Wendy Bowles

Wendy Bowles is a conservation worker at Kanopolis State Park near Marquette, KS. She has worked at Kanopolis State Park for 32 years. Prior to employment with the state of Kansas, Wendy worked as a field biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver, CO. She is a graduate of Colorado State University and has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology. When Wendy started at Kanopolis there were 1.5 miles of mapped established trails. After working with Ellen Querner and NATRC in 1992 for a NATRC ride, Wendy requested to keep the trails that she and Ellen had laid out and open them for public use. Since 1992, these trails have been mowed and marked, giving Kanopolis 27+ miles of trail open to equestrians. This was the beginning of the equestrian trails and campgrounds in Kansas State Parks. Over the years, Wendy has received approximately $580,000 in grants, primarily from the National Recreation Trail Grants Program. The money has been used to build the Rockin’ K Horse Campground, purchase of equipment and signage and making repairs to the trails and campgrounds. Wendy has done private consulting on trail construction projects in western Kansas. Currently, Wendy serves as the Naturalist at Kanopolis, presenting nature programs to thousands of participants each year. Wendy’s motto, “Make an effort to learn something new every day and a conscious effort to learn from everyone you meet.”

Over The Ears Photo Contest Winner