June 2019 - July 2019 The Internet Site for Environmental Information in Oklahoma Vol. 7, No. 6.
Pic
k
Water Ways Water has also played a vital role in our society. Water routes made significant impacts on our
settlement and migration patterns. We use it for man-ufacturing and agriculture and economic planning. Water/Ways examines the many ways in which we use water and how we can sus-tain it for the future. Com-plementary programs in each community will highlight lo-cal connections to water.
“Allowing all of our state’s residents to have access to the cultural resources of our
nation’s premiere museum is a priority of Oklaho-ma Humanities,” said Ann Thompson, Executive Director. “With this special tour, we are pleased to be working with these communities to help devel-op local exhibitions and public programs to com-plement the Smithsonian exhibition.”
Oklahoma Humanities has contracted with Dr. Mark Davies, Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics at Oklahoma City University, to serve as an advisor to each of the host sites as they develop and implement public programming that shares the local narrative of water. (Continued on Page 3)
and brings to you the exciting
“Five Oklahoma communities, in cooperation with Oklahoma Humanities, will explore aspects of our state’s water as they host the local showing of Water/Ways, a Smithsonian Institu-tion traveling exhibition be-ginning in [June] 2019.
Norman Public Library East, Ada Public Library, Locust Grove Arts Alliance, Heav-ener Runestone Park, and Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus (see Page 3 for contact information) have been expressly chosen by Oklahoma Humanities to host the exhibit as part of the Museum on Main Street project—a national, state, and local partner-ship to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cul-tural organizations. The exhibition will tour these five communities in Oklahoma from [June] 2019 through April 2020.
Water is an important element in American culture. We are drawn to water for peace and contempla-tion. The sights and sounds of water make us feel connected to nature. Many faiths revere water as a sacred symbol. Authors and artists are inspired by the graceful ways in which water flows, but also by its unstoppable force.
2
An environmental education newsletter for the citizens of Oklahoma sponsored by the Department of Biology at Oklahoma City University. Items appearing in this newslet-ter do not necessarily reflect the opinions or endorsement of the sponsoring organization. Editor: Beth Landon [email protected]
Please send any submissions to The EnvironMentor Newsletter or The Calendar to: [email protected] Published bimonthly each year. The next deadline is July 20, 2019. If you wish to receive an email announcing when a new issue has been uploaded, please send an email to [email protected].
Download your EnvironMentor Newsletter in pdf form from: http://www.okcu.edu/environmentor
Visit The EnvironMentor Calendar at http://www.okcu.edu/environmentor/ Scroll down from The Newsletters. Regularly updated as information becomes available.
In this issue ...
Smithsonian’s WaterWays Exhibit Cover & 3
Editorial Page 2
Not an Endorsement, but ... 2
Quiz!! Quiz!! Quiz!! 2
Activities in Conjunction with the WaterWays Exhibit 3
A Closer Look at Two Oklahoma Pollinators 4
Pollinators of Oklahoma Poster 5
Plants and Pollinators Poster (Part 1) 6
Plants and Pollinators Poster (Part 2) 7
H2Outstanding Landscape Award 2019 8
Cricket, Earthworm and Snake,
A Folktale and A Facttale 9-10
Sustainable Bioenergy Workshop 11
Project WILD Workshops 12
Keeping It Wild in Oklahoma 13
Wildcare Foundation 13
Selenite at the Salt Plains 13
Blue Thumb Volunteer Training Workshop in Ada 14
Blue Thumb Volunteer Training Workshop in Tulsa 15
Migration Forecast Website 16
IIDA ZeroLandfill 16
Monarchs in the Park -- Save the Date 17
Blue Thumb Volunteer Training Workshop in Alva 18
Virtual Spring BioBlitz Oklahoma 2019 Wrap-Up 19
Prevent Warbler Neck 19
Oklahoma 2019 Travel Guide 19
Wetlands Mapper 19
Upcoming Events at the Hackberry Flat Center 20
The EnvironMentor on Facebook 21
QuikLIST 21
Calendar Form 22
Not an Endorsement , but ...
Quiz!! Quiz!! Quiz!!
For the answer to this Quiz!!, turn to Page
4.. You will also find out important local in-
formation.
You may say, “Well, that’s just a fly.” But
this is a very specific fly. Do you know
which one and why we need to know about
it?
Due to an unusually long Table of Contents and an
unusually large article, “Not an Endorsement, but ,,,”
has moved to Page 12. If the Table continues to
grow, we might have to find another permanent home
for “Endorsement.”
This is a good problem to have.
