July 17-25, 2021 Vol

July 17-25, 2021 Vol. 9, No. 6. The Internet Site for Environmental Information in Oklahoma June 2021 — July 2021

From Journey North: BioBlitz! OK Celebrates Pollinators! “Pollinator Week was initiated in 2007 when the United A series of online and small in- States Senate unanimously approved a week in June to person events hosted by BioBlitz! be designated as “National Pollinator Week”. This deci- Oklahoma to celebrate pollinators in sion was a critical step our state on June 21, 2021. For a to address the decline in schedule of events, click here. pollinators across the globe. Now an internation- My Pollinators My Story Submissions al celebration, Pollinator are now on the map! We are asking gar- Week raises awareness on deners to report on how their pollinator gar- the plight of pollinators and dens are doing and to show us the pollina- celebrates all of the bene- tors they are attracting. Are your plants fits provided by the thou- growing and blooming? Are pollinators showing up – which ones, and when? What sands of insect, bird, and does the action in the garden look like? Let small mammal pollinator us know by submitting your story! species. As people learn To participate: more pollinators, they be- 1. Take the survey below. come advocates – indeed 2. Post about your garden and your pollinators on Facebook, Instagram, and Twit- voices – for the pollinators they come to love and ter. Be sure to use the understand. We can all play our part to secure a hashtags #mypollinators and #pollination. healthier, more sustainable 3. Download the Insight Citizen Science app for iOS at and learn about the pollinator observation future for pollinators.” process and how to identify your pollinators. Contribute meaningful scientific data through the Pollinator app by observing pollinators and recording your Partner- findings. ship is very excit- ed to be “This year, we are planning even more exciting opportuni- collaborat- ties including party boxes, scientific lectures, celebrity ing with cooking demonstrations, pollinator art and culture, habitat EPRI and management and gardening tips. Whether you are a land co-hosting manager, corporate sustainability leader, home gardener, the virtual or a student…. there is SOMETHING FOR YOU!”… HERE!

In this issue ... Quiz!! Quiz!! Quiz!!

Pollinator Week in June Cover This plant was observed by jlzachary1 in Editorial Page 2 Jefferson County, OK on April 4, 2021 dur- Quiz!! Quiz!! Quiz!! 2 ing Spring BioBlitz! Oklahoma 2021. Native Bees and Poster 3 Spring BioBlitz! OK Wrap-Up 4 Want to Know More About This Year’s Cicadas? 4 Okies For Monarchs Southern Event 5 Electronic Recycling Event 6 Selecting Plants for Summer Success 7 Blue Thumb Training for New Volunteers 8 National Informal STEM Education Network 9 Science Bingo 2021 10 Sierra Club Virtual Activities 11 The National Garden Bureau Contest … 11 Moths Rule the Night! 12-13 Become a Master Composter 14 North American Lake Management Society 2021 Symposium 15 You may find the answer Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma 15 and more information for this Read for Adventure Challenge 16 Quiz! Quiz! Quiz! on Page 20. World Wildlife Fund Biodiversity Toolkits 16 Fire Science Educators Virtual Workshop 16 The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 17 The Fishes of Oklahoma App 17 An environmental education newsletter for What’s So Great About Native Plants? 17 the citizens of Oklahoma sponsored by the Stocking a Pleasing Pantry 18 Department of Biology at Oklahoma City University. Items appearing in this newslet- Oklahoma Native Plant Society 2021 Plans 18 ter do not necessarily reflect the opinions or Recycling Mystery: Clothing 18 endorsement of the sponsoring organization.

Oklahoma Recycling Association (OKRA) Editor: Beth Landon Save the Date 18 [email protected]

Year of the Hyacinth 19 Please send any submissions to Lake Thunderbird Watershed Alliance 19 The EnvironMentor Newsletter Free Hummingbird Poster 19 or The Calendar to: [email protected] Bird Water 19 Not an Endorsement, But ... 20 Published bimonthly each year. The next deadline is July 20, 2021. Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Presents 20 Wildflower Bed at Zink Park 20 If you wish to receive an email announcing when a new issue Answer to Quiz! Quiz! Quiz! 20 has been uploaded, please send Upcoming Events Hackberry Flat Center 2021 21 an email to [email protected]. The EnvironMentor on Facebook 22 Download your EnvironMentor Newsletter in QuikLIST 22 pdf form from: Calendar Form 23 http://www.okcu.edu/environmentor International Year of Visit The EnvironMentor Calendar at http://www.okcu.edu/environmentor/ Caves and Karsts 2021 Regularly updated as information becomes

AND available.

