November 3rd – November 8th Subaru’s Leave No Trace traveling trainers will be in Tulsa!

For the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will be at Turkey Mountain working with local educators and community leaders on a variety of workshops and events, including opportunities for community involvement. 

The Leave No Trace Hot Spot Program aims to provide visitors, land managers, volunteers, and the local community with tools and education to reduce severe impacts in natural areas and ensure a sustainable recreation future for all.

Hot Spots, including Turkey Mountain, are areas identified as suffering from severe human-related impacts that can thrive again with Leave No Trace solutions. Each location receives a unique, site-specific blend of programs aimed at a healthy and sustainable recovery. Since 2010, Leave No Trace has conducted over 100 Hot Spots in national parks and forests, state parks, city parks, and more to set these areas on a path to recovery.

Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness is located just south of downtown Tulsa, OK.  It encompasses 300 acres of designated ‘urban wilderness,’ providing a slew of nearby recreational opportunities to the residents of Tulsa.  Its dense canopy of hardwoods instills a feeling of wildness even within the city limits.  Visitors are able to explore miles of trails by foot, bike, and even horseback.  Nearby residents utilize the trail system for walking, running, and dog-walking, among other activities.  The relatively new park has become increasingly popular and, with its very compact nature, has begun to experience considerable impacts from high use.  These impacts include trail widening and erosion, pet waste and other pet-related impacts, and impacts to vegetation. For the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will be at Turkey Mountain leading a variety of workshops, outreach programs and community events, including opportunities for community involvement.

*Turkey Mountain is located on the ancestral lands of the Osage, Muscogee (Oklahoma), Caddo, Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux), and possibly other tribes*

Please note: ✅ = Open To Public, 🎓= Educators, 🔒= By Invitation

Day 1 • Wednesday November 3rd

✅ Leave No Trace Online Awareness Course
This free online course is available anytime. No registration needed.

Participants who are new to Leave No Trace or have not had Leave No Trace training in recent years are encouraged to complete the self-paced (30 – 45 minute) Leave No Trace Online Awareness Course in advance. 

🔒 Introductory Stakeholder Meeting (by invitation)

🔒Area Impacts Tour

Day 2 • Thursday November 4th

Day 3 • Friday November 5th

🔒 Effective Communication of Leave No Trace
(This interactive workshop is by invitation only.)

This workshop is geared toward those who engage in public outreach, education, interpretation, guiding, etc.

Day 4 • Saturday November 6th

Day 5 • Sunday November 7th

Free day

Day 6 • Monday November 8th

🔒 Leave No Trace Action Planning Meeting / Hot Spot Wrap Up (by invitation)

Join us for Monarch Media Monday, an hour-long panel discussion with the following experts:

• Stacie Martin – Director of Horticulture at Gathering Place, to learn how to establish and maintain prairies, Incorporate native plants and Milkweed, weed control, and more. 
• Cheryl Cheadle – Blue Thumb volunteer coordinator as she discusses how you can create quality pollinator habitat on a smaller scale, Yard by Yard.
• Jane Breckenridge – Owner Euchee Butterfly Farm and director of the Tribal Alliance for Pollinators will share her expertise on Monarch Basics and the status of the Monarch population.

There will be time for questions and answers at the end of the panel discussion.

Monarchs on the Mtn – Mobile Migration • Saturday, Sept 18th

Monarchs on the Mtn – Turkey Mtn Pollinator Gardening • Sunday, Sept 19th

Monarchs on the Mtn – Monarch Media Monday • Monday, Sept 20th

SaveSave

SaveSave

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As we begin to discuss the River Parks Authority Turkey Mountain Master Plan created by MVVA one of the first things that must be done is undergrowth, fallen leaves and invasive species removal. There are a number of ways to do this. Manually, with grazing animals (like goats) or the most cost effective and natural option – fire. 

Without man made controls Oklahoma’s landscape would regularly cycle through a burn period allowing for the landscape to remove dead plants that were choking out part of the ecosystem and as a result would be a much healthier lush area as the foliage grew back.. This is apparent around Oklahoma in places like the Tallgrass Prairie, Deep Fork Wildlife Refuge and Cookson Hills. 

The reality is that by stopping this natural cycle Turkey Mountain has become a tinder box the dead wood and leaves actually are a huge danger and need to come out!  We also have invasive species choking out native plants. 

What about the animals? 

If you know anything about the TUWC you know that we consider humans as visitors to the space wildlife call home. The last thing we want to do is evict them! 

Controlled burns are done in small segments and set and watched by trained experts. By doing small areas at a time this allows the wildlife to safely evacuate. Where if we wait until a loose ember or lightning strike happens there will be no control and it will likely burn a much larger area. 

The TUWC is excited to see the implementation of the Master Plan and looks forward to the future of Turkey Mountain! 

Monarchs on the Mountain: Mobile Edition 2020 culminates on Monday with a virtual screening of, The Mystical Migration of the Monarch, and award winning film about the Monarch Migration.

At 6:45 tune in to the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition Facebook Page to watch a message recorded for us from the creators of the film. Then follow the link to their YouTube channel to virtually share the experience of watching the movie together.

With gratitude to all of the organizations who have supported this event and worked to bring it to life: Tulsa River Parks Authority, the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, the Tulsa Audubon Society, The M.e.t, Monarch Initiative of Tulsa, Riverfield Country Day School, Sustainable Tulsa, Blue Thumb, Okies for Monarchs, The Tulsa Zoo, City of Tulsa, Save Our Streams, Gathering Place, Yard by Yard, Tulsa Master Gardeners and the Tulsa Garden Center.

I hope you will join us!

Information from their website about the film along with the links.

The Mystical Migration of the Monarch

This film is available for all butterfly enthusiasts around the world and also for every classroom around the globe. In addition there are resources and curriculum links related to the movie that have been field-tested, aligned with academic standards and are suitable for use in the classroom and at home.

Link to classroom resources: https://www.mysticalmigration.com/curriculum-for-educators.html  

Link to video to educators: https://youtu.be/jlRCCCaiKJo

Weekly episode about butterflies, gardening, habitat restoration, landscape design, renewal of blighted urban spaces, photography, art and more, entitled “Convos with Suzanne and Fairn” associated with the Mystical Migration YouTube channel. Link to Intro to Convos with Suzanne and Fairn video: https://youtu.be/UWDuM4_cOhM

During this time of transformation in our world when we are all reconnecting with nature and finding beauty in our own backyard, the movie producers ask you to please join them in the healing act of getting back to nature!

Link to subscribe to Mystical Migration YouTube channel

Find Mystical Migration at:

https://MysticalMigration.com

https://Instagram.com/MysticalMigration