South OKC News

Activities & events scheduled June 19-25

The Division of Environmental Resilience & Sustainability (DoERS) has several community events planned to celebrate Pollinator Week, set to be observed nationwide June 19-25. Each event is free and open for all to attend. Details can be found below.

JUNE 19-25, 2023 | Cleveland County, Oklahoma

• POLLINATORS IN ACTION PHOTO CONTEST
  • Catch a pollinator in action on camera and submit your photos for a Photo Contest coordinated by the University of Oklahoma’s Dr. James Hung, pollination biologist with Oklahoma Biological Survey and National Heritage Inventory. Images can be submitted digitally through 11:59 p.m. June 25 to iNaturalist at: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/pollinator-week-bioblitz-cleveland-county-ok. More information about using iNaturalist can be found at: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/getting%252Bstarted and https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/video%252Btutorials. Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

JUNE 20, 2023 - 9 P.M. | Saxon Park, 3016 36th Avenue SE

• MOTH NIGHT W/ MOTH TEAM LEADER ZACH DUFRAN
  • Bring flashlights and enjoy an evening hike finding and learning about magnificent moths in Norman!

JUNE 22, 2023 – 6 P.M. | The Depot, 200 S. Jones Avenue

• HISTORICAL REMNANT PRAIRIES DISCUSSION
  • Community members are invited to join eco landscaping and native plant expert Adam Sarmiento, alongside City of Norman staff and Red Earth Group Sierra Club members, to discuss historical remnant prairies in Norman and enjoy refreshments. Networking and refreshments begin at 6 p.m.; the community discussion kicks off at 6:30 p.m.

JUNE 24 – 10 A.M. | Saxon Park, 3016 36th Avenue SE

• COMMUNITY BEE WALK
  • Join in on a Bee Walk with the University of Oklahoma’s Dr. James Hung, pollination biologist with Oklahoma Biological Survey and National Heritage Inventory. Enjoy a nature walk and discover native bees and other area pollinators!

“We are excited to celebrate and highlight our pollinating partners! Without their efforts, we would not survive,” said Michele Loudenback, DoERS Manager. “Eighty percent of the crop plants we use for food and products require pollination by animals; to put it a different way –  without pollinators, we would have no apples, strawberries, vanilla, coffee or chocolate. Pollinators also provide many other benefits to communities, such as improving a community's resilience by supporting healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, support wildlife and improve water quality.”

A proclamation recognizing Pollinator Week in the City of Norman was signed by Mayor Larry Heikkila the week of June 12, 2023. Learn more about taking care of pollinators and view helpful resources at greennorman.org or pollinator.org.

Original source can be found here.