National Cave and Karst Day, June 6, 2021

Thank you, Garrett Blake On the Oklahoma Native Plant Society page.

from Friends of the Earth, UK This bee poster and another poster, “A World of Pollinators,” are available in full poster size from The Oklahoma County Conservation District. Call 405-415-4602 or email oklaho- maccd@conservation .ok.gov to reserve your copy. 1. Macropis nuda. 2. Agapostemon texanus. US sweat bee To download the full version of this poster 3. Peponapis pruinosa. Squash and gourd bees and read more about each species, click here. 4. Bombus impatiens. The Impatient Bumble Bee 5. Osmia lignaria. The Blue Orchard Bee Although there are posters for sale on 6. Hylaeus sp. this page, if you scroll to the bottom, 7. Habropoda laboriosa. The Southeastern Blueberry Bee there are 16 posters you can download. 8. Xylocopa varipuncta. The Valley Carpenter Bee There are some FREE garden signs to 9. Bombus morrisoni. Morisson’s bumble bee download here. From Pollinator Partner- 10. Perdita minima. ship: “Send us a photo of the sign in 11. Xylocopa virginica. Eastern Carpenter Bee your garden to [email protected]. We 12. Bombus vosnessenskii. may even send you a free poster if we 13. Bombus affinis. use your photo!“ 14. Megachile sp. Leafcutter bees Free “Select Plants for Pollination” 15. Andrena cornelli. Miner bees Guides to download in pdf format here. 16. Anthophora centriformis. Digger bees, or anthophorids There are 36 guides, several of which are 17. Nomada sp. The Wandering Cuckoo Bee relevant for Oklahoma regions. 18. Augochorella pomoniella. Sweat bees 3

Spring BioBlitz! OK 2021 April 1, 2021 — April 30, 2021

25,466 2,841 40,936 Observations Species Identifications

Want to know more about this year’s Cicadas? The return of the cicadas - CBS News "We are going to have the collision of something like maybe four billion, maybe 10 billion, maybe a trillion tiny insects with 30 million human be- ings," said Mike Raupp. Here Come The Cicadas - NPR “To understand periodical cicadas' periodicity, and the strangely specific number of years they stay underground, Raupp says you have to consider From NPR’s Here Come the Cicadas/Ed cicadas' survival strategy. It's something called predator satiation.” Reschke/GettyImages And if you wanted to know about Oklahoma: Master Gardener: Facts about the big cicada buzz of 2021 “Even though it will be a few years until our 17-year brood emerges, the sounds of cicadas will still fill our nighttime summertime air. … In Oklahoma, we are most familiar with what is called the Dog-Day Cicada. Dog- Day Cicadas have a life cycle of between 2 and 5 years.” 4

Hey Southern Oklahoma! Okies for Monarchs is coming to you to ask for your help to save the monarchs and our other pollinator friends! We will have experts on hand to answer your questions and provide presentations that are full of helpful knowledge and useful tips for your monarch- saving adventures! And not only that, we’ll also have FREE MILKWEED for the first 50 guests who participate in our demonstration garden-!

9AM – Why is OK so Important for Monarchs? From their migration to their milkweed, learn all about monarchs in this 101-crash course with Vonceil Harmon, a sea- soned biologist with OK Biological Survey Natural Resources who has endless miles working with monarchs and milkweed on Oklahoma’s roadsides.

10AM – What to Plant and How to Build It’s time to get wild and get our hands dirty! Rebecca Snyder from the OKC Zoo is going to show us what to and what not to do to help save the monarchs. Rebecca has planted the path for pollinators with a variety of community and school gardens, including the magnificent ones at the OKC Zoo!

11AM – Milkweed MythBusters with Bill Got milkweed questions? Bill Far- ris has the answers! He’s also got loads of milkweed myths to bust and will brighten your day! From growing up on a ranch to creating his own native plant nursery, Bill and milkweed have spent a lifetime together! 5

Are you still trying to fill in all of the empty spaces left in the landscape because of our record-breaking winter? We will help you choose plants that are not only Oklahoma tough, but also drought and heat tolerant. This is a FREE workshop, and will be presented by our own Julia Laughlin, Horticulture Educator, and Joshua Campbell, our Urban Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator. We hope you will join us!

