WINSTON WEEKLY©^[1]

June 8, 2025

Vol. 3, No. 23

GREAT PLAINS[2]

The “campus” in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is part of the fascinating area known as the Great Plains. The campus, approximately five hours from Mount Rushmore, includes the Butterfly House & Aquarium and the Great Plains Zoo. Consisting of a large saltwater aquarium, a butterfly conservatory ecosystem, and animals from seven continents, the diversity of the campus contains something for everyone.

The Butterfly House & Aquarium recently welcomed aquatic salamanders known as axolotls. Despite their popularity in pop culture, there remain less than 1,000 of the wild salamanders native to the lakes of Mexico. Within the Butterfly House are engraved plaques, including one that reads: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”

Multiple mammals reside at the Great Plains Zoo, including Nigerian Dwarf Goats. For those curious about why goats seem to chew constantly, their stomachs have multiple chambers that bring food back up as “cud” to chew and swallow again. The endangered Amur Tigers have a hearty appetite, consuming the daily equivalent of 400 hamburgers. Colobus monkeys have beautiful coats, no thumbs, and a multi-chambered digestive system. The large humped-back North American bison date back to the 15^th century,

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Learn more about the Great Plains, including the ecosystems and native creatures. The 2022 book, Bison: Portrait of an Icon, includes an extended essay by Chase Reynolds Ewald and photography by Audrey Hall. The late Jane Craighood George published The Buffalo are Back in 2021, a National Geographic Book. Suitable for children ages 5-8, it includes paintings by landscape artist Wendell Minor. Michael Forsberg’s book, Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild, contains maps, essays, illustrations, and lyrical photographs.

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[1] A Sunday newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.

[2] Resources: www.greatplains.zoo.org; https://www.chasereynoldsewald.com