OKLAHOMA ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION OVERVIEW
(Statewide government/non-profit providers—compiled by Susie Shields, ODEQ)
OKLAHOMA ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COORDINATING COMMITTEE
OKEECC is a multi-agency committee of government agencies (including all of those listed here) working together to foster an awareness and appreciation of Oklahoma's natural resources by coordinating environmental education efforts. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission was designated by the legislature as the lead agency to oversee the activities of this committee. Current and former projects include CLEAR environmental assessment tool for schools, an annual H2Oklahoma water festival, Seeds of Success directory of school environmental education and a community EE guide. OKEECC partners with OKAEE to produce a quarterly newsletter, The EnvironMentor, highlighting feature articles, school projects, grants, resources, workshops and events related to environmental education. OKEECC also provides support for annual events such as the Envirothon and the EE Expo and is a partner in the Oklahoma Consortium for Environmental Education (OCEE), a group dedicated to promoting diversity in Oklahoma’s EE efforts.
Contact: Karla Beatty (405) 521-2384 or <>.
STATE AGENCIES
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
Coordinates the environmental and conservation education programs for the 88 conservation districts across the state. Each district can provide technical assistance and some will provide additional educational materials, videos, or slide programs. Districts also have soil survey books and a variety of brochures relating to soil and water conservation. In addition, the Commission co-sponsors Project Learning Tree, Project WILD and Project WET. The Tulsa office oversees the statewide Blue Thumb water monitoring and education program. In Oklahoma County, Blue Thumb is managed by the OK Co. Conservation District.
Contact: Karla Beatty (405) 521-2384 or Website: <okcc.state.ok.us>
Oklahoma Corporation Commission
OCC is the regulatory agency responsible for prevention and abatement of pollution caused by oilfield operations, fuel storage tanks, and/or pipelines. Demonstrations of oil spill cleanup methods and activity sheets are available for classrooms. Speakers are also available on oil field safety, fuel storage tanks and pipelines.
Contact: Carl Solomon (405) 521-3664 or <> Website: <occ.state.ok.us>
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Services
Forestry Services strives to raise student, citizen and landowner awareness of the importance of trees and forests which results in behavioral change to improve the environment. Target audiences include young people, educators, landowners, civic organizations, towns and anyone who lives, works, or plays in or near a rural or urban forest environment. Forestry Services sponsors several Arbor Week activities, Free Trees for Schools, poster contests and Project Learning Tree. Urban forestry grants are also available through this division.
Contact: Christina Stallings (405) 522-6158 >
Website: <oda.state.ok.us>
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
DEQ’s mission is to serve Oklahomans by restoring, protecting and enhancing our air, land and water resources
for current and future generations. DEQ has technical educational resources available on the website. The Use Less Stuff Campaign consists of articles for citizens on water and energy conservation, composting, don't bag it (grass clippings), waste reduction, using less toxic household chemicals, improving air quality, etc. DEQ also manages the environmental license tag fund EE grants for outdoor classrooms and other environmental school projects and the Weyerhaeuser grant for recycling and composting at school. A list of EE funding opportunities is also available as well as curriculum units for litter awareness, recycling and waste reduction and composting. DEQ can provide posters, decals and guidelines for events to celebrate America Recycles Day and decals, buttons, posters and banners for promoting the Use Less Stuff Campaign. Members of the Air Quality Education Team are available for school and group presentation and materials are available on the website. DEQ provides the editor for the EnvironMentor newsletter and support for Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, the Oklahoma Association for Environmental Education (OKAEE), The Oklahoma Sustainability Network (OSN), The Oklahoma Consortium for Environmental Education (OCEE), and many other groups.
