Site 12
The Boardwalk
The boardwalk is a dividing line between the high grasses to the east and the low, wetland area that provides a spillway for the pond to the west. Both areas provide a unique biome for the diverse flora and fauna that reside here in the O.W.L.S. park.
The GHS Science Department encourages visitors to take the time to walk the paths of the O.W.L.S area and learn more about the native plants and wildlife of Kansas, as well as appreciate the diverse ecosystems in action throughout the four seasons. Including this site, there are twelve, interactive stops a visitor can make with an electronic device to que-up information with a QR code to study the small microcosm of the Kansas prairie before you.
The Boardwalk site is an opportunity for you to learn more about what two elements bring renewal to the prairie: fire and water.
Restoration of Prairies – Fire: In the spring, the Ecology classes of GHS partners with the local Goddard Fire Department to do a controlled burn of the O.W.L.S park. Fire is a natural part of the grassland ecosystem and helps maintain its health and vigor. Fire warms up the soil and reduces the leaf litter and kills invasive plants that accumulate each year, allowing sunlight to penetrate. Warming the soil increases microbial activity, which releases nutrients from decaying plant material that new grasses and flowers need to grow. After a fire, the blackened field quickly revives with new, green grasses and abundant showy wildflowers.
Prior to westward, settler expansion and agriculture, Native Americans found controlled burns very useful to attract bison herds for hunting, as burning the prairie in the early spring meant more green grass for the bison to graze once regrowth began. Today, controlled burns provide five important aspects to the life of the prairie: 1) control the overgrowth of woodlands; 2) prevent wildfires; 3) maintain grasslands for wildlife; 4) benefit the food chain; and 5) sustain critical habitats for endangered species.
Restoration of the Water Table & Waterways – Wetlands: Below the boardwalk and flanked to the left and the right, one will find the flora of the prairie wetlands. Wetlands have four functions: 1) water purification; 2) flood protection; 3) shoreline stabilization; and 4) groundwater recharge. There are certain plants (rushes and sedges) that grow around the board walk that do amazing work by cleaning the toxins of the pond water and providing a foundational element of the wetland food chain to the wildlife of the area. Most Kansans are familiar with the Ogallala Aquifer, a shallow table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains. This large reservoir of underground water is recharged by wetlands and playas that one finds on the prairie. This aquifer is the lifeline of the vast prairie land of North America.
To identify and discover the diverse, seasonal wetland plants around the boardwalk, utilize the links below: