Fort Hays State University is continuing to evaluate and monitor the situation surrounding the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and communicating continuously with state and local health care agencies. Masks are required inside the building and can be provided at the front desk if necessary.

Adventure for Everyone

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Welcome to KWEC!

Want a unique nature experience? Then, visit the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. KWEC overlooks Cheyenne Bottoms; the largest inland marsh in the United States and a Ramsar designated, Wetland of International Importance.

The KWEC is managed by Fort Hays State University in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism.

Walk through state-of-the-art exhibits that tell the story of Cheyenne Bottoms from its ancient geological formation to the management challenges of the future. Discover the magnificence of these wetlands and the animals and plants living there.

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Bingo Board

Virtual Tour

Experience all that Cheyenne Bottoms has to offer from the comfort of your home or classroom.  Click on our virtual tour to experience 360 images, drone footage, educational videos, interviews with key Cheyenne Bottoms partners, and interactive games.  

Download this bingo board to guide your experience to a variety of activities.

Classroom teachers, click here to learn about how to use this in your classroom and participate in a nation-wide research colaborative to enhance virtual environmental education programs.

The Virtual Tour is best viewed by putting the image below in full screen (square brackets bottom middle) and then clicking on each individual icon to navigate to different areas of Cheyenne Bottoms.  You can then click an icon to return to map and choose another destination!

 

Thanks for Visiting!

Upcoming Events

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Teaching and Learning Wkshp

06/08/2021 10:00 AM - 06/08/2021 4:30 PM

Looking for a unique professional development opportunity?  Educators, both formal and non-formal, join the Kansas Wetlands Education Center and the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) for a hybrid Teaching and Learning Outdoors Environmental Education worksho... more

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Ava Avocet Book Launch

06/19/2021 10:00 AM - 06/19/2021 12:00 PM

Thanks to funding from the Dorothy M. Morrison Foundation, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center is putting the final touches on a children's book to be ready in June 2021.  The funding will provide a copy to every K-6 classroom in Barton County as well as every school and community/public libra... more

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Recent Bird Sightings

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Exhibits

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center building offers a panoramic view of our mitigation marsh. We have binoculars and spotting scopes available to help you get a closer look at the wetlands and wildlife outside the Center. Visitors enjoy the sights of birds at the feeder, frogs sitting at the water’s edge, blooming sunflowers, harriers gliding over the marsh, and whatever surprises nature has to offer.

Donate to the KWEC

The KWEC appreciates donations. Donations to the KWEC go toward enhancing our educational programming.

Donate