Not a ribbon cutting, but a rope untying Saturday morning in Hays as the new two miles of nature trails west of Sternberg Museum of Natural History officially opened.  The idea began two years ago when K-State Watershed Specialists and Technicians in Hays approached Fort Hays State University.

Many groups and individuals worked for months to help create the 22 acre eco-classroom, which includes a natural amphitheatre.  Hays Optimist Club members will continue volunteering to keep the area clean, and suggested that it be named after one of their charter members.  97 year old Dr. Howard Reynolds is a retired Fort Hays State University botany professor and curator of Elam Bartholomew Herbarium from 1947 to 1982.

Many of his former students attended the dedication ceremonies, including just retired FHSU botany professor Dr. Joe Thomasson.  He presented Reynolds with a freshly picked bouquet and a “pop quiz” to name the scientific and common names of the flower and grasses, something Reynolds often did to his students.

You can see more of the “Dr. Howard Reynolds Nature Trails” dedication tonight/tomorrow on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.