Join us for a “Walk in the Forest”

Hosted by:

Oklahoma Division of the Ouachita Society of American Foresters

Oklahoma Forestry Services

Tulsa Parks

OSU Dept. of Natural Resource Ecology & Management

When: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, October 12 th
Where: Oxley Nature Center at 6700 Mohawk Blvd, Tulsa, OK 74115
Cost: Free!

What is “Walk in the Forest” all about? Professional foresters and natural
resource specialists will have several interesting and informative stations set up along a
short trail through the woods at Oxley Nature Center. There will be educational and
hands-on activities focused on topics like forest ecosystems, soil and water health, life
cycles of trees, careers in forestry and conservation, and so much more! Walk in the
Forest is part of a national campaign coordinated by the Society of American Foresters
and the American Forest Foundation. This is a family-friendly, fun for all ages event,
and we would love to see you!

The “Walk in the Forest” will take about an hour if you stop at each station and get
involved in each activity, but you can walk at your own pace and spend any amount of
time that you desire. There are options to walk additional trails for those eager and
willing.

Educational brochures and other cool giveaways will also be available while supplies
last.

Partnering Organizations: Tulsa County Parks, Tulsa Urban Wilderness
Coalition, Tulsa Health Department, Blue Thumb

Questions? Need more information? Contact:
Bryan Murray, Oklahoma Division Chairman, Society of American Foresters

405-744-6805; bryan.murray@okstate.edu

To learn more about the Society of American Foresters go to www.safnet.org.
Bring family! Bring friends! See you at the forest!

Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition is known for being an informed and activated group of volunteers and community members who come together to preserve, honor, and restore our natural areas, trails, and wilderness. As a fellow trail user, I find myself sometimes focused on the physical path made by my predecessors guiding me to a place in Nature scenic and treasured. I can admire the substrate my feet pass over under a canopy of a Post Oak forest, tall grasses, and small yellow-spotted butterflies dancing together battling wind with each wing-beat. While the trail is a path to such destinations, the native inhabitants of this area look upon us in this Spring season on a journey all of their own. Let us learn of their journey and allow me to introduce you to some of this season’s finest urban wilderness wildlife.

In this photo, six Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) hatchlings are nested inside a utility pole, discovered during the installation of new lines. Utility companies will often separate the nest-cavity from the rest of the pole to preserve and protect the nest site. Their thoughtful black eyes wait for the sound of their mother’s call ‘peter-peter-peter’ before returning with nourishment.

Above, you can see the efforts of maintenance staff to seed areas with native wildflowers over the Winter season. The blooms of that labor contribute to the sustainability and beauty of our region, where the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) butterfly visits Oklahoma’s state wildflower, Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). Mistletoe (Viscum album) with its white blooms served as the first state flower for 108 years until 2004. In 2004, the hybrid tea rose, ‘Rosa Oklahoma’ became our current state flower. 

In our final images, we see the new life that Spring brings to our urban wilderness. Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) are one of many bird species that mate for life, often returning to successful nest sites each year. Preferring nest sites in the cracks and crevices of large rocks, the lower image is that of one new black vulture hatchling, fuzzy with the tell-tale black beak. A parent of this baby vocalized in their language to mind our distance. 

As we use our trails, may we be reminded that our animal and plant neighbors find their home under the same canopy we enjoy. Though we use the trail for different reasons, we can come together for the love of our wild urban neighbors, sharing the brilliant ecology that makes Northeast Oklahoma so rich and beautiful in diverse life.

Photos were taken along trails at Chandler Park, Tulsa by Patrick T. Hayes, April, 2024.

9AM – Noon

• Come prepared to work
• Crews will be very spread out

What to bring / wear:

Tools (optional)

***** Should you bring personal tools please clearly label them so you can make it home with what you brought.

*******note – we do not expect any one volunteer to provide everything on this list, pick one or two things

• Gloves

• Lopper/Pruner (with your name on them)
• Hand saw (non-power like a bow saw or folding saw) and small Axe/Hatchet

Project list:

8AM – 11AM

• Come prepared to work
• Crews will be very spread out

What to bring / wear:

Tools (optional)

***** Should you bring personal tools please clearly label them so you can make it home with what you brought.

*******note – we do not expect any one volunteer to provide everything on this list, pick one or two things

• Gloves

• Lopper/Pruner (with your name on them)
• Hand saw (non-power like a bow saw or folding saw) and small Axe/Hatchet
• Hoe (both traditional & rogue) / Shovel (spade & square)
• Pulaski / Mattock
• Mcleod
• Rake (leaf and garden rake)
• Wheelbarrow

Project list:

• Depending on how many volunteers we have this is our list of projects in order of importance.
  
