We often get asked, "What exactly do you all do in the winter time?" While winter is our slower season when it comes to visitors, it definitely doesn't mean we aren't busy. We are always working on improving Lake McMurtry Natural Resource & Recreation Area because we want our visitors to enjoy their time while they are here and we want them to keep coming back! PRescribed BurningOne project our Maintenance Supervisor has been working on this winter is prescribed burning around our campsites and recreation areas. In order to have a healthy forest area, periodic fires need to occur. This keeps the forest from becoming overcrowded and keeps flammable fuel (such as downed limbs, leaves, and underbrush) from building up and becoming dangerous. Prescribed burning can:
Hopefully, our visitors who come each Spring and Summer will notice a difference in the burned areas over the next few years! Leveling RV PadsAnother project we have been working on this Winter are the RV pads on the East RV campsites. We leveled all of the pads on the West Side's Loop 2 and now have begun the same process for the East. We do this is in order for our RVers to have an easier experience pulling in and setting up camp for their stay! Some other projects have included our new website, cutting downed limbs and dead trees around the East and West picnic areas for firewood, development of our McMurtry Mudder event, and continuously striving to get the word out about Lake McMurtry! We always hope that the projects we are working on - whether they are for an easier reservation system, beautification projects, or just picking up trash on a daily basis - are noticed and welcomed by our visitors and followers because we do it for you! Do you have any suggestions for future projects at Lake McMurtry? Let us know in the comments!
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Have you ever seen a bird released into the wild? The members of the Zoo, Exotics, and Wildlife ward at the Oklahoma State University Vet School released an American White Pelican on Sunday, February 1, 2015 near the East Recreation Area pavilion. The event began at the Boy Scout Hut in Stillwater, OK where Patricia Baker, a member of the ZEW ward, gave a presentation on the American White Pelican. The presentation covered everything from the general biology of birds to birds that have unique qualities and ended with specific information about the pelican and its rehabilitation story. An endearing video of the pelican enjoying its first meal at the ZEW ward completed the presentation. The pelican was in the care of the ZEW ward for just over two weeks, a time in which its caretakers rehabilitated it in order to gain weight, build muscle, and have a safe place to fly. This pelican release was the first of the ZEW ward's rescue and release program. Click on pictures to enlarge. We want to thank everyone for coming to Lake McMurtry to view the release of this beautiful animal! We hope to have more opportunities like this in the future to share with our visitors. We also want to thank the ZEW ward and Boy Scout Troop 818 for letting us be a part of this event. If you would like to keep updated on projects, events, and educational opportunities at Lake McMurtry, be sure to follow us on Facebook!
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