Saturday, Sept. 4

9:00 a.m. - Bird Walk.  Call 321-4633 or e-mail crowssecret@sbcglobal.net for details or to sign up.

11:00 a.m. -Birds of Lake Thunderbird.  Enjoy a slide presentation of birds that live around the lake.

1:00 p.m. - Animal Clay Sculpture.  Sculpt an animal out of clay.  Ages 4 and older.  $1.00 fee.  Call or e-mail for a reservation.

2:30 p.m. -Oklahoma Reptiles: Snakes and Lizards. Learn about these reptile groups and meet the nature center’s “resident representatives.”  All ages.

3:30 p.m. - Oklahoma Turtles. Meet seven kinds of turtles and watch some of them being fed.

Sunday, Sept. 5

1:00 p.m. - Aquatic Insects.  Learn all about what these insects eat, how they breathe, and other facts, at this special presentation.

2:00 p.m. - Plaster Casts.  Make plaster of Paris casts of animal footprints.  Ages 2 and older.  Fee is 50 cents.  Casts require one hour to set.  (This is my son’s personal favorite!)

3:00 p.m. - Aquatic Insects. Repeat of 1:00 p.m. program.

Monday, Sept. 6 (aka Bug Day)

10:00 a.m. - What did that? Kids can become nature detectives and look for clues that insects and small animals leave behind.  Ages 5 and older.

11:00 a.m. - Oklahoma Insects. Learn about insects and see many of the kinds found in our state.  Ages 4 and older.

1:00 p.m.  - Bug Bookmarks. Decorate a one-of-a-kind bookmark.  Fee is 50 cents.  Ages 3 and older.

2:00 p.m. - Aquatic Insects.  See above for description.

3:30 p.m. -  How many legs? Get to Know the Arthropods. Learn about other “bugs” besides insects.  Ages 4 and older.

Discovery Cove Nature Center is located off State Highway 9, almost  one mile down Clear Bay Avenue, almost to the boat ramp, across from Turkey Pass Campground  For more information, call 321-4633 or e-mail crowssecret@sbcglobal.net.

Norman Playgrounds on wimgo

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

http://blog.newsok.com/outthere/2010/06/25/oklahoma-outdoors-family-fun-on-saturdays-in-the-wichitas/

I think this might be something I’d consider taking my son to this summer. Any chance to expose kids to nature is a chance every parent should take. If you go, tell me all about it here or by e-mail.

-Erica Smith

esmith@opubco.com

To find out more, check out our outdoor blogger’s post:

http://blog.newsok.com/outthere/2010/06/16/oklahoma-outdoors-campfire-stories-featured-this-weekend-at-the-chickasaw-national-recreation-area/

Sounds like a fun time!

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

All activites are FREE unless otherwise noted.

June 12:

10 a.m. – Tree Walk. Learn what kinds of trees grow around the Nature Center.  Ages 4 and older.

11 a.m. – Trees Through the Year. Learn about seasonal changes in the lives of trees. Ages 4 and older.

1 p.m. – Paint a Rock. Kids make their very own pet rock.  This activity is 50 cents.  Ages 4 and older.

June 19:

10 a.m. – What’s a Solstice, Anyway? Learn about the solstice and how some celebrate it. Ages 5 and older.  This program is also on June 21 at 1:00 p.m.

11 a.m. – Aliens Among Us. Check out small animals and plants under a microscope. Ages 6 and older.

7:30 p.m. – Summer Solstice Celebration at the Park. Hear about solstice observances around the world, past and present. Watch the sun to set over the lake on the (almost) longest day of the year.

June 26:

2 p.m. – Oklahoma Insects. Learn about insects and see many of the kinds found in Oklahoma. Ages 4 and older.

3:30 p.m. – How Many Legs? Get to Know Arthropods. Learn about the other “bugs” besides insects.  Ages 4 and older.

Discovery Cove Nature Center is located off State Highway 9, almost a mile down Clear Bay Ave.  For more information, call 321-4633 or e-mail crowssecret@sbcglobal.net.

For more information about happenings at Lake Thunderbird, go to http://friendsoflakethunderbird.org/.

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Keep your kids of out danger on busy streets:
http://newsok.com/little-ones-face-big-dangers-in-oklahoma-traffic/article/3458443?custom_click=headlines_widget

An outdoorsy opportunity for young people this summer:
http://blog.newsok.com/outthere/2010/04/27/cool-job-openings-for-outdoorsy-young-people-at-the-chickasaw-national-recreation-area/

An interesting column about the interaction between smokers and babies:
http://newsok.com/smoker-contact-can-be-awkward/article/3451726

A story about summer meals for children on school lunch programs:
http://newsok.com/article/3458266?custom_click=columnist

A look at the Edmond Fire Department’s Safety Village, built just for children:
http://www.newsok.com/article/3458154?searched=safety%20village&custom_click=search

A story about charter schools as a “smart alternative”:
http://www.newsok.com/article/3455196?searched=safety%20village&custom_click=search

And a review of the family movie “Furry Vengeance” :
http://newsok.com/actor-brendan-fraser-takes-a-beating-in-new-family-comedy-furry-vengeance/article/3457719?custom_click=pod_headline_movies

Happy reading!

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Check out this blog if you are up for hitting the trails:

http://blog.newsok.com/outthere/2010/03/23/elk-mountain-an-achievable-adventure-for-most/

If you’d rather save your adventures for the movie theater, then you might want to catch a showing of “How to Train Your Dragon.”  Our reviewer says it is one of Dreamworks Animation’s best films, and she gives it  3 1/2 out of 4 stars.   

Read the full review here:

http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2010/03/26/movie-review-how-to-train-your-dragon/

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

http://blog.newsok.com/outthere/2009/12/29/eagle-watch-plus-outdoor-news-from-chickasaw-national-recreation-area-and-norman-nature-center/

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

A plastic bag is blown against a park fence.

By now many of you have seen or heard about last week’s “Oprah Winfrey Show” and her segment on the epidemic of plastic trash in the ocean.

I only saw a few minutes of the show — the swirling mass beneath the surface, the plastic bag wrapped around the bird — but it made me realize even more that we need to take action. For us, for our children.

The wind in Oklahoma is unforgiving. Plastic can quickly get away from you, and in an instant, like a balloon, it can travel up and away.

Plastic shopping bags as well as other plastics catch on fences, snag on grass and weeds, get caught on tree branches and drift to lake shores.

Ireland and Denmark have placed taxes on plastic bags, and consumer use was reduced drastically. Why can’t we do this in Oklahoma? Why can’t our state make the stand that we want to start making a difference in our country?

There’s so much we can do to make a difference. My daughter told me a story last week about a man she saw unwrapping a piece of candy. He unwrapped it, let the wrapper drop to the ground and then got in his car. She questioned why he didn’t just keep the wrapper to throw away later.

I’ve switched to reusable shopping bags.

Now, what will you do?

What will Oklahoma do as a state to make a difference?

– Linda Lynn

llynn@opubco.com