photo by: Mike Yoder

Elliot Paden, 4, Lawrence, and Morgan Johnson, 10, Leavenworth, dissect owl scat to identify the bones and fur of the owl's prey Saturday during an activity at the Kaw Valley Eagles Day at Free State High School.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Heather Morgan, a part-time naturalist at Prairie Park Nature Center, shows off an educational Barred Owl to visitors Saturday during the Kaw Valley Eagles Day at Free State High School. Attractions at the event included nature-based arts and crafts, booths featuring environmentally friendly products, and a host of educational activities for kids.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Students display their communities of the next century during the 2012 Great Plains Regional Future City Competition Saturday, Jan. 21, at KU. Sixth, 7th and 8th grade students created cities of the future in tabletop models that envisioned new ways to meet our energy needs and maintain a healthy planet.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Grace Eason, left, and other members of the Punarjanma city team, Maame Britwum, Cadence Learned, Trenna Soderling and Bennett Haase-Divine, all from West Middle School, describe their city of the future to Natalie McCombs, a bridge design engineer with HNTB Corporation in Kansas City, Mo., and a judge in the 2012 Great Plains Region Future City Competition on Saturday at Kansas University. The West Middle School team placed second in the competition.