KABT BioBlog

Where the Mule Deer and the Pronghorn Antelope Play…

Reflections on the KABT Field Trip in Logan County, June 4-6, 2010

I am not sure what KABT’s goal for the field trip were but for me they were two-fold.  I wanted to provide an inspirational outdoor experience for four of my senior students, and two of my children, who eagerly participated in the trip, while learning myself about the wonderful short-grass prairie from our very own sage, the Yoda-like natural history master, Stan Roth. 

In both regards the trip was a resounding success, even though I failed to continue to follow Noah’s driving lead into better pastures where he was finally able to witness the character of our pursuit, the endangered a recently re-established Black-Footed Ferret (see Noah’s posts). 

If you are sad that you missed the trip, continue on since I did my best to record it all for you…

More specifically, follow along to see what I saw, learn what I learned, listen while I contemplate what KABT may have learned, and educate yourself on the prairie dog wars of Logan County, Kansas in hopes of a return trip to this wonderful county… 

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KABT Field Trip
When: June 4 & 5
Where: Smoky Valley Ranch
Logan County in Western Kansas

Welcome to the 2010 KABT fieldtrip. This is open to all who enjoy biology, members and non-members, we have a very exciting trip planned to the Nature Conservancy and Haverfield Ranch.

The Smoky Valley Ranch (SVR) is located about 15 miles south of Monument, KS. Lodging for the trip is available at multiple locations. For the purposes of this trip KABT has been given permission to use the primitive bunkhouse located on the ranch. The bunkhouse has 8 beds and also has a bath; you are required to bring your own linens and bedroll. The bunkhouse space will be given on a first come first serve basis. We have been given the permission to camp at the ranch for the nights of June 4 and 5. Other nearby camping locations includes Scott State Lake, located south of the ranch. Hotel accommodations can be found an hour and a half away in Oakley, KS.

The association needs an idea of how many people to expect for the field trip we do ask that attendees RSVP with the number of people that they plan on bringing by emailing bcoon@usd352.k12.ks.us . Please put “KABT trip” in the subject line.

Directions to the SVR headquarters and bunkhouse: To access the Headquarters/bunkhouse: at the east intersection of US-40 & US-83 at the south edge of Oakley, go south on US-83 for 11 miles to Seneca Rd. There are a couple of communication towers there. Go west on Seneca 7 miles to the “T” intersection and turn south. Drive another 7 miles. The SVR Hq. “campus” will be in view and there will be a gate/lane on the left [east] and one ahead [south] that may be closed. Take the east lane and travel s.e. to the metal office/storage/maintenance building and turn right [west] and drive down the lane to the large, stone ranch house………the bunkhouse. The address is 1114 County Rd. 370, Oakley KS

What to bring:
First and foremost, it is highly suggested to have a full tank of gas. Other items to bring include cameras, binoculars, lawn chairs, hiking boots, a cooler of food for 3 meals, (Friday night, Saturday breakfast, and lunch), plenty of water, bug spray, and camping equipment.

Activities:
Friday evening: Meet at SVR for an evening of camaraderie with fellow KABT members.

Saturday: There are two hiking trails located on ranch, various groups will be formed based on biological interest and self-guided exploration of the area will take place. Near one of the hiking trails is a bison jump site. Also, the historic Butterfield Trail crosses the present ranch.

Possible sightings unique to western Kansas include: Prairie dogs, Prairie chickens, ferruginous hawks, Swift fox, Golden Eagles, Burrowing owls, Pronghorn, Prairie Rattlesnakes, short-grass prairie plant species, and at night the possibility of sighting black-footed ferrets on a nearby ranch (approximately 20 miles from Smoky Valley Ranch).

Saturday night: The plan is to meet at Mittens Truck Stop in Oakley, KS for a meal at 6:00, where we will eat (Dutch treat), and prepare for an evening of spotlighting the nocturnal black-footed ferret. Starting at 10-11:00 we will begin spotlighting at Haverfield Ranch.

