New Adventures in Oklahoma

04 Jul New Adventures in Oklahoma

Last week the resource team went on an adventure to Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in Cheyenne, Oklahoma. The drive from Capulin Volcano National Monument took approximately five hours, and we camped in Oklahoma for three days. The purpose of the trip was to help the folks at Washita manage an invasive species of grass, Johnsongrass. We brought our UTV, truck, and sprayers in order to spray herbicide on the grass that has taken over significant portions of the park. It felt really great being able to help out a fellow park, one with fewer people and resources when it comes to managing these difficult species. The air was thick, hot, and humid, but we all still managed to have a good time! It was my first time visiting Oklahoma, and it was nice to spend time camping and cooking over the campfire with my new park family.

Me looking over our pollen slides, making sure the quality is high enough for proper identification.

Once I got back to Capulin, I was able to do more work on my hummingbird project. I have been researching the best methods for pollen extraction, and formulas for the glycerine jelly used to create the slides. I got to spend a day trying out multiple recipes and seeing which produced the best images under the microscope, which was super fun! Today we are expecting a special guest, all the way from Mexico! Can’t wait until next week to share the details!

Cheers,

Stephanie