Kansas Wetlands Education Center

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie.  Today, I'll tell you more about our adventure from Saturday.  As Maggie mentioned, our first stop was the Kansas Wetlands Education Center.  It's a beautiful facility and is sort of the gateway into Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest inland marsh in the US!  (That was our ultimate destination; more on that later!)

Maggie and me watching Dad go into the Kansas Wetlands Ed Center

There's a "bipeds only" rule at the center, so Mom and Dad took turns going in.  The Center is a very clean facility, run by very friendly people!  In addition to lots of exhibits, they have maps and pamphlets to help you learn more about what you'll see in the wetlands area -- and they even helped Mom download an iPhone app that has a virtual tour of Cheyenne Bottoms!

Anyway, while Dad checked the place out, Mags and I walked all over the grounds with Mom.  They have pretty signs leading into the place:

It bears images of some of the birds that we eventually saw -- I guess it's so the birdies know where to go, don't you think?

We saw this nice trail marker:

Let's go in for a close-up!

Isn't that pretty?  Oh.  And leashed puppies are allowed on the trail!  Yay!  Maybe after the mosquitoes die down a bit!  (Did we mention the marsh?)

The wetlands are also home not just to all kinds of birdies, but to mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects of all kinds -- to include BUTTERFLIES!  Look at the beautiful signage over a picnic shelter:

And they even have a Butterfly Garden right outside the Ed Center:

We enjoyed looking at all their beautiful flowers and watching the butterflies while Dad was inside.  Oh!  Here he comes now!

"Hello, Daddy.  We've been very good girls!  And we kept Mom out of trouble."
"Boooooo!"

Maggie likes to "boo" at people if she really likes them.

Then it was Mom's turn to go inside.  We walked around a bit with Dad, sat on this bench for a while ...

... and had some water.  And a snack.  Dad gave us crackers.  I like crackers.

We greeted Mom when she came out:

"YAY, it's Mom!  Mom, I had CRACKERS!"
"Boooooooo!"
"You gave them crackers?!?"
"Cam, that was supposed to be our secret!"

The adventure was just getting started, and already I was having SUCH a great time!

More to come, so please stay tuned!

Cammie!

PS:  I had CRACKERS!!!