Sunday Morning: disperse and head safely back to where you call home

For directions to the Smoky Valley Ranch see the nature conservancy website at

www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/kansas/preserves/art63.html

There is no charge for the day and non-members are welcome but we do encourage you to support KABT with your membership ($15/year, $5/year for students).

KABTers Birding

Getting the perfect picture!

The KABT annual spring fieldtrip is simply an opportunity to learn and interact with fellow biology teachers.  I have learned more biology than you can imagine from simply being around and listening to others!  I cannot overemphasize the importance of learning with others.  You build up your expertise, you build up your fellow biology teachers expertise and that is the kind of experience that will impact your teaching.  The field trip is NOT a test of what you do and don’t know in the outdoors, rather it is an opportunity to absorb the knowledge of those that can identify (with maybe 90% accuracy?).  I am the first to admit that I cannot name, identify, or give an natural history of quite few flora and fauna, but I attend these trips to learn (and also make fun of some of the older guys). Although as most of you know, its not necessarily what you learn but how you learn that builds your lifelong memories.  I simply wish every biology teacher could experience just one of these special trips.  You talk about school, kids, technology, and everything else, but you really get to absorb the thoughts and opinions of your peers.  I know that I will always value the thoughts and opinions of my fellow biology teachers.  This past Saturday, June 6, 2009, we met at the Wetlands Education building at Cheyenne  Bottoms.  After a great tour of the education center that included various displays, a teaching classroom, and an auditorium we carpooled over to the lookout tower in Cheyenne Bottoms.  After eating we took a driving tour that included numerous stops along the way.  Although I do not have a comprehensive list of species we encountered I do know that I saw birds much closer than I have in the past, but beyond that I had an opportunity to commune with nature with some other nature lovers. By the way, it appears that there is an inverse relationship between the quality of a biology teachers’ joke and their years of experience (personal observation during this trip).  I hope all KABTers and any biology teachers that wish to will try to attend at lease one of these awe inspiring journeys around Kansas!

A couple of picts from Charlotte:

Yellow Headed Blackbird

birdwatching

A view of Cheyenne Bottoms from Lookout Point

Observing Crayfish

This year’s Spring field trip will be on Saturday, June 6, at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area.

From Fort Hays Univeristy Wetlands Education Center Website

We will be meeting at 10am at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center at the Bottoms.  We have reserved a classroom there, and are asking participants to bring any materials we can use to collaborate and create a lesson/lab or two that we can then take back and do with our classrooms next year.  That may mean bringing laptops, microscopes, slides, petri dishes, dropping pipettes, cameras, nets, buckets, binoculars, etc.  The classroom that is reserved has tables and chairs, and that is about it, so we need to bring all of our own lab equipment.

For those who want to arrive Friday and camp out, we will be at the Venango campground at Kanopolis State Park, about 45 minutes northeast of Cheyenne Bottoms.  Friday evening we will have fly fishing, bird watching, and other activities for those who are interested.  Please bring your own camping gear and food.   (Please see the Venango link for camping costs).

Friends and family are welcome!  Hope to see you there!

Johnson County Community College is offering teachers Introductory and Advanced biotechnology classes. There is no charge for the classes and a stipend is available for attendees. See attachment for details.  educator_information1

Teachers looking for paid summer internships should complete the attached application. biotech-summer-internship-application-2009 Placement can be arranged for 2-4 weeks at a biotechnology company.

Contact  Megan Gray for more details.

