The Smoky Valley Ranch in far western Kansas is home to chalk bluffs and wildlife. And researchers have found 80 million-year-old fossils and evidence of early humans on the Great Plains. Commentator Rex Buchanan says the ranch is one of the state's natural treasures, and one worth seeing.
Commentator Rex Buchanan recently retired as director of the Kansas Geological Survey, based at the University of Kansas. He's now director emeritus.
Learn more about the Smoky Valley Ranch and the Nature Conservancy here.
Production assistance for this commentary was provided by KPR News Intern Courtney Bierman, a sophomore studying journalism at the University of Kansas.