3
Norman -- June 29, 2019 - August 18, 2019 Norman Public Library East
3051 Alameda Street (405) 217-0070
Ada -- August 26, 2019 - October
13, 2019 Ada Public Library 124 South Rennie
(580) 436-8125
Locust Grove -- October 21, 2019 - December 8, 2019
Ingram’s Custom Rods 201 East Main Street
(918) 530-1902
Heavener -- December 16, 2019 - February 9. 2020 Heavener Runestone Park
18365 Runestone Road (918) 653-2241
Altus -- February 17, 2020 - April 12, 2020
Museum of the Western Prai-rie
1100 Memorial Drive
(Continued from Page 1)
Water/Ways is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibi-tion Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions and was adapted from an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York. To learn more about Water/Ways and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit:
https://museumonmainstreet.org/content/waterways
Support for Museum on Main Street has been
provided by the United States Congress. Local
support provided by Beaver Express, the Chicka-
saw Nation, and Ozarka Water.
July 2, 2-4 PM Water Bath Canning
July 11, 6:30-8 PM Worst Hard Times/ Oklahoma in the Dust Bowl Era
July 12, 6-7:PM Norman's Water Universe: Water Treatment
July 15, 11-12 PM Water Science (children specific program)
July 25, 6:30-8:PM Water Barrels
July 26, 6-7 PM Norman's Water Universe: Water Reclamation
Here is a list of
activities at the
first WaterWays
exhibit in
Norman
July 29, 6:30-7:30 PM Not a Drop to Drink Teen Book Discussion
August 2, 6-7 PM Norman's Water Universe: Indirect Potable Reuse
August 5, 4:30-6 PM A Long Walk to Water all ages book discussion
August 9, 6-7:30 PM Ethics of Water
August 10, 2-3:30 PM Water & Wildlife Conservation with Lake Thunderbird
Norman Public Library East 3051 Alameda Street
(405) 217-0070 On the north side
of the street in a services complex.
4
From Sandra Schwinn: Chrysalis showing damage from Tachinid flies and the escape strands. Monarch pupa inside chrysalis is dead. Tachinid flies feed on the insides of the caterpillar or on the forming pupa inside the chrysalis. You won't always have the dark spots on the chrysalis, just the hanging strings/strands.
Answer to “Quiz!! Quiz!! Quiz!!” and More ...
“Although most tachinids are capable of parasitizing only one or a
few closely related host species of insects, a species of tachinid in-
troduced to the United States from Europe (Compsilura concinnata)
to control the gypsy moth and brown-tail moth attacks more than
200 species of caterpillars. The means of entering the host has be-
come highly evolved among tachinids. Certain tachinid flies attach
eggs to their victim’s exoskeleton. When they hatch, the larvae bur-
row through the exoskeleton. Others deposit living larvae either di-
rectly upon the host or in situations that allow the larvae to attach to
passing insects. Some species lay their eggs on vegetation that is
then eaten by caterpillars. Tachinid maggots (larvae) usually breathe
by an opening through the host’s body wall or by contact with
its respiratory system. The larvae may enter the transformation
stage (pupa) within the host or may leave the host to pupate. Most
tachinid larvae destroy their hosts, but others do not. Many adult
tachinids (e.g., Paradejeania) obtain nectar from flowers, thus serv-
ing as pollinators.”
from Encyclopedia Britannica
For more information: https://wimastergardener.org/article/tachinid-flies/
5
http://biosurvey.ou.edu/posters/pollinator-biodiversity-poster/?
fbclid=IwAR3POK0t2iU7LTnKwBQGYS_tBRJM0CamdwdzxKFjhI8N
7n2uLSThO11RDl0
Click on this URL to
request your free poster!
6
Note from the Editor: Whenever we see a poster you might want to have, we try to track down
where you can obtain it. Sometimes we can’t find the original host. In that case we usually repro-
duce it in our pages. This poster was very wide so we decided to split it between this and the next
page so that you can see all of it in a readable format. We are sorry that the split is not exact.
7
Note from the Editor: Please find the right side of this poster and an explanation on the page
right before this one..
8
1. Planning and Design
2. Soil Improvement
3. Turf Planning
4. Plant Selection and
Placement
5. Mulch Cover
6. Efficient Irrigation
Practices
7. Landscape Maintenance
https://www.okc.gov/departments/utilities/squeeze-every-drop
9
Long ago, when animals first appeared, the snakes
had no eyes. Instead, they had beautiful voices. They
could sing better than the birds!
Unfortunately, being blind, those snakes had trou-
ble moving through the world. If they weren't very
careful they would bump into things. They had trouble
finding their food. And they heard from other animals
about the beautiful flowers, green grass, sunlight – but
could never see any of it. “I wish I had eyes,” sighed
one Snake.