Contact: Susie Shields (405) 702-5166 or Website: <deq.state.ok.us>
Environmental Education Consultant -- Mary McIntyre Coley, (918)446-6296 or <>
Oklahoma "Spirit" Project (also known as Spirit of the Last Great Places) workshops covering Oklahoma's wide variety of eco-regions are available for staff development, university credit, or as a program for a group. There is a $10 fee for the accompanying curriculum notebook. .Also, a "Sense of Place" power point presentation/program is available, accompanied by a Regaining Sense of Place: Discovery Journalfor $15. The per hour service charge is negotiable. Assistance with writing curriculum grants, etc. is also provided.
Oklahoma Office of the Secretary of Environment
Housed in the Oklahoma Water Resources Board building, this office serves as the liaison for Oklahoma environmental education groups to the Cabinet Secretary (of the Environment) and the governor. This office provides support, information and funding for various EE efforts.
Contact: Jennifer Wasinger, (405) 530-8997 or <>
Website: <ose.state.ok.us>
Oklahoma Department of Tourism & Recreation
OTRC offers interpretive programs throughout the year at the following parks: Alabaster Caverns, Beavers Bend, Fountainhead, Greenleaf, Lake Murray, Little River, Robbers Cave, Sequoyah, Lake Tenkiller, Lake Texoma and Lake Wister. Interpretive programs include nature walks, outdoor classroom activities and special events such as Watchable Wildlife and Earthweek. Other state parks also offer summer season and interpretive activities.
Contact: Tom Creider (405) 521-3412 or < Website: <tourism.state.ok.us>
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
ODOT is responsible for the removal of litter and illegal dumps from the right-of-way along the 12,000 miles of state highways. The Adopt-A-Highway program and "Oklahoma -- Keep Our Land Grand" anti-litter campaign are major community programs. Other programs include the Trash Poster Contest (deadline Jan. 31, 2003), the Spring TRASH-OFF, the Litter Hotline, the Highway Tree Grant Program and the Roadside Wildflower Program. Displays, speeches and slide presentations are available about litter and beautification.
Contact: ODOT Beautification Office (405) 521-4037 or <>
Website: <okladot.state.ok.us/public-info/index>
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
ODWC is responsible for the state's wildlife resources--its management, conservation, enhancement and utilization. It is the advocate for wildlife, habitat and the enjoyment of those resources by Oklahoma citizens. Project WILD, Aquatic Education and Hunter Education are three of the programs offered.
Contact: Lisa Anderson (405) 521-6704 or <
Website: <wildlifedepartment.com>
The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board
The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board is an oil and natural gas industry-funded state agency dedicated to energy education and environmentally restoring orphaned or abandoned oil and natural gas exploration and production sites. The OERB provides teacher’s guides and classroom activities for Fossils to Fuel and Petro Active, two science-based energy curriculum units for elementary and middle level grades. The agency also trains teachers in the use of the curricula and reimburses school districts for substitute pay during workshops. OERB offers a statewide, hands-on program called Petroleum Professionals in the Classroom.Petro Pros allows professionals from the petroleum industry to give a 45-minute, interactive presentation about the formation, production and consumption of fossil fuels. The presentation includes the “Play It Smart!” oilfield safety video and allows students to see items such as a drill bit and seismic maps. For high school students, OERB sponsors the Oklahoma Petroleum Challenge, an annual essay and Jeopardy-style competition. A curriculum for high school students is currently being created.”
Contact: Mindy Stitt-Burney, (405) 942-5323 or Website: <oerb.com>
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
OWRB coordinates the Oklahoma Water Watch Volunteer Monitoring Program. OWW volunteers collect baseline water quality data, monitor water quality trends, identify problems associated with recreational uses and communicate with stakeholders regarding environmental education methods for protection of the state's water resources. By participating in the program, volunteers can take an active role in managing their water resources and have a voice in decision-making. An important goal of OWW program is to empower citizens, enabling them to make changes in their lifestyles and in their community practices to benefit the environment. The OWRB is a co-sponsor of Project WET.
