A podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans to provide greater insight into the state we all call home.
Ask A Kansan
Claim This Podcastby Ask A Kansan
5.0(8 reviews)
67 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
28
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality43
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YouTube0
Engagement32
Podcast Overview
A podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans to provide greater insight into the state we all call home.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/5/2025
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28
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality43
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement32
6
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12
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excellent
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1h 5m
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Recent Episodes
July 20, 2026
Wildlife and Conservation with Ryan VanZant of the Rolling Hills Zoo | Wild Kansas
<p>Why do the animals you fall in love with sometimes have to leave the zoo? This week we sit down with Ryan VanZant, executive director of Rolling Hills Zoo in Salina, and trace his winding path from a childhood obsessed with parakeets and parrots to falconry, movie animal training, and eventually leading one of the youngest zoos in the country. We get the real story behind the zoo's famous museum, hear about the massive new Tiger Falls habitat on the way, talk through the tough calls zoo staff make about animal welfare, and dig into why Kansas prairie ecosystems deserve just as much attention as the savannas of Africa. Plus, we've got some big personal news of our own, and we close things out with a new round of Stories from the Hat.</p><p><br></p><p>Highlights</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Ryan VanZant shares his journey from breeding parakeets and parrots as a kid to training animals for movies to running zoos in Hutchinson and now Salina</li><li>The real history of the Rolling Hills Zoo museum and its taxidermy collection — plus a rumor finally debunked</li><li>Details on Tiger Falls, a major new habitat expansion for Amur tigers, snow leopards, and incoming red pandas</li><li>The story behind Creed the baby rhino, named after Chiefs player Creed Humphrey, and how that story went viral</li><li>An honest look at how zoos make difficult animal welfare and relocation decisions</li><li>Why Kansas's native prairie ecosystems are disappearing faster than any other ecosystem type, and why that matters</li><li>A rundown of upcoming Rolling Hills Zoo events like Zoo Brew, Safari Breakfasts, Silent Sundays, and Taste of Adventure</li><li>A new round of "Stories from the Hat" with random prompts about hometown landmarks, guilty pleasure gas station snacks, and more</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Chapters</p><p><br></p><p>0:00 — Sydney's Big News</p><p>0:48 — Podcast Plans Ahead</p><p>1:30 — Meet Rolling Hills Zoo</p><p>2:39 — Ryan's Kansas Path</p><p>3:41 — Why This Zoo Location</p><p>4:39 — Childhood Animal Obsession</p><p>5:57 — Parakeets to Parrots</p><p>8:12 — Peregrines and DDT</p><p>10:24 — Falconry Life Explained</p><p>12:48 — Becoming Zoo Director</p><p>17:56 — Leading People Like Animals</p><p>19:15 — Rolling Hills Origin Story</p><p>24:10 — Funding and Conservation Work</p><p>26:29 — Inside the Museum</p><p>29:26 — Christmas Lights Feedback</p><p>30:19 — Holiday Lights Highlights</p><p>30:59 — Tiger Falls Expansion</p><p>34:37 — Viral Zoo Babies</p><p>36:44 — Animal Welfare Decisions</p><p>42:15 — Future of Modern Zoos</p><p>45:22 — Saving the Prairie</p><p>50:36 — Events and Visiting Tips</p><p>55:37 — Stories from the Hat</p><p>59:56 — Podcast Wrap and Thanks</p><p><br></p><p>Resources Mentioned</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Sunflower Summer app - <a href="https://sunflowersummer.org/">https://sunflowersummer.org/</a></li><li>Rolling Hills Zoo — <a href="https://www.rollinghillszoo.org/">https://www.rollinghillszoo.org/</a></li><li><a href="https://a.co/d/0391tCRg">H Is for Hawk</a> by Helen Macdonald</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Learn more about the podcast at<a href="https://www.askakansan.com/"> askakansan.com</a>!</p><p><br>This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit <a href="http://ictpod.net">ictpod.net<br></a><br></p><p><br></p>