Blue Thumb Training for New Volunteers Stream Protection through Education Oklahoma City, OK Agriculture Building – 2800 North Lincoln Boulevard June 12 & 13, 2021

Blue Thumb volunteers are the ultimate citizen scientists! They monitor local streams, submit data, and educate the public about protecting streams and rivers. Give Oklahoma’s water a hand! Volunteer! Blue Thumb training is coming to Oklahoma City!

All kinds of people volunteer for this award-winning citizen scientist program.

A few things about Blue Thumb: • Over 90 streams are actively monitored across the state. • Ages are middle school through retirement • Teachers can attend and then request a “mini-academy” that prepares students for monitoring

Participants receive the “Project WET 2.0 Guide” Filled with water activities for all ages Plus certification as a WET (water education today) facilitator

For more information contact: Becky Zawalski ([email protected], 405-761-7401 Cheryl Cheadle ([email protected], 918-398-1804

First steps to get involved

1. Sign up to receive the NISE Network monthly electronic newsletter. (Scroll to the bottom of the page. 2. Contact your Regional Hub Leader to introduce yourself and find out if there are museum and scientists who may be existing NISE Network partners located near you. The Regional Hub Leader for Oklahoma is Brad Herring at the Museum of Life Science in Durham, NC, brad. Her- [email protected] or call 919-220-5429x360. 3. Check out our upcoming events for professionals 4. Download the one page quick summary of NISE Net- work projects and opportunities (revised October 2020) - learn more about all our projects past and present. Main Page 5. Interact with other NISE Network partners online Click Here! by joining our social networking sites.

Citizen Science, Civics, and Resilient Communities (CSCRC) Through forums and citizen science projects, museums engage the public Oklahoma Science Museum in active learning and resilience planning around heat waves, sea level was part of this rise, extreme precipitation, and drought. on May 18th!  Timeline: application opens in December 2020  Eligibility: museums in the United States; 20 museums will be selected  Learn more: www.nisenet.org/CSCRC  Funding: NOAA through Museum of Science

In this cooperative board game, players This is a FREE game for ages 7 to take on Adult. It is downloadable here! The the role EnvironMentor has downloaded it to of Mission Con- explore. You will receive six pdf’s trol here on Earth. They including game pieces, the console, will work together to program and and guides in English and Spanish. communicate with a rover on Mars to collect four data samples from Mars and send the data back to Earth before the treacherous environment damages the rover beyond repair. By completing this mission, the team will test new technologies that will pave the way for future human exploration of Mars!

The game is grounded in real science about a mission on Mars. The emphasis in this game is for players to work together to succeed in their mission.

Science Bingo 2021

B I N G O

Bake something us- Read a recent sci- Science is Beauti- Take a walk Build something that ing a recipe. ence news article ful! around your flies Cookies, Cake, Bread Make some science art. neighborhood.

Did you know that there is an https:// entire field of study based on www.sciencedaily.co Are there gardens? the chemistry of cooking? Trees? Animals? m/news/top/ https://www.foldnfly.com/ Paint, draw, sketch, or What do you like? You could become a molecu- just color something What would you lar gastronomist! that’s already been change? done. What questions do https://www.my-best-kite.com/ how-to-build-kites.html you have? https://science.nasa.gov/ toolkits/coloring-books Help NASA do REAL Hike the River Trail Invent a solution Learn about vaccinations. Read a Science Mars research by iden- and/or Turkey Moun- Comic or tifying what is in pic- tain to a problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch? tures. v=gzptBqDuLNY&t=59s Graphic Novel

What animals did you see? https://us.macmillan.com/ What did the riverbed look series/sciencecomics/ like? Describe the day’s https://www.youtube.com/watch? weather. v=3aNhzLUL2ys

https://www.zooniverse.org/ (It doesn’t have to work, but how projects/hiro-ono/ai4mars/ cool https://bigthink.com/gear/ if it did!) about/research best-science-graphic- https://sciencejournalforkids.org/ novels? articles/why-get-vaccinated-when-the- flu-vaccine-doesnt-work-well/ rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Read a science fic- Design and sketch Watch a non-fiction science ZOO movie you haven’t seen Give Coding a tion book… your dream home. before. Try Field trip And make a The House of Scorpion, Spare Parts, 2015 Ender’s Game, A Problematic Underwater Dreams, 2018 video game too! Paradox… If You Build It, 2013 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Architectural Engi- 2019 (OKC Zoo, Tulsa Zoo,OK You can make a differ- https:// Aquarium are all great Lots of great options! neering is a great job www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/ places!) ence! field! learn/project/code-a- What is your favorite https://www.barnesandnoble.com/ mars-helicopter-video- animal/exhibit? blog/sci-fi-fantasy/8-books-will- make-kids-lifelong-readers-sci-fi- game/ fantasy