Contact: Juli Ridgway, (405) 530-8800 or Website: <owrb.state.ok.us>
FEDERAL AGENCIES
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service, NRCS provides environmental education assistance in soils, wildlife, forestry, agronomy, water quality and other subjects. Events such as outdoor classrooms, natural resource days, and fishing clinics can be organized. NRCS can also provide classroom activities, models, demonstrations, videos, books and other resources for the classroom. Local offices are available in most counties, generally housed with the county Conservation District.
Contact: NRCS Public Affairs (405) 742-1245Website: <ok.nrcs.usda.gov>
Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service (USDA)
CES has school enrichment programs, available through your county Extension office at little or not cost. Programs include Oklahoma Aqua Times, Caring for Planet Earth, Junior Master Gardener and Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom. Look under "County Government" in your phone book. Forestry and Wildlife Camp, held each June at Beaver’s Bend State Park, is open to youth ages 13-16. Youth may also join 4-H in their county and participate in 4-H wildlife, forestry and environmental stewardship project activities under the guidance of volunteer leaders. Other opportunities for members include Wildlife Habitat Evaluation and Foresty Judging contests and county 4-H camp.
Contacts: Billie Chambers (405) 744-8885 or Charles Cox (405) 744-8885.
4-H Website: <agweb.okstate.edu.fourh>, Ag in the Classroom: <agweb.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc>
Sarah Kimball, Solid Waste Management Website:agecon.okstate.edu/waste>
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USFWS is the agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing the nation's fish, wildlife and related habitat resources. Biologists with the Oklahoma State Office coordinate Oklahoma's endangered species, private lands, wetlands and contaminant programs. Brochures, fact sheets, posters and other educational materials are available. The Oklahoma Ecological Services (OES) Field Office, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was established in 1951, under the Service's old Office of River Basin Studies, primarily to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the extensive water resources development projects in the Tulsa District. Over the past 50 years, OES has become diversified, with responsibilities in a number of conservation areas involving fish and wildlife resources of Federal interest throughout Oklahoma.
Contact: Erich Langer (918) 581-7458 or <>
Website: <.southwest.fws.gov/statelinks/oklahomalink> or <fws.gov>
UNIVERSITIES
Oklahoma State University Center for Environmental Education
To promote environmental literacy by using the environment as the integrating context for learning and the development of decision-making skills. To foster, enhance, and promote an understanding of responsible environmental citizenship. Services include research associated with grant funding, dissertations/theses-mentor and employ graduate and research assistants, focusing on environmental education, needs assessment, research related to environmental education and curriculum integration, professional development, short courses. Also covers environmental and outdoor ethics, pedagogy and efficacy of environmental education--conference and workshop presentations available.
Contact: Dr. Chris Moseley, <>, (405) 744 9515 or Dr. Richard Bryant, <>, (405) 744-7233
Oklahoma State University Environmental Institute
The mission of the Environmental Institute is to serve as a center for stimulation and promotion of interdisciplinary research, graduate education, and public education related to understanding, protecting, utilizing, and sustaining the natural environment. To facilitate the distribution of environmental knowledge, data, and research results to the technical and lay communities by:
- Aiding the development and delivery of public education programs on the management, conservation, and restoration of the environment
- Providing managers with information on alternative means of achieving organizational and social goals
- Distributing research findings to the scientific community
- Facilitating the transfer of technologies for pollution prevention, remediation, and restoration
Contact: (405) 744-9994Website: <environ.okstate.edu>
University of Oklahoma Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Environment
The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma has established the interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Environment (IPE) minor for students who seek to develop skills in specific fields related to environmental issues while remaining firmly grounded in an interdisciplinary outlook. By making students conversant with a variety of approaches to the environment, the IPE minor prepares them for the multi-disciplinary teamwork that is a feature of many environmental careers.