Meanwhile, in those days
the earthworms had big eyes, but there was nothing to see in their underground homes.
Instead they burrowed silently and alone in the dark, wishing that they could at least sing
to themselves for company. “My eyes are no use to me,” whispered Earthworm. “I wish I
had a beautiful voice, like Snake.
Mole Cricket, burrowing underground, overheard Earthworm's whisper. Mole Cricket had hardly any voice
himself. “I know how you feel,” he creaked to Earthworm. “How would you like it if I arrange a trade? I think
Snake would gladly swap his beautiful voice for your useless eyes.”
Earthworm agreed. And soon Mole Cricket got Snake to agree too.
Mole Cricket snipped off Earth-
worm's useless eyes and gave them to
Snake. Snake was delighted!
She sang, “Look at the sunshine! The flowers! The grass! This is wonderful. And I can see where I'm go-
ing!”
“Congratulations,” said Mole Cricket. “Now give me your singing voice. That's the other half of the bar-
gain.”
Snake gave Mole Cricket her voice. But Mole Cricket was tricky. Instead of giving that voice to Earth-
worm, he kept it for himself.
Even today, earthworms are still blind and silent. Snakes can see, but if they try to sing, all that comes out
is a hiss. And male mole crickets sing beautiful love songs in the spring, when they're looking for a wife.
Fact-tale Prairie mole crickets Gryllotalpa major can make noise indeed. And in
spring, the flightless males band together to amplify their chirps by digging a
horn-shaped tunnel at a “lek” (shared courtship site), the better to attract the
winged females.
The amazing thing is that those females can tune out all but the chirp of
one male in that din! Scientists at Nature Conservancy's Joseph H. Williams
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County are studying this ability, hoping to
copy it in hearing aids for human ears so that a wearer can hear one person's
conversation over background noise. (Continued on Page 10)
From The Earthteller,
Fran Stallings
Cricket,
Earthworm,
and
Snake
from Venngage
10
(Continued on Page 9)
But we almost lost this chance for an important acoustic breakthrough. In 1984 the prairie mole cricket
was thought to be extinct due to habitat loss. Their only habitat, tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie, once cov-
ered most of the eastern Great Plains; but people had converted 99% of that to farm land and developments.
Fortunately in the late 1980's, surveys in Oklahoma found prairie mole cricket populations after all. By
1990, careful surveys had discovered small populations in OK, KS, MO and AR prairie preserves, and the
crickets were re-listed as Endangered rather than Extinct. Citizen scientists are still searching for more popula-
tions.
Gryllotalpa major lives up to its species name. They are the biggest crickets in North America, some-
times as much as 2” long! Their mole-like clawed front feet are useful for their underground life, and for the
males to dig horn-shaped tunnels of love in the spring.
If you visit the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, you won't hear the earthworms and may not hear any crickets
but the snakes have eyes to see you. The snakes don't like to be disturbed, however, and they have no voices to
warn you away (not counting the rattle snakes). Stay on the marked trails!
Sources
Folktale sources: My Japanese friend Hiroko Fujita learned a version of this story from Takeda
Kuni, the farmer who worked the field next to her childhood home in the moun-
tains of Fukushima Prefecture. (Mimizu to Hebi “Earthworm and Snake” pg 12
in Folktales from the Japanese Countryside by Hiroko Fujita and Fran Stallings,
Libraries Unlimited 2008).
But in Kuni-san's story, Earthworm and Snake arranged the swap between the
two of them. And Fujita-san says that if you listen carefully, you can sometimes
hear Earthworm singing underground to pass the dark hours.
But folklorist Hiroko Ikeda (motifs A2332.6.4, A2421) thinks that the tradi-
tional “song” of the earthworm was really made by a mole cricket. And Miroslav
Noval's Fairy Tales from Japan (Hamlyn, 1970) has a version of the story where
Mole Cricket arranged the trade and kept Snake's voice for himself. So I have
included the cricket in my retelling, as a link to our science fact-tale.
Fact-tale sources: “Can You Hear Me? Prairie Mole Crickets: Nature's Master Noise Cancelers” pp 4-5 The Nature Consercancy
Oklahoma Update, Spring 2019. For article and videos, see https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-
work/united-states/oklahoma/stories-in-oklahoma/praire-mole-crickets-ok/
Lost Cricket Project, https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/
wildlife/wildlife-diversity/lost-cricket-project , a citizen science
program, is currently recruiting participants to help find new
populations of prairie mole crickets! The International Union
for Conservation of Nature lists the prairie mole cricket as data
deficient. By participating in “The Lost Cricket Project”, you
can help collect valuable scientific data that will be used to cre-
ate an updated species distribution map for Oklahoma and to
help develop protocols for conducting acoustic surveys of prai-
rie mole crickets. This information will be used to help manage
this rare native Oklahoma species. from The Lost Cricket Project at ODWC
11
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Not an Endorsement , but ...
