The Ninnescah River is one of the waterways that drain Sedgwick County’s 1,000 square miles. The river’s name comes from the Osage Indian word ninnescah, meaning clear water. On this late evening in early June, that clear water draws a raccoon onto a sandy flat along the river and into the ecosystem of a sand prairie.
Grasses and sunflowers hold sway here in this specific habitat within Wichita State’s biological research area. The multiplicity of habitats – restored prairie, marshland, sand prairie and riparian woodland – makes the area especially useful to researchers, and home to a uniquely diverse cast of plant and animal characters.