Listen to a Make homemade Plant something you Design and build a Bust a Myth… NASA Podcast playdough, slime, or can eat blanket fort. Or not Oobleck

What problems did you have? https://go.discovery.com/tv- https:// https://www.iheartnaptime.net/play- How did you overcome them? shows/mythbusters/ dough-recipe/ www.nasa.gov/ podcasts https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ (Make sure to clean this up how-to-grow-avocado-plants-258836 when you’re done.. Maybe after you sleep in it.) https://www.youtube.com/ https://www.livescience.com/59941- watch?v=3pBIPKA_HGY how-to-make-slime-with-glue.html https://thegardeningcook.com/growing-onions- indoors/

https:// www.thebestideasforkids.com/how- to-make-oobleck/

Science Museum Choose your own Read a Biography about Make a Healthy Din- someone in science. Field Trip What is it like to adventure! ner for your family

work at NASA? https://www.kqed.org/ Describe your favorite mindshift/45253/14-books-that- Nutrition is a science. exhibit connect-students-with-valuable- Pick 5-6 videos and see. scientists-struggles Cooking is Chemistry! (OK Science Museum, Museum of https://www.youtube.com/ Osteology, Tulsa Air and Space playlist? Redo any square with a Museum, National Weather Muse- list=PLOuu0akB6CSha8ZDvP3BkR new topic, attempt or um are all fabulous!) https://www.amazon.com/Best- NyD3SCjokz0 redesign Sellers-Books-Teen-Young-Adult- Science-Technology-Biographies/ zgbs/books/10367683011

EARTH MONTH VIRTUAL ACTIVITIES

Thanks for being a part of this year's Earth Month! If you weren't able to make one of our virtual activities in person, you can check out the recordings below.

Click on the arrow [next to each video on the website; click above] to get more information on how to watch each class.

Fermentation 101: From Cabbage to Sauerkraut with Anne-Marie Bonneau Drawing Class with MasPaz Learn About Monarch Butterflies with Jen and Milo the Toller Clase de Arte Con MasPaz Using Up Citrus with Christine Wong Climate Scientist, Spencer Scott, leads a discussion with Gen Padalecki, Isaias Hernandez, and Jenny Willford Make the Leap from Enjoying Nature to Protecting It Hiking and Photography with Preethi The Non Prophets Podcast with Stephen Campbell and Franqi French Yoga Class with Kris Relucio The Tea on Intersectional Climate Action with Saad Amer

Submit your video later this Submissions for the summer and be a part of a video contest run from July 1, 2021 -- fabulous series of September 15, 2021. #YearoftheSunflower videos! The official winners will be announced on October 10, 2021. Plan now Check out to plant the official rules. a mass of Make the sunflowers in Entry is easy! There are six different ways to enter, sunflower your yard including five social media platforms where all you the star of need is the hashtag #YEAROFTHESUNFLOWER to your summer fun or garden. have an entry. Or email your video to in- [email protected]. Submissions should be 30-60 seconds video! in length but should not exceed 60 seconds. The videos may be skits, animations, testimonials or other types of videos, as long as they feature and promote sunflowers. Visit https://ngb.org/sunflower-video- contest/ for complete details. Finalists will be chosen by a committee of NGB member. Grand prize winner will receive $250, two honor- able mentions will receive $100 each.