You must pre-register for all workshops. Contact
the person listed to register for a workshop.
The workshop fee is $20 per person.
Workshops are designed to be interactive and hands-on.
Please be prepared to participate in the activities.
An* after the time indicates a working lunch, where partic-
ipants bring lunch and work on assignments as they eat. You
will need to bring a sack lunch as you will not have time to go
out and get lunch.
Dress casually, comfortably and appropriately for the out-
doors. Some activities may be conducted outdoors, even if it is
hot, cold or wet.
Workshops involve moderate physical activity. Special ar-
rangements can be made for persons with disabilities. Please
call (405) 990-1292 two weeks in advance if special arrange-
ments need to be made.
Participants in college credit workshops must also pay for
the college credit in addition to the workshop fee. Contact the
university or college listed for costs on credit classes.
If there isn't a workshop scheduled near you, check back at a
later date or schedule a workshop for your area.
June 30, 2019 Project WILD
at UCO in Edmond from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To register contact Lisa Anderson at
June 29, 2019:
Growing Up WILD
at UCO in Edmond from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To register contact Lisa Anderson at
General Workshop Information
http://www.johngrade.com/#/
To read the article “Rainwater ‘Chandelier’ Installation Can Collect Up To 800 Pounds of Water” from the
Bored Panda website, click on the URL below. There are also more photos like the one above..
https://www.boredpanda.com/rainwater-collecting-installation-reservoir-john-grade/?
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BPFacebook&fbclid=IwAR2meXKC2VpHD_jn_
TRmj-ZgHniaRT-sMFZKzViSFDP8N7dPohnB8mSJEw8
“Inspired by changing geological and biological
forms and systems in the natural world, John
[Grade] works with his studio team to sculpt im-
mersive large-scale, site-specific installations.
Kinetics, impermanence and chance are often
central to the work.”
Along with a list of articles and interviews,
there are several amazing photographs of art
works in their natural habitat.
13
Saving the intricate fabric of life
… one thread at a time.
The WildCare Foundation is a supporting organiza-
tion with the following mission:
“Our mission is to provide people a place to bring
native wildlife struggling to survive with the goal of
releasing healthy individuals back to nature.”
The homepage for the Foundation is:
http://www.wildcareoklahoma.org/
Part of what they do is to publish a quarterly newslet-
ter. The issue is available at the following URL:
The archive is available at this URL:
http://www.wildcareoklahoma.org/index.php?news
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
Selenite Digging
at the
“Pink sunrise, white surface, white almost as far as the horizon on the first official day of crystal digging at the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. It was a cold Monday morning on the first day of April
and our idea was to catch the very first digger
through the gate and onto this surreal 10,000 acre
site, a huge salt flat near Cherokee, Oklahoma. It’s
home to wild birds and a unique crystal that grows
just beneath the surface.”
Read the rest of the article at:
https://kfor.com/2019/04/01/the-first-crystal-
digger-of-2019-at-the-salt-plains-is-none-
other-than-selenite-sam/
It’s open again: April 1 -- October 15
This is a big year for WildCare as we cele-
brate our 35th year helping Oklahoma wild-
life, as well as treating our 100,000th pa-
tient. We’ve decided these milestones can-
not go un-celebrated so we’re hosting our
first-ever dinner fundraiser and auction on
Saturday, July 20th at Sooner Legends Inn
and Suites in Norman. You won’t want to
miss this fun event as we’ll share stories
from the past 35 years, play WildCare trivia, raffle off some great prizes, and host a silent auction
full of wonderful items.
Held at and catered by Sooner Legends in Norman,
there will be a BBQ buffet (vegan options available
on request), silent auction, raffle prizes, wine and
beer pull, and a spin-to-win prize wheel.
Doors open at 5:30 PM with appetizers and bar avail-
able starting at 6:00 PM. The dinner buffet begins at
7:00 PM. A ticket for one drink from the bar is includ-
ed in your ticket price, additional drinks will be cash
bar. For groups that would like to sit together, we
recommend getting there earlier. Sponsorships are
available for larger groups and include group seating. Email [email protected]
for sponsorship opportunities or general questions.
Wildcare Dinner Fundraiser
Saturday, July 20, 2019 5:30 to 9:00 PM
Sooner Legends Inn & Suites
14
15
16
This group wants you to find
them on Facebook and send
them a picture of what you
created with the materials.
