Kansas Heritage Series
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Each winter, the Wilson County Old Iron Club hosts a 3 event series focusing on a different aspect of Kansas history and heritage. The premier series was held in early 2013. All events are held on Sunday afternoons at 2pm, in the Town Hall at the “Rollin ‘Red’ Vandever Memorial Park”.
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2018 Heritage Series
This year’s series is all about our natural resources - how the resources impact our daily lives, and how we affect the resources by the choices we make.
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January 28, 2018 – “Water in Kansas: Past & Present” - Rex Buchanan
Early evidence of Native peoples in Kansas shows that they lived near springs, seeps, and rivers. Later, European settlers moved along water sources, and eventually cities were established in areas with plentiful water supplies. Even today, demographic changes in Kansas are the result of water. Scarcity connected to water-level declines in the Ogallala Aquifer is impacting depopulation in western Kansas, whereas some eastern Kansas counties, which are relatively water-rich, are gaining population. Recently the state government developed a 50-year water planning vision, identifying two major issues: reservoir sedimentation and the rapid drawdown of Ogallala portion of the High Plains Aquifer in western Kansas. This presentation will highlight how water issues today define much about Kansans in the future, just as it always has. - Presented by Rex Buchanan. rex@kgs.ku.edu Rex is the interim director of the Kansas Geological Survey and the author of books about Kansas geology and water. |
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February 25, 2018 – “The Challenges and Joys of Prairie Living” – Jane Koger
Jane Koger, from Bazaar KS, is the owner of the Homestead Ranch in Chase County, a 4,000-acre privately owned ranch. She has turned her love of the Flint Hills into a lifelong dedication to preserving the Flint Hills’ pristine ecosystem. For more information about prairie living, check out her video, “Living Off the Grid, In Sync With Nature”. https://vimeo.com/133103528 - Presented by Jane Koger. Jane was born into a ranching family in Emporia, KS. Raised in Cottonwood Falls, she is a fourth generation rancher in Chase County. |
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March 11, 2018 – “Water: Why Is It So Difficult to Conserve?” – Matt Sanderson
Water is the most precious natural resource, sustaining all life on Earth. Despite its value, freshwater consumption is not sustainable in many areas around the world, including Kansas. Why is it so difficult to conserve this vital resource? This presentation will look at the role of culture – our values norms, and beliefs – and consider their impact on “the water problem” and how they can help solve this issue. - Presented by Matthew Sanderson. mattrs@ksu.edu Matthew is an associate professor of sociology at Kansas State University. |
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