Despite nearly $4 a gallon gas and a 6-8 hour drive 16 KABTer’s and their families made the trip to the Morrill Museum in Lincoln, NE, Niobrara State Park and Ashfall State Park this past weekend. Harry, Charlotte, Brad, Carol, Randy, Josie, Tiffany, Brian Alex, Abbie, Julie, Charlotte, Jennifer, Kayla, Stan, and Janet all took a trip into the Cenozoic of Nebraska. Unlike the last trip north there was no weather issues to confront. Most of the party met up at 10:00 on Saturday morning at the Morrill Museum. This is a good place to get a handle on the diversity of Cenozoic mammal fossils that are found in Nebraska. Many don’t realize it but Nebraska is one of the best places to find a diversity fossil elephants like mammoths and mastodons. Here’s some shots from the Elephant hall in the museum:

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Neosho County or Bust (April 25-27)

Outdoor experiences have and continue to inspire and enhance our interest in the biological sciences.  Unlike many of you I grew up in Kansas City without access to a diverse fauna and flora.  I do remember playing in a neighborhood creek and collecting crinoid fossils from behind what was Milgram’s Groceries at state line and 103rd.  My most memorable natural experiences derive from our annual family canoe trips in the pristine and protected waters of southern Missouri.  I would hound my father to canoe ahead of everyone else and steer me from one bank to the other so that I would have the best chance of observing and capturing the common map turtles that are frequently found basking on logs along the shore. 

If we want to inspire and motivate our students, we need to facilitate similar experiences (even James Watson began with an interest in ornithology).   Participation in the Kansas Herpetological Societies annual spring and fall field trips can provide an avenue for providing such experiences.

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Ash Fall Itinerary

Join us May 31 through June 1 to Ashfall Fossil Beds Historical Park. Trip will include viewing a 14 foot mammoth skeleton at Nebraska State Museum, exploring and camping in Niobrara Park, and visiting the fossil beds. Open attachment to view itinerary and costs. Don’t forget that family and friends are welcome.

Randy’s campsite at campground #3

Josie’s Tent

several members gather at the hatchery to take a tour of the rainbow trout facility ran by the Missouri Conservation Commission

Josie and Harry “model” excellent student behavior .

Trout in the cave at the spring source.

Looking up to the clift above you can see the fault line that is responsible for the spring.

Josie stands in front of the building constructed by the CCC of the 1930′s

Fingerling trout

Tiffany and Daughter viewing preserved sac-fry.

Harry takes a magnifyed look at the sac-fry

Josie feeding the big trout in the spring pond.

This is at least a ten pound trout.

Tim the park naturalist organizes the stream walk.

There must be something pretty interesting in the water.

The Roaring River Field Trip took place June 1-3 with KABT Members Randy Dix, Harry & Charlotte McDonald, Shari McDougal & family, Tiffany Richard & family, Josie Stiles, & Bill Welsh attending. Friday night began with thunderstorms but the rest of the weekend was beautiful weather! Saturday morning some members began fly fishing and others hiked the Devil’s Kitchen area.

Randy had the pleasure of teaching many of us how to fly fish. I was assigned to practice casting in my backyard. Once you cast I learned there is a fine art of snagging the fish, which I have yet to do. Tiffany’s 7 year old daughter had no problem learning how to cast the rod.

Saturday afternoon we toured the Hatchery and learned that Rainbow Trout have a stage in their life cycle called a swim-up fry and need to be fed every hour for 6 weeks! I am glad I don’t have that person’s job! We learned that approximately 290,000 trout are released each year and the hatchery sustains these trout by feeding them 600 pounds of food each day.

After the Hatchery Tour we had the privilege of going to an area of the river and seining for fish, crayfish, and whatever other organisms we could collect. We collected several different species of fish, invertebrates, and an endangered crayfish species. The Williams Crayfish is light in color and rapidly declining in the area. After each of us saw the crayfish our tour guide Tim released it back into the river. Once we left this part of the river the rest of the evening consisted of more fishing, a campfire, and S’mores!

Sunday morning some members went to the Nature Center to participate in the Habitat Hike before leaving. It was nice enjoying the outdoors, other teachers’ company, and seeing the kids have fun while learning about nature. If you missed the Spring Trip this year mark your calendars for next year’s Spring Trip to Ash Fall Nebraska. Don’t forget you can bring your family!