17
18
19
https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/Mapper.html?
utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&
utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
This Wetlands Mapper, from the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, was found in the latest Okla-
homa Wetlands Program Bulletin. This Map-
per “integrates digital map data along with
other resource information to produce current
information on the status, extent, characteris-
tics and functions of wetlands, riparian, and
deepwater habi-
tats.” There is a
bit of training
needed to oper-
ate it properly,
but there is a
step=by-step
process with a
manual and a
video to help
you.
Wetlands Mapper
Click
below:
2019 Oklahoma
Travel Guide
Start planning
your Oklahoma
vacation with the 2019 Oklahoma
Travel Guide. This year’s guide con-
tains nearly 200 pages of fascinating
museums, only-in-Oklahoma restaurants, stun-
ning state parks, Route 66 roadside attractions
and more, along with directories of attractions
and lodging. Packaged with the official state
map, it’s the perfect companion for all your Ok-
lahoma adventures.
https://www.travelok.com/brochures
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/
spring-virtual-bioblitz-ok-2019
Wrap - Up
Most Observed Species:
Eastern Redbud Common Slider
Common Dandelion Virginia Spring Beauty
Mallard Texas Paintbrush
What an amazing month!
Observations -- 12,493 Species -- 2004 Identifiers -- 766 Observers -- 678
Prothonotary Warbler
To read the article “A Birder’s Workout Guide for
Preventing Warbler Neck” from which these
quotes came, click on the URL below:
https://www.audubon.org/news/a-birders-workout-guide-
preventing-warbler-neck?ms=digital-eng-social-facebook-x-
20190500_fb_link_-
_warbler_neck&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social
&utm_campaign=20190500_fb_link_-
_warbler_neck&fbclid=IwAR34BH3b5K-K4bWalcVzl-
SIfM5Ly3kH_XEaEZG6wwxjcjeaXWblCcLbc0E
“Neck pain, known collo-
quially as “warbler neck,” is
the Achilles heel of the
sport” ...that is birding.
“Yup, believe it or not, core
strength, along with proper
posture, could help you
stave off warbler neck this
birding season.”
To read the article “How to: Avoiding Warbler Neck”
about the causes and prevention of this annoyance for
very dedicated people, click on the URL below:
https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/solve/avoid-
warbler-neck.php
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21
10301 South Sunnylane Road
405-814-0006
http://
www.museumofosteology.org/
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
On February 23, 2013 The EnvironMentor
dipped a toe into social media. We made
this decision because, at this time, there
are two to three months between issues of
the Newsletter. During this past gap an im-
portant event had an application deadline of
April 1st so an announcement went out
from Facebook. We won’t bother you with
anything trivial, so …
“Like” The Environmentor on
Facebook!!
QUIKList Oklahoma
Leopold Education Project
http://www.aldoleopold.org/Programs/lep.shtml
Type in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Blue Thumb
http://bluethumbok.com/
Oklahoma Blue Thumb Association
Oklahoma Envirothon
http://www.oklaenvirothon.org/
Oklahoma Green Schools
http://www.okgreenschools.org/
Oklahoma Master Naturalists
https://okmasternaturalist.wixsite.com/website
Oklahoma Native Plant Society
http://oknativeplants.org/
Oklahoma Recycling Association (OKRA)
http://www.recycleok.org/okra/
As with all hyperlinks in The EnvironMentor
Newsletter, these are clickable.
Do you know an environmental group in Okla-
homa that should be listed. Send that infor-
mation to:
Project Learning Tree (PLT)
http://www.plt.org/
http://www.forestry.ok.gov/project-learning-tree
Project WET
(Water Education for Teachers)
http://www.bluethumbok.com/project-wet.html
Project WILD
http://www.projectwild.org/
22
To go directly to The Calendar click on:
http://www.okcu.edu/environmentor
Most people who remember The EnvironMentor Newsletter know that the pages at the end of the issue
were reserved for The Calendar. Being online has some great advantages. When you downloaded your
copy of the newsletter you may have noticed the box on the right side of the webpage. This is a conven-
ient listing of the next events from The Calendar. This will always be up-to-date because it happens au-
tomatically. For more information on the event just click on it and a window will open up with all the de-
tails. If you wish, you can access the rest of the calendar from the there.
To have your event posted to The Calendar, copy and paste the following list into an email, fill
in as much information as you wish, and send it to: [email protected]
Title of your event:
Start Date and Time
End Date and Time
Location
Location Address
Contact Name
Contact Phone
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Details in Narrative Form
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