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'Prairie Suite: Symphony in the Flint Hills' shines light on Kansas prairie

Posted at 11:16 AM, Aug 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-24 12:43:45-04

It's an unusual concert in the most unlikely settings.

In fact, the location is one of a kind in the world and endangered. It's a place where buffalo roamed, wagon trains rolled west and this past summer, the Kansas City Symphony performed.

Click here to learn more about Symphony in the Flint Hills

For the last 11 years, the Kansas City Symphony has performed in concert in the middle of the Kansas prairie.

It is an effort to attract attention and educate people about a region known as the Flint Hills. These hills are home to the largest remaining stand of tall grass prairie in the world.

It is known throughout the country for cattle drives and summer grazing. Its rich history included pioneers who crossed this land in wagon trains, Native Americans who hunted buffalo and newly freed slaves who searched for a safe place to call home in this vast landscape.

KSHB-TV sent a large production crew to the Flint Hills, where for several months they captured the natural landscape and majestic beauty of this hidden Kansas treasure.

This program will highlight the concert, as well as explain this endangered eco-system and showcase the efforts to preserve it and the unique ranching culture that makes it all possible. Hear from all sides, from ranchers to environmentalists, as they work in harmony to make beautiful music to help sustain a natural treasure.

The documentary “Prairie Suite: Symphony in the Flint Hills,” is scheduled to air on

  • Wednesday, August 24 9-10 p.m. on KSHB-TV
  • Friday, August 26 10-11 p.m. on COZI-TV
  • Monday, August 29 9-10 p.m. on KMCI-TV.

To learn more about this unique event, here are some of the groups involved:

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

Charles Goodnight Historical Center

Zebulon Pike and the Pike National Historic Trails Association

Prairie Chickens and other Flint Hills images by Photographer Casey Wilson

Composer Peter Boyer

 

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Night Shift will air on Thursday 8/25 at 1:07 a.m. It's being preempted this week to air the special "Symphony in the Flint Hill."