Tanner Colvin

On the edge of Concordia, Kansas, the National Orphan Train Complex preserves the story of children sent west during the Orphan Train Movement from 1854–1929. As the nation’s only museum dedicated to this history, it shares the artifacts and personal stories of the riders whose journeys helped shape Kansas and America.

Hikers across Kansas kicked off the new year with First Day Hikes at 24 Kansas State Parks. This year’s hike at Glen Elder State Park offered a fog-filled, three-mile walk through nature and a chance to reflect on the area’s deep history, including the sacred site of Waconda.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a key stop along the Central Flyway, shelters hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year. Among them, the endangered Whooping Crane finds safety in the refuge’s rare inland salt marsh. A family of cranes, including a juvenile, was spotted before taking flight over the Kansas horizon—a striking reminder of Quivira’s vital role in protecting these majestic birds.