July 13, 2026
Baseball Traditions with Katie Woods | Playball Kansas
<p>What if the hottest summer ticket in Kansas sports has been hiding in plain sight for 92 years? We sat down with Katie Woods, director of the National Baseball Congress in Wichita, and walked away completely obsessed with bobbleheads, Bananaball, and a baseball tournament with more history than you'd ever guess. From a 3 AM game under the lights to a decade-before-Jackie-Robinson integrated championship team, this conversation covers just about everything that makes baseball in Kansas special.</p><p><br></p><p>Highlights</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Katie Woods introduces herself as director of the National Baseball Congress (NBC), founded in Wichita in the 1930s by Hap Dumont</li><li>The story behind the brand-new Ozzie Smith backflip bobblehead giveaway</li><li>How NBC teams work today: summer collegiate players (ages 18-22) from colleges across the country</li><li>Why Katie fell into baseball via an internship with the Houston Astros, then the Frisco RoughRiders and Everett AquaSox</li><li>The wild history behind minor league team names and mascots</li><li>Hap Dumont's decades of innovation: pitch clocks 60 years early, glow-in-the-dark baseball, mic'd-up umpires, and even early attempts at instant replay and an automatic ball-strike system</li><li>"Baseball Around the Clock" — 11 games in 33 hours, complete with tent camping, RVs, and survivor t-shirts</li><li>The emotional and communal side of directing an all-night tournament</li><li>Trophy and prize money: the historic Cessna Cup and an $18,000 winner's purse</li><li>Plans for the NBC's upcoming 100th anniversary/centennial celebration</li><li>Digitizing decades of NBC archives with Wichita State's Special Collections</li><li>The incredible true story of the 1935 Bismarck Churchills — the first integrated team to win a national title in any sport, a decade before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier</li><li>The growing role of women in baseball, including Katie being the NBC's first female tournament director in 90 years</li><li>A rousing round of Stories from a Hat, covering white lies, favorite chairs, and nostalgic Wichita hangouts</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Chapters</p><p><br></p><p>0:00 — Studio Backdrop Reveal</p><p>0:27 — Wood Carving Nerd Out</p><p>1:42 — Show Intro & Baseball Tease</p><p>2:15 — Meet Katie Woods</p><p>2:51 — Ozzie Smith Bobblehead</p><p>4:42 — What Is the NBC?</p><p>5:53 — How Teams Work Today</p><p>7:05 — Why Katie Chose Baseball</p><p>9:37 — Career Path to Kansas</p><p>11:30 — Why the NBC Matters</p><p>12:27 — Tournament Venues & Logistics</p><p>14:39 — Minor League Name Madness</p><p>16:07 — Banana Ball and Innovation</p><p>20:45 — Wichita NBC Community</p><p>22:04 — Offseason Planning Pipeline</p><p>22:56 — Baseball Around the Clock</p><p>23:57 — Camping at the Ballpark</p><p>25:03 — Director All Night</p><p>26:00 — Sunrise and Sacrifice</p><p>27:32 — Trophy and Prize Money</p><p>28:05 — Kansas Community Baseball</p><p>29:29 — Centennial Plans</p><p>30:43 — Digitizing the Archives</p><p>32:09 — Hap Dumont's Vision</p><p>33:45 — How to Watch & Support</p><p>34:46 — Colorblind: Origin Story</p><p>37:28 — Women in Baseball</p><p>40:01 — Host Wrap and the Organ</p><p>41:33 — Stories from a Hat</p><p>46:00 — Closing and Merch</p><p><br></p><p>Resources Mentioned</p><p><br></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.nbcbaseball.com/">NBCBaseball.com</a></li><li>NBC Baseball on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nbcbaseball">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nbcbaseball/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nbcws">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://a.co/d/0aX7DdO7">Colorblind</a> by Tom Dunkel</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Learn more about the podcast at<a href="https://www.askakansan.com/"> askakansan.com</a>!</p><p><br>This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit <a href="http://ictpod.net">ictpod.net<br></a><br></p><p><br></p>
July 6, 2026
The Legacy of Bleeding Kansas with Dr. Kristen Epps | Kansas Shaping America
