Seminar presentations and playa lakes tour included in event
COLBY -- The Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, Inc. (KAWS), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV), and the Waconda Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) will offer playa lake tours in northwestern Kansas on March 30. The event is open to the public and will begin at 9 a.m. at the NRCS Office, 915 E. Walnut St. in Colby.

Experts will be on hand to provide information about playa lakes and why these wetlands are vital to the health of the Great Plains. Bob Tricks, NRCS major land resource area soils leader, will talk about the soils and plants in the playas and answer questions ranging from how playas are formed to why playas are considered to be points of aquifer recharge.

KDWP wildlife biologist Josh Williams will discuss the importance of playas to wildlife, as well as wetland restoration opportunities.

Andy Burr, NRCS district conservationist, will also speak about opportunities available for wetland restoration and give some project details about the various playas on the tour.

Arthur Gomes, KAWS wetland coordinator, will discuss his role in restoring and protecting wetlands in Kansas and how he might be of assistance to local land owners.

KAWS works with local people to create, protect, and restore the state’s wetland and stream resources. Organized in 1996, KAWS is a 501(c)3 educational public charity reaching a broad spectrum of individuals, groups, and governments to improve the wetlands and streams they own or control. Over its 12-year span, the organization has helped educate thousands of adults and students about the state’s invaluable wetland and stream resources, their condition, and how to protect and improve them. KAWS provides its services through 12 local chapters that cover the entire state.

To reserve a spot on this tour, email lhowell@kaws.org or phone 785-425-7325. For more information about KAWS and its many partners, go online to www.KAWS.org or www.KAWS.org/partners.
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