Fort Hays State University Communications
Dive into the exciting world of the Cheyenne Bottoms marsh with the Kansas Wetlands Education Center.
Grade school campers who have completed first through sixth grade and love solving problems, exploring, creating, building, and getting outside are in for a treat with KWC’s themed summer discovery camps.
Each camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the days offered. Campers can sign up for single camps or for all camps. Campers who attend all five one-day camps can attend the last two-day camp for free. Registration is required by calling 877-243-9268 or emailing [email protected].
There is a $10 camp fee for each day to cover materials. Campers must provide their own lunch; a morning and afternoon snack will be provided.
Tuesday, July 8 – Munching in the Marsh. This food-themed camp will help campers understand how food and nature coexist by studying the marsh ecosystem’s role in the food cycle, foraging for edible plants, perfecting campfire recipes, and filleting and cooking a fish.
Thursday, July 10 – Marshland Masterpieces. This art-themed camp will have campers inspired by the nature of the wetland to write poetry, paint or sculpt marsh scenes, photograph flora and fauna, explore through music, and use natural materials to dye a bandana.
Monday, July 14 – Marsh Flora. Campers will delve deeper into the plant world of the wetland by dissecting flowers, studying photosynthesis in action, and developing an appreciation for pollinators. Campers will create seed bombs, potpourri, and plant a terrarium.
Wednesday, July 16 – Marsh Fauna. With wetlands being one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, there is a lot of marsh wildlife to explore. Campers will identify Cheyenne Bottoms birds, use iNaturalist for a bioblitz, dissect a wetland critter, and use construction tools to build a wooden birdhouse.
Thursday, July 24 – Marsh Splash Zone. Led by the 4-H Water Ambassador team, campers should be prepared to get wet. From playing in the water to doing scientific studies in the water, campers will get a full understanding of how water is essential to a wetland habitat. Campers will travel into Cheyenne Bottoms, testing the water quality and looking for aquatic invertebrates.
Monday and Tuesday, July 28 and 29 – Marsh Track Tales. This two-day camp will allow campers to set live traps to check the next day. From mammal traps to crayfish traps, campers can monitor how animals move through the marsh at night. They will also install trail cams to witness what happens while we are asleep.
Friday, July 25, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm – Field Biology Day Camp. Designed for older youth who have completed grades 7 – 11. This is a chance to get into the field and learn from experts in science careers. Immerse yourself in the flora and fauna of Cheyenne Bottoms, a wetland of international importance. Activities will include dove banding with Tom Bidrowski, KDWP Migratory Game Bird Program Manager, participating in the citizen science Bumble Bee Atlas program, and a trip down to the Arkansas River to monitor the stream flow at the USGS monitoring station.
More information can be found at 877-243-9268 or visit wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu.
Kansas Wetlands Education Center, affiliated with FHSU’s Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, is located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend at the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area.