Back at the very beginning of things, the Creator of All worked for a long time making the plants and animals. It was hard work! Creator was tired! But the job wasn't finished yet, because every kind of animal came to learn where they should live, and what they should eat. “You monkeys are good climbers. You can live in the trees eating fruits and nuts,” said Creator. “You big cattle, deer, elk, sheep: you need plenty of food. You can live on the plains and eat grass. You fish,” Creator sighed, “you can live in the water and eat anything that fits your mouth,” and so forth. There were so many animals! Then the moths and butterflies came. “What shall we eat?” they asked. Creator patiently replied, “I have assigned different plants for your young ones to eat. You must be careful to lay your eggs there, so the caterpillars will have the correct food. But when you become winged adults, I want you to drink the Photo by Tom Benson from Bay Nature: Sphinx Moth nectar of flowers. Any kind you like, I have created so many! Help yourselves!” But instead of being grateful, the butterflies looked jealously at the moths. “Can't you divide up the flowers so that we get our share, and don't have to dodge those fat fuzzy moths when we're drinking?” Creator frowned at the selfish butterflies, and had an idea. “I have made some of the flowers bloom only in the daytime, some only at night. So I can assign one group of you to feed during the day, and the others to drink at night. What do you think of that?” The butterflies were delighted. “Of course we'll get daylight! That way everyone can admire our beautifully colored wings and slim bodies as we flit among the flowers in the sunshine. Let those dull-winged moths fly at night. Who cares about colors when there's just moonlight and starlight?”

The moths tried to object. “We like light too! We need to be able to find our flowers!”

Creator was tired and just wanted to resolve this. “Moths, I will give you very sensitive eyes, so that you can use Moonlight for direction. You will be able to see even when there's only starlight, and I will give most of your night-blooming flowers white petals, so that they're easy to find even in dim light. I will make them deep- throated, and give you very long tongues (proboscis) so that only you can drink from them. And I will give them beautiful perfumes, that you can sense with your feathery antennae, so that you can find them even in darkness!” The moths thought it over. Sensitive eyes? Special deep, perfumed flowers only for them? They decided to let the gaudy butterflies have the day shift. Moths would rule the night! And so it has been, for the most part. There are some moths who feed on colorful flowers during the day (Sphinx moths hover at my zinnias) but most of them fly at night. And they still love light, even if they hardly require it to find their flowers.

From The Earthteller,

Note to Storytellers: When you tell this story, Fran Stallings insert other animals and habitats as you wish. (Continued on Page 13) 12

(Continued from Page 12) Moths are not the only night-flying insects affected by light. Ants, flies, mayflies, even migrating hoards of grasshoppers are attracted to ALAN (artificial light at night). They can circle around our street lamps until they die of exhaustion – or are gobbled by bats or other nocturnal predators. The glint of city lights on wet streets confuses mayflies into laying their eggs on the pavement, instead of in river water. Fireflies can't signal for mates when their own cold light is swamped by our electrical variety. LED streetlights are favored by cities because they use far less power than incandescent or sodium va- por lamps, but their bluish light seems more attractive to insects. Perhaps they mimic the cool Moon and star light which many night-fliers use for orientation. On a Moon- less night, artificial sky glow in 20% of Earth's cities is brighter than the stars! Researchers in Hungary, Brazil, Netherlands as well as many U.S. sites, blame artificial lights for part of the “insect apocalypse” as worldwide numbers of insects fall by as much as 80%. What's a bug to do? Because of insects' importance as pollinators, recyclers, and members of the food chain, cities and national parks are experimenting with ways to lessen the insect impact of our ALAN while keeping the human benefits. Color and location are important. In Hungary, mayflies From National Moth Week stay safe when bridges' bluish lights are mounted low near the water, while the street lights are dim and yellowish. Grand Teton National Park finds that dim reddish streetlights attract fewer insects – and let visitors see the stars. For our own outdoor lighting, we can seek yellow “bug lights,” which are now available in compact fluorescent and LED form. Night-flying moths, flies, mayflies, ants, and grasshoppers are well adapted to low levels of cool light. Let's leave them to it!

Story sources: To my surprise, I couldn't find any folktales explaining why moths are attracted to light. I made up this story borrowing the image of a tired Creator from a Japanese folktale (which doesn't mention butterflies or moths). The notion of rivalry between the two kinds of Lepidoptera was inspired by “Cynthia the Caterpillar,” original story by Judith Black. www.storiesalive.com

Fact sources: "Fatal attraction to light at night pummels insects:" Elizabeth Pennisi. SCIENCE magazine May 7, 2021 (Vol 372 No 6542), pp 556-7.