• Bluffs trash cleanup.
  
• AllUp section repair above berm past Blues Brothers exit.
  
• Bring wheelbarrow to move dirt in from borrow pits in woods.
  
• Leaf blow alt tech lines.
  
• Boomtown fly over armoring project. Bringing  in concrete blocks to abate erosion. Heavy lifting and digging.
  
• LoChi boomtown fence build
  
• Zingo berm work remove rocks repack on top 3-4 berms.
  
• Blues Brothers leaf blow and jump work
  
• Cedar fence repair Wildcat and AllUp
  Boomtown fence cutoff
• Additionally if any families or groups wish to just come out and pick up litter we will gladly set them to work too!
• If you have any questions please contact Bobby or Peter

Oxley Nature Center Selected as One of 21 National Leave No Trace Spotlight Sites Supported by the Airbnb Community Fund

Nov 7, 2023 Oxley Nature Center: 

The Leave No Trace organization has selected Oxley Nature Center as a 2023 Spotlight site. As outdoor areas all over the country are being impacted by record use, this new initiative from Leave No Trace shines a light on communities rising to meet this challenge with multi-day, onsite education and stewardship programs. From November 11^th – November 12th, a Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Tulsa Parks staff and the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition to work with the community and local land agencies to deliver Leave No Trace education as well as to partner on restoration and stewardship projects. 

Sites are nominated for the Leave No Trace Spotlight initiative by local land agencies or community groups. The diverse sites chosen in 2023 span the country, each with uniqueenvironmental challenges. The goal of the initiative is to equip each Spotlight area with relevant Leave No Trace tools that address the impacts the site is facing and ultimately, to foster healthy lands and people. 

“The Spotlight initiative highlights the great steps a community can take to protect an area that they cherish,” according to Dana Watts, the Executive Director of Leave No Trace. This year, the Airbnb Community Fund has made this program possible through a generous grant. Watts continues, “The Spotlight features workshops for stakeholders and Leave No Trace education for the public at large. It also will include opportunities for the community and our Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team, who will be there conducting the initiative, to roll up their sleeves together at the Spotlight site and get some work done.”  

“I’m thrilled to announce that the Leave no Trace traveling team is coming to Oxley Nature Center in Tulsa. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to promote responsible outdoor ethics and sustainable practices in our urban wilderness. We’re excited to engage in our community in these events and make a lasting impact on our beautiful natural surroundings.” Laurie Biby Marketing and PR Director for Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition.

The following events are free and open to the public and we encourage people of all ages to attend. For more information visit https://lnt.org/event/

Sunday, November 12th: Stewardship Event: Join Leave No Trace and Oxley Nature Center Staff on Sunday, November 12th, for a fun volunteer day and stewardship project as part of the Oxley Nature Center Leave No Trace Spotlight. Volunteers will help plant trees and remove invasive species!

Sunday, November 12th:Trivia Event: Stop by Heirloom Rustic Ales to meet staff and volunteers from Oxley Nature Center and Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition to learn how practicing Leave No Trace can help keep Oxley, Tulsa Parks, and our surrounding areas safe and sustainable!

About Leave No Trace

Using the power of science and research, education for all, and stewardship to support and protect nature, Leave No Trace is on a mission to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet. The Spotlight program is the newest education offering from Leave No Trace.Additional support for 2023 Spotlights comes from the Airbnb Community Fund. Learn more at: www.LNT.org. 

• Facebook: @LeaveNoTraceCenter

• Instagram: @LeaveNoTraceOrg 

• Twitter: @LeaveNoTrace 

• LinkedIn: @LeaveNoTrace