Home > Grassroots > Faces > Larry and Vicky Patton

Larry and Vicky Patton

El Dorado, Kansas
Tallgrass Prairie Activists
Kansas Chapter

Larry and Vicki Patton grew up on Kansas farms before meeting in college at Emporia State University. "Our families both helped settle rural Kansas following the Civil War, and have always been involved in the conservation of wild Kansas places," says Larry, now Dean of Humanities & Fine Arts at Butler Community College. "We devote any time and energy we have toward protecting and restoring the Flint Hills and other prairie ecosystems. We’re seeding another 20 acres this spring."

Vicki, a library media specialist in the local school district, says growing up in a farm family on the edge of the hills engendered a respect for the land. "I developed a sense of place that many people today never experience. These quiet, remote places that connect people with nature are disappearing to the tune of millions of acres a year. As a schoolteacher and caretaker of agricultural land, I feel compelled to share the importance of prairie preservation with the young people I encounter."

In 2002, the couple helped start Protect the Flint Hills; Larry serves as president and Vicki as secretary. Their goals include encouraging Sierra Club members and the general public to understand the role that prairies play in the health of the planet. "The tallgrass prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world," Larry says. "Only 3 percent of North America’s tallgrass prairie remains undisturbed, and most of that is in the Flint Hills."

In their spare time, they are active in their church, pursue genealogy and research on regional history and folklore, and give "living history" demonstrations with their Percheron horses, a breed once used to carry medieval knights into battle.

Published: January 24, 2007