Submitted by Nathan Bolls

If you feel a yearning for “outdoors,” you must discern whether you want to spend time in a Wild that is of “photo-op” quality or in one that is biologically rich—one throbbing “pulse” that comes from an area of healthy biodiversity. These two conditions are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but many people drive past great biodiversity, e.g., the Flint Hills, to sites they deem worthy of towering picture postcards.

Kansas does offer many great vistas for those who seek, but out state also is home to a great number and variety of plants and animals. That statement does not include the many species that migrate through Kansas both spring and fall. Also not included are the unusual visitors, e.g., the great snowy owl that overwintered on the Konza a couple of years ago or the brown pelican (a seacoast species) that I saw fishing below the Tuttle Creek Reservoir “tubes” this past spring.

Although I know a brown pelican when I see one, and I am not given to hallucinations, I did have the Tuttle Creek State Park biologist confirm my observation with his statement, “Yes, we’ve been watching it.” Because the “tube area” below the Tuttle Creek Dam is nearby, and is a favorite stopping and feeding place for migrating waterfowl, we never know what might visit our pond for a few hours. I often refer to the Flint Hills as a colossal wildlife refuge.

The tangle of a deciduous forest; of that within the tall grass; or the tangle made form the ample water, food and cover offered by our pond set the stage for a healthy biodiversity. Writer Jose Ortega y Gasset outlines the proposition: “whoever wants to see a brick must look at its pores, and must keep his eyes close to it. But whoever wants to see a cathedral cannot see it as he does a brick.” This demands a respect for distance. Our MLH natural area will reveal riches from a distance, but being willing to visualize wilderness as a brick. Some pores will show neither peace nor beauty. Others will be incredible.