees and will help name the geography wonders.

While the selection process might sound like it would be simple, there’s also the possibility the nominations could pass over an entire physiographic location; for example, the Flint Hills natural landscape, he said.

“Sure, there are some things, say like with the food, that you knew were going to be there, like the Brookville Hotel,” he said.

A Little River and Rice County native, Buchanan recently made a trip to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge where he spotted sandhill cranes, a golden eagle and a variety of shore birds. There were only six or eight visitors on the Sunday he was there.

“It strikes me that it is under-appreciated,” he said.

Geography entries should be publicly accessible year-round; possess a “wow” factor and have qualities not like any other in Kansas and beyond, Penner said. The nomination should be written as if the selection committee has no prior information about it.

Examples of possible nominations include: a reservoir or state lake, wetland or marsh, Scenic Byway, back road drive, trees, shrubs, botanical garden, arboretum, nature center, hiking trail, observatory, natural landmark, animals or insects, flowers, grasses, soil or physiographic region.

Buchanan named the Cimarron Natural Grasslands near Elkhart as one of the “coolest” places in the state and a probable nominee. It’s closer to the state capitals of Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming than it is to Topeka.

Little known places could be Echo Cliff in Wabaunsee County near Dover and Alcove Spring along the Old Oregon Trail in Marshall County, with its little waterfall and wagon ruts. The Donner Party camped there by the Big Blue River.

“It’s not comparable to the Rocky Mountains, but pretty, quiet and serene, with an important landscape and history,” he said. “I hope at the end of the day we will come up with 24 scenic places with cultural history. There are a lot of places like that in Kansas.”

The geography wonder is the sixth category of a planned eight. Others have covered architecture, art, commerce, cuisine and customs. History and people will be the final two, Penner said.

Visit www.kansassampler.org to nominate an 8 Wonders of Geography.