https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/why-moths-are-attracted-to-light/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/why-are-moths-attracted-to-light/ar-BB1cnBrI

https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/question675.htm

Are you ready to finally have beautiful plants both indoors and outdoors? Then come and learn how to be a Master Composter. Compost is the key and this six week course will teach you the different methods of composting and the science behind it. Registration is limited and the cost is $50. You can fill out the form by clicking here and print it out and either drop it off or mail it in with your check to Oklahoma County OSU Extension, 2500 Northeast 63rd Street, Oklahoma OK 73111. You can also call 405-713-1125, ask for Janet, and give her your information and then pay by credit card. 14

“We are planning the 2021 symposium as our first chance to get back to face-to-face meetings. However, we understand that not everyone will be able to attend in person, and so will also be coordinating limited live virtual opportunities during the conference as well as asynchronous programming. Abstract submitters will be asked as to their intended participation and given the choice of “in-person” or “virtual only.” All presenters will be encouraged to submit their presenta- tion pre- or post-conference for online asynchronous viewing.” Prospective Program “There will be technical workshops all day Monday, November 15. Begin- ning Tuesday, November 16, three days of presentations will be organized into themed tracks and sessions. We encourage oral and poster presentations on any aspect of lake and reservoir management, but especially in-

• Harmful Algal Blooms • Watershed Planning Important Dates

• Invasive Species • Lake Management & Restoration May 14, 2021 • Nutrients & Internal Loading • Water Planning Dynamics Abstract submission deadline. • Drinking Water • Bioindicators in Reservoirs • Water Reuse September 3, 2021 • Water Quality Standards • Measuring the Value of Water Presenter registration deadline. • Wetlands • Drilling Impacts to Water Quality September 24, 2021 • Climate Change Impacts Early bird registration deadline. • Western State Water Issues vite valuable insights on the follow- October 22, 2021 ing:” Hotel room block closes “If you are interested in developing a special session on another topic, please contact the program committee chairs no later than May 14, 2021. Sessions should consist of at least 4 presentations, or 3 presentations and a panel discussion.”

Travel the Open Road with the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma Find your next outdoor adventure on the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma! The trail's 13 highway-based driving loops link area wildlife watching destinations and direct outdoor adventurers to 300 miles of scenic routes that showcase western Oklahoma's natural beauty. Destinations and scenic routes have long been marked with scissor -tailed flycatcher road signs, but travelers can now plan excursions with the Great Plains Trail digital story map, and track their adventures in real time with the Field Maps app (for Apple and Android devices). The latest story map features each of the trail's 75 public and private-owned destinations, but also helps travelers plan a day of exploration or bird watching. Detailed directions help place wildlife watchers at key locations off the beaten trail at key times. Amenities like guest houses, local motels and RV parks are also identified in the story map. The Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma is a partnership of the Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation that connects people with nature by showcasing western Oklaho- ma's diverse wildlife watching opportunities. Learn more about the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma and download wildlife checklists for each loop at owpha.org. Take a Digital Tour of the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma

“[OG&E is] proud to partner with Oklahoma City Zoo Biodiversity and Botanical Garden and its statewide literacy pro-

gram, Read for Adventure. Toolkits

This program and new book, Juniper’s Butterfly Garden, (published by Southwestern Stationery, Oklahoma City) helps encourage kids to read with an inspiring story of a child’s journey as she learns about monarch butterflies.

Learn more about monarch butterfly conservation by checking out Juniper’s Butterfly Garden from a Click here to download. participating library (most libraries across Oklaho- Editor’s Note: You will be asked for your ma are participating and have stocked up with many copies; there is a list on the OKC ZOO web- email address and your name to download. site or check with your local library). You’ll then Full Biodiversity Toolkit receive one voucher redeemable for FREE admis- sion to the OKC Zoo for up to four people. Vouch- Educator’s Resource Guide — basic biodiversity facts, why biodiversity and nature matter, what ers are redeemable through June 30, 2021.” threats our planet's biodiversity is facing, what WWF is doing to help, and what kids can do to help.

