The Bunker Resurvey project
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The Bunker Resurvey Project is an attempt to create a once-in-a-century, repeat survey of sites that early zoologists at the KU Natural History Museum (now Biodiversity Institute) surveyed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although some of the sites are located on private land, and cannot be accessed without permission, many are entirely accessible to the public. We would like to emphasize the crucial nature of respecting private property in this work: many of the landowners have been enormously helpful to the KU team in allowing us access to land and facilities, so please respect their private property so that nothing bad happens to those arrangements!
Kansas, Cherokee County, Columbus area
This is an area that Bunker worked across a number of sites, clustered around Columbus. As such, the Mined Lands Wildlife Area is an excellent hotspot to work, and more generally around Columbus there are a number of public access areas.
Kansas, Cheyenne County, St. Francis, 23 mi NW
This is a unique corner of Kansas, where the Arikaree River crosses one corner of the state. The road is good birding, but it is surrounded by private land. Another point of access is the Three Corners point, which again is apparently surrounded by private land, and therefore all birding must be done from the road.
Kansas, Clark County, Ashland, 12 mi S, along Cimarron River
Much of this site is off of public roads, in private land. However, the Cimarron River crossing bridge on River Road, about 12 miles south of Ashland, offers good birding from the road and is an established hotspot.
Kansas, Comanche County, Aetna, 4 mi SW
Much of this site is off of public roads, on private land. The Aetna Road bridge over the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River is a good birding site, and is an established hotspot.
Kansas, Doniphan County, Geary
Parts of this site are on private land, but several sites are key spots for repeating the site inventory, including eBird hotspots at Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area, the Lewis and Clark Levee Trail, and a site along Monument Road.
Kansas, Douglas County, Washington Creek, 7.5 miles SW Lawrence
The actual Bunk’s Cabin site is private land, but some of our work at this site is centered in the Clinton Wildlife Area on Rock Creek and the Horseshoe Pass area, which are close by and quite similar in habitat. The nearby Model Airport Marsh is a nice section of native grassland, and perhaps represents the only lowland native grassland in the vicinity of the site in the present day.
Kansas, Hamilton County, Coolidge, 0-2 miles E
Several public-access areas are in the close vicinity of this site, including Hamilton County State Fishing Lake and Cottonwood Flats Wildlife Area; also, the River Road between Coolidge and Syracuse is a common birding area and would be quite relevant to the repeat survey effort.
Kansas, Labette County, Oswego, 10 mi SW, Hackberry Creek
Work at Bartlett City Lake would be very relevant to this site.
Kansas, Morton County, Cimarron River, 12 mi N Elkhart
This site is all within the Cimarron National Grasslands, and so is all public lands. The site is north of Elkhart, around the Cimarron River crossing, so the Cottonwood Picnic Area is a great central point, but many other areas can be birded within a mile or so of this site.
Kansas, Stafford County, Quivira NWR, Little Salt Marsh
This site is at the southern end of the National Wildlife Refuge, and is a heavily birded site. An established hotspot corresponds to Little Salt Marsh, and applies to what we understand to be the actual site.
Kansas, Wallace County, Wallace, 2 mi S, Smoky Hill River
The actual site is located on what is now private land. However, nearby is the Wallace town site eBird hotspot. The Fort Wallace Post Cemetery is close by, Road Wa-EO parallels the river, and other local roads can be birded if private land rights are respected.
Kansas, Woodson County, Neosho Falls
This was the town that the legendary Nathaniel Goss founded, and where he assembled excellent historical collections. Several eBird hotspots are available in the general area of Neosho Falls, including Riverside Park, Cedarvale Cemetery, Circle Lake (road only), and St. Martin’s Cemetery (a bit farther away, but near Goss’s property).
