The people we've met have been just as interesting as the natural world. In the process of getting permission to visit these spots, we've knocked on the doors of everything from multi-million dollar mansions nestled in the Flint Hills to old houses with chickens living on the front porch. Probably the most amazing thing about the people has been their eagerness to help. Having been to almost 200 of these springs, I can see why people care about them so much. They are special.
Springs are places where the natural world and human history intersect.
Maybe best of all, they are a way to know the world. For more information on this work, click here . An Introduction to Landscapes, Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils , both published by the University Press of Kansas . Jack Spring, south of Matfield Green in the Kansas Flint Hills, is nearly pristine. It issues from a cave system that extends for several thousand feet into the hillside.