Biodiversity Mosaic: Visual Arts Activity (Fire) Science Educators Students will create an artwork piece that reflects their interpretation of biodiversity. (Virtual) Workshop The Connections Between Us: JOIN US for this free workshop designed (primarily) Role-Playing Activity for high school science teachers! To understand the interdependence of living things, students will participate in a role-playing activity. Learn about the historical and modern fire ecology of the Cross Timbers ecoregion of central Oklaho- This Just In: ma from regional experts/scientists! Research and Journalism Activity Students will deliver a news report to inform their This workshop will introduce and discuss the Cross peers of the current state of our planet's biodiversity, Timber Fire Ecology high school level curricula (see it HERE) which is guided by the Next Generation The Future of Species: Science Standards (NGSS) and allows instructors to Statistics and Probability Activity Using data around threatened or endangered species, meet education goals as students investigate natu- students will create a graph and draw inferences on ral phenomena, and can be adjusted to fit individu- the probability of these species' survival al classroom and regional needs. Biodiversity Audit: This training will be led by Bryan Yockers, a veteran Mapping and Surveying Activity high school science teacher of the Tulsa, Oklahoma Students will perform a biodiversity audit of their local region, and is the founder of the Jenks Fire Ecology grounds.

Research Station for Teaching (JenksFERST) pro- Biomimicry Design Challenge: gram. Attendance is limited to the first 50 regis- Engineering and Technology Activity trants. Register HERE [S]tudents will then use their creativity to develop an idea for a product that is healthier for the planet Participation certificates will be available for po- tential professional development credits. Living Planet Report 2020: Youth Edition 16

Deadline for Entries The Fishes of Oklahoma app ... June 30, 2021 is now available for download in the Apple and Android For more information about categories and stores! how to enter, click here! Download our ich- thyology depart- From the Paul, Tom and Michelle ment's new app, (and Rosie and Coco the Spaniels): Fishes of Oklaho- ma, to have infor- “The launch of the awards is like the start mation about fishes of the year for us...so let's celebrate new across the state at beginnings! ... your fingertips. At Comedy Wildlife we are also starting The app currently has photos and in- new and fresh things; the most important formation such as of which is our new Conservation Strategy. scientific and com- ... We have loved our partnership with the mon names, ecology and distribution on 183 fishes. Use the app to Born Free Foundation and they have been aid in challenging fish identification and share awesome people to work with and we have information about your catches to help grow the been so chuffed to be able to support them database! over the years. But like all things, we are During Native Plant Month in April our neighbors to the south, evolving. ... the Native Plant Association of Texas, We are now going to be supporting One published this graphic. Species A Year. We will find a small, grass roots organisation who is doing their best to help protect the environment and the wildlife and in addition to 10% of our net revenue, we are going to try and give them as big a global push as we can. So you, my friend, pay attention as I would like to introduce you to the Gunung Palung Orang- utan Conservation Pro- gram, yes, we are supporting Orangutans this year. If you want to know how to pronounce orangutan then go to our social media and have a listen there. It's not as you would expect!”

Become a member! There is always a lot going on.

www.oknativeplants.org/

“Cross-Timbers is working on the details of the 2021 An- nual Meeting. We are going on the assumption that it will be possible to meet in person by September, with proper precautions in place. The meeting will be held in the Stillwater area with a field trip to St. Francis in the Woods near Coyle. We are still looking for a space large enough to hold the membership meeting and dinner on Saturday evening. In the meantime, we are asking everyone to hold the September 24-26 weekend open for our meeting …”

Rescheduling Doug Tallamy for a date in 2021 is in the works. ONPS is still planning on co-sponsoring the native gardening author Doug Tallamy in 2021 with two presentations in OK! Until then check out the video of him speaking about this new book “Recycling Mystery: Clothing” "Nature's Best Hope." by Trey Granger Click on the URL above for access “While secondhand stores do good business, they to the video archive. typically sell less than 20%* of consumer donations. Luckily, it is possible to recycle old clothing in other ways.” *This URL takes you to an article in The Atlantic, Where Does Discarded Clothing Go?

“According to Secondary Materials and Recovered Textiles Association (SMART), about 45% of discarded clothing is reusable. Of the remaining 55%, most of it can be recycled:” To read this article, click here. 18

“Created in 2020, the Lake Thun- derbird Watershed Alliance is a coalition of local governments and stakeholders within the Lake Thunderbird watershed. The Alli- ance seeks to promote environ- mentally sustainable practices The within the watershed through ed- National Garden ucation, collaboration, and com- Bureau munity involvement.” is announcing 2021 Lake Thunderbird Watershed Alliance as the The quote from the website continues: Year of the Hyacinth. “This page is intended to serve as a virtual Public History, cultivars, Meeting to contribute in the development of an Inte- growing tips, and 6 grated Watershed Management Plan and Public Ed- ucation and Outreach Materials to be distributed by articles written by Na- the Alliance. We want to hear from YOU - our valued tional Garden Bureau stakeholder within the watershed! As such, please members. feel free to browse through the content on this page, For an enormous amount of leave a comment on the interactive map, and com- information about plete the survey … [click on the URL above]. Thank you for your interest in a healthy Lake Thunderbird all things hyacinth , click here. watershed!”

