Community Profile

Summary

Hesston has the peace and quiet of a small community with the convenience of a large city nearby. Historically, the dominant ecosystem was tall-grass prairie, but now Hesston has mostly mixed deciduous forest and the surrounding area is predominantly tilled cropland. Hesston's project was initiated by the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, a 13-acre public garden celebrating native plants of Kansas. Endangered species include the eskimo curlew, whooping cranes, least terns and Topeka shiners. For more information, go to www.cs.hesston.edu/ppg.