Recently, I was surrounded by more monarch butterflies than I had seen in the previous 58 years of my life combined. It was a magical experience. These gorgeous creatures are finally on the endangered species list, and rightfully so. That made this unique experience of mine both precious and bittersweet.
We even caught sight of a monarch that had been tagged for tracking purposes.
My visit to Baker Wetlands with Dear Husband and a dear friend was rather spontaneous. I didn’t know the place existed until that very day. Going there was such a treat. It is a mecca for bird watchers, star gazers, nature photographers and exercise enthusiasts alike.
According to its website, these wetlands cover 927 acres, including 11 miles of trails. They’re home to 492 unique plant species, 387 vertebrate species, and 288 types of birds. More species are being discovered every year. It is one of the most diverse habitats in the entire state of Kansas.
While there, we also saw gigantic bumblebees. My friend’s keen eye spotted a little metallic green bee that I’ve never seen before. There were other butterflies as well, including swallowtails and painted ladies. The grasshoppers were abundant, and none of them were less than 2 inches long. One unexpectedly landed on my arm, causing me to shriek.
The wildflowers were out in full force, and here it was early Autumn. I can’t imagine how spectacular it must look at the height of spring. If I lived nearby, I’m sure I’d visit several times a year.
While doing research for this post, I discovered that this location is also the place to be for some stunning sunsets. (Even if you rarely click on links, click on that one. Amazing.) Sadly, our timing was a bit off for seeing one of those. But if I must choose between monarch butterflies and sunsets… well, I fear that we all better see the monarchs while we can.
Baker Wetlands also has a discovery center on site. Unfortunately, it was closed during our visit. That’s a pity, because I would have loved to indulge my inner nerd by finding out even more about the amazing things we saw. There is a lot to learn in a place like this.
I was reluctant to leave, but we had other obligations. I would have liked to have purchased something from their gift shop, but I discovered later that I did manage to bring home a souvenir anyway. It was in the form of a chigger bite on the back of my leg, right where it bends. It took several weeks to recover from that, and it brought back some very itchy memories from my time in Florida. (And here I thought that chiggers were only in the south. Silly me.)
The Baker Wetlands are less than an hour from Kansas City. If you ever find yourself in the area, this gorgeous place is well worth a side trip. I’m so glad we decided to be spontaneous during our visit. I’ll never forget that experience.
I’ll leave you with a bonus photo that I took by accident. It seems my camera was as dazzled by the sun and the scenery as I was.
Are you wondering what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? How about my book, Notes on Gratitude? Place your orders now! (Or any other time, since we’re on the subject.) And… thanks!
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