2025-08-10 In the Country of the Kaw Exploring the Watershed of the Kaw River

'In the Country of the Kaw': Exploring the Watershed of the Kaw River

Presented By
Jim Locklear

The Kaw River is an iconic feature of Kansas City's natural landscape and played a crucial role in the metro area's history and economic development. However, the Kaw also presides over an expansive watershed that includes parts of the High Plains, Smoky Hills, Flint Hills, and other regions of Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas.

In his new book, In the Country of the Kaw: A Personal Natural History of the American Plains, botanist Jim Locklear discusses the natural and cultural wonders found within the Kaw's watershed. Drawing on more than 30 years of observation and travel throughout the region, Locklear details the geology, landforms, woodlands, prairies, wildlife, and other aspects of natural history and how people, past and present, interacted with the land.

Locklear, who grew up in Kansas City, recently retired as director of conservation at Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens. Previously, he served as director of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston, Kansas, and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

Listen
Upcoming in this series:
Watch or Listen to Past Events in this Series:
wedding photo from Old West
Sunday, March 14, 2021 3:00pm
In commemoration of the bicentennial anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail, historian Joy L. Poole examines the stories of five wives who traveled the Trail between 1830...
18
Feb

Head 'Em Up and Move 'Em Out

Central Library | 2:00pm
16
May

Jim Bridger: Trailblazer of the American West

3:00pm
3
Jun

Paul L. Hedren - After Custer: The Transformation ...

Central Library | 2:00pm
17
Nov

Censorship and Kansas City: The Star and the Great...

Central Library | 2:00pm
2025-08-10 In the Country of the Kaw Exploring the Watershed of the Kaw River

'In the Country of the Kaw': Exploring the Watershed of the Kaw River

Date & Location
-
Helzberg Auditorium
In Person