<p>There was a time when what happened in Kansas was front page news on the east coast. This week, Sydney and Gus sit down with historian Dr. Kristen Epps, professor at Kansas State University and editor of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, to dig into Bleeding Kansas, the people slavery's expansion actually affected, and why the messy, complicated version of our state's story matters more than the tidy one. Kristen shares how she stumbled into Kansas history research, what it's really like editing an academic journal, and the wildest things she's found in dusty courthouse archives (John Brown's actual handwriting included). She also gives us a first look at her upcoming narrative history of Kansas, co-written with Jim Leiker, and reflects on resilience, reform movements, and why she finds hope in the next generation as the country marks its 250th anniversary. Plus, Sydney closes it out with an America 250-themed round of obscure Kansas facts covering everything from the Exodusters to ancient camels.</p><p><br></p><p>Highlights</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Kristen Epps introduces herself as an "adopted Kansan" and explains her path from the Pacific Northwest and Colorado to becoming a Kansas historian.</li><li>She edits Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, a peer-reviewed publication jointly run by the Kansas Historical Society and K-State.</li><li>Her book, Slavery on the Periphery, centers enslaved people's experiences rather than treating slavery as purely a political debate.</li><li>A breakdown of what Bleeding Kansas actually was, including the Kansas-Nebraska Act, popular sovereignty, and the violence that followed.</li><li>Confirmation that enslaved people did live in Kansas, including at the Shawnee Methodist Mission, Fort Scott, and Fort Leavenworth.</li><li>Research stories from the archives, including finding Abraham Lincoln's signature and reading John Brown's surprisingly ordinary letters.</li><li>A preview of Kristen's upcoming narrative history of Kansas with co-author Jim Leiker, out in early 2027 from the University Press of Kansas.</li><li>Reflections on resilience through Kansas history, from the Dust Bowl to the decades-long fight for women's suffrage (won in Kansas in 1912).</li><li>Kristen's thoughts on why history matters heading into America's 250th anniversary, and where she finds hope in today's college students.</li><li>Sydney's America 250-themed Kansas trivia: the Exoduster migration, prehistoric camel fossils, a Kansas doctor's role in founding modern EMS, and the tiny town of Speed, Kansas hosting a Hot Wheels anniversary event.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Chapters</p><p><br></p><ul><li>0:00 – Garden Bounty</li><li>1:44 – Podcast Intro and Guest Tease</li><li>3:05 – Meet Historian Kristen Epps</li><li>4:09 – Why Kansas History Matters</li><li>8:40 – Inside the Kansas History Journal</li><li>10:49 – Becoming a Historian and Editor</li><li>11:59 – Slavery on the Periphery</li><li>12:50 – What Was Bleeding Kansas</li><li>15:11 – Enslaved People in Kansas</li><li>16:20 – Researching Hidden Histories</li><li>19:08 – Archives Not Just Google</li><li>21:29 – Letters from John Brown and Others</li><li>23:38 – History Hits Home</li><li>24:39 – Writing Kansas For Everyone</li><li>26:26 – From Ancient Seas To Today</li><li>27:35 – Resilience And Many Kansases</li><li>31:38 – America 250 And Civic Duty</li><li>33:17 – Why History Matters</li><li>35:20 – Finding Hope In Community</li><li>38:25 – Post Interview Reflections</li><li>40:00 – Exodusters Black Migration</li><li>41:41 – Camels And Prehistory</li><li>42:24 – Kansas And Modern EMS</li><li>45:39 – Speed Kansas Hot Wheels</li><li>46:48 – Episode Wrap And Farewell</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Resources Mentioned</p><ul><li><a href="https://a.co/d/0iOLiNqO">Slavery on the Periphery</a> by Kristen Epps</li><li>Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains <a href="https://www.kansashistory.gov/p/kansas-history/12443">https://www.kansashistory.gov/p/kansas-history/12443</a></li><li>Kansas Historical Society: <a href="https://www.kansashistory.gov/">https://www.kansashistory.gov/</a></li><li><a href="https://a.co/d/04Pp53dm">Guns, Germs, and Steel</a> by Jared Diamond</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Learn more about the podcast at<a href="https://www.askakansan.com/"> askakansan.com</a>!</p><p><br>This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit <a href="http://ictpod.net">ictpod.net<br></a><br></p><p><br></p>
67 total episodes available
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Dr Andrew Orr
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