This looks to be a beautiful poster. It is an offer- ing from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. When you go to the site to download your poster they ask for your email address and first and last name. Click here to go to the website. After you have downloaded your poster, go to this You Tube site to see “Bird Cams: Best of 2020.” “...in this annual highlight reel [you will see beautiful scenes] include[ing the] Royal Albatross, Bermuda Petrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owl, Osprey, From Audubon.com and White-tailed Tropicbird.” 19

Not an Endorsement , but ... From Really cool!

“Create balanced ecologies while trying to unbalance opponents.”

“In ECOLOGIES, you You must go build and maintain food webs in diverse biomes to the web- around the world. Each site to be biome has a different ecol- able to hear ogy, and gives unique re- wards when it is healthy the bird and balanced. But watch sounds. Click out, your opponents may here to go decide it's easier to disturb and degrade your ecosystems than nurture their own. In this hectic environment, you there! must choose how best to protect and care for your ecologies.” Illustrations courtesy of Designed by a biology teacher, the game includes 77 Bill Reynolds. unique organisms, 7 biomes, and beautiful vintage Victo- All recordings rian art. (108 cards total) courtesy of Players: 1-6 The Cornell Ages: 12+ (8+ with included simplified rules) Lab of Orni- Time: 60-90 minutes Game Modes: Standard, Simplified, Single Player thology. All About Birds. “It may not look like much yet, but soon, our Answer to Quiz! Quiz! Quiz! first dedicated wildflower bed at Zink Park will This is Crowpoison. We are interested in unu- be sprouting, blooming & dedicated as a mon- sual names and this one caught our imagination arch waystation! A BIG & beautiful thanks to so we went on the trail. One of the scientific our Horticulture Team for their work trying names is Nothoscordum bivalve. Notho(s) can something new.” mean “false” or “counterfeit” and scordum can mean “garlic” which is also a member of the Lily family. Also, before the six petals open into the beautiful flower, it appears like a Photo by Casey Reynolds, PhD clam with just two petals (see Page 2) thus “bivalve.” But is it poisonous to crows? It is said that the Cherokee used this plant to poison crows that were eating their corn. According to at Zink Park Tulsa gardeners and scientists alike, the toxicity of this “If all goes well, we'll look to plant more of plant is still open for discussion, but to be on the these beds at City parks around Tulsa. Have safe side, don’t eat it! any suggestions for where a new park mon- Sources consulted: arch waystation should be planted? Let us ozarkedgewildflowers.com know!” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 20

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 important 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!!

10301 South Sunnylane Road QUIKList Oklahoma 405-814-0006

Leopold Education Project http:// http://www.aldoleopold.org/Programs/ www.museumofosteology.org/ lep.shtml Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Type in Oklahoma Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Oklahoma Blue Thumb http://bluethumbok.com/

Oklahoma Blue Thumb Association Project Learning Tree (PLT) [email protected] http://www.plt.org/ http://www.forestry.ok.gov/project-learning-tree Oklahoma Envirothon Project WET http://www.oklaenvirothon.org/ (Water Education for Teachers)

http://www.bluethumbok.com/project-wet.html Oklahoma Green Schools

http://www.okgreenschools.org/ Project WILD Oklahoma Master Naturalists http://www.projectwild.org/ https://okmasternaturalist.wixsite.com/website

Oklahoma Native Plant Society As with all hyperlinks in The EnvironMentor http://oknativeplants.org/ Newsletter, these are clickable.

Oklahoma Recycling Association (OKRA) Do you know an environmental group in Okla- http://www.recycleok.org/okra/ homa that should be listed. Send that information to: [email protected]

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 details. 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 Contact Email Details in Narrative Form Location Link Event Link Map Link

Please note: We are not able to publish for-profit information.

To go directly to The Calendar click on:

http://www.okcu.edu/environmentor