Garton's legacy

11/16/2009

The life story of Jan Garton perfectly illustrates how one person can make a difference.

Garton, well known in Kansas for her conservation and Audubon efforts, died last week in Manhattan. Though she hailed from eastern Kansas, those living in central and south-central Kansas are the beneficiaries of her efforts. Garton worked tirelessly and successfully in the 1980s to save and improve what eventually became a national treasure for birds and people -- Cheyenne Bottoms near Great Bend.

In the mid-1980s the wetlands -- the Central Flyway for migrating birds -- was drying up. It looked as though state officials were going to do little to prevent what could be deemed a wildlife catastrophe.

The efforts of Garton and others in not just saving the wetlands but promoting it as a national tourist attraction are well documented.

But it is worth repeating the words of Ron Klataske, executive director of Audubon of Kansas.

"Jan was the hardest-driving conservationist," he said. "She pushed the idea that this was unacceptable and that the governor, the state Legislature, Kansas Wildlife and Parks, and other entities had to be mobilized to re-create a vision for the Cheyenne Bottoms."

And what a vision of natural beauty Cheyenne Bottoms became. Development of the wetlands never faltered after Garton and other conservationists made Cheyenne Bottoms their life's work. The latest addition came earlier this year with the dedication of a new visitor's center at the wetlands.

Garton's work shows one person can make a significant difference. Her endless supply of passion turned a neglected and dying wildlife habitat into a sparkling and previous gem on the Kansas prairie.

Editorial by the Hutchinson News