Contact: IPE (405) 325-0595 or < Website: <ou.edu/cas/ipe>
NON-PROFITS
Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Inc. was established in 1965 as a statewide nonprofit organization. Its mission is to encourage, promote and assist individual and group efforts in the areas of beautification, enhancement and preservation of Oklahoma's environment. Its work is directed and accomplished by a diverse board whose members serve voluntarily.KOB hosts an annual conference and awards celebration focused on environmental improvement and enhancement projects for communities, groups, youth and individuals. Litter awareness and promotion of community green spaces is a primary focus of the group.
Website: < keepoklahomabeautiful.com> Contact: Gail Ederer, <> or (405) 844-6543
Oklahoma Association for Environmental Education (OKAEE)
The mission of OKAEE is to support Oklahoma educators and promote, in formal and non-formal settings, environmental literacy through communication, resource sharing, skill building, and recognition of excellence. OKAEE produces a quarterly newsletter in partnership with the coordinating committee and holds an EE awards competition and presentation annually. Annually, in February, OKAEE hosts the EE Expo, a conference for both formal and non-formal educators as well as for the general public.
Website: <okaee.org>
Oklahoma Clean Lakes Association
The mission of Oklahoma Clean Lakes Association (OCLA) is to provide a forum for scientists, citizens, and professionals to exchange ideas, receive education, and form partnerships to foster sound management and protection of lakes and watersheds. Accepted as Oklahoma’s Chapter of the North American Lakes Management Society in 1989, OCLA is a non-profit organization consisting of a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors and 54 members active in the lake and watershed management field in a professional or volunteer capacity.
Website: Currently using <ose.state.ok.us>
Contact: Juli Ridgway, (405) 530-8800 or< >
Oklahoma Consortium for Environmental Education (OCEE)
The Oklahoma Consortium for Environmental Education (OCEE), funded by a national grant, has developed an EE survey for Oklahomans and is trying to get a diverse sample of respondents to find out where people now get their information on the environment and what they feel is needed in that area. This is a grant to promote diversity and inclusion in Oklahoma's EE efforts, and reaches out to previously unserved and underserved segments of the population. Regional leadership training events in 2003 for all persons interested in furthering EE in their area.
Website: <.oklahomaeeconsortium.org/
Contact: Dr. Suzanne Spradling, 405/848-6420 or <>
Oklahoma Kids in Environmental Education, Inc.
Oklahoma Kids in Environmental Education, Inc. (OKIEE) is the parent organization of theEco-Motion mobile environmental education program transported on a bus. The program goes to schools, parks, events, day care centers and other places that provide opportunities to educate children. The bus is equipped with tools for teaching about the environment. Six areas are covered during a program: Wildlife Conservation, Soil and Water Conservation, Solid Waste Management, Forestry, Agriculture and Energy Conservation. Each activity that is used in the Eco-Motion program meets educational objectives set by Oklahoma PASS (Priority Academic Student Skills). The Eco-Motion program also uses resources from Project Learning Tree and Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom. In addition, all Eco-Motion programs include a "working lunch." During this time, "The Great American Trash-Off" is presented and the classes compete to bring waste free lunches.
Website: <edisonthebus.org>
Contact: Gina Lagaly, <> or(405)823-0353
Oklahoma Native Plant Society
The Oklahoma Native Plant Society offers tremendous field trips open to the public and has an excellent newsletter. Their purpose is "to encourage the study, protection, propagation, appreciation and use of Oklahoma's native plants".
Contact Pat Folley at (405) 872-8361 or
Oklahoma Soil and Water Conservation Society
The Soil and Water Conservation Society fosters the science and the art of soil, water, and related natural resource management to achieve sustainability. They promote and practice an ethic recognizing the interdependence of people and the environment. The All Oklahoma Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society is a non-profit scientific and educational organization. The Chapter serves as an advocate for the conservation profession and for science-based conservation policy. It is the grassroots efforts of it's nearly 200 members, who help carry out the Society's mission. The All Oklahoma Chapter provides support for numerous environmental events each year ranging from various technical conferences to the Governor's Water Conference to the Oklahoma Envirothon Contest. The chapter offers college scholarships to upper level college students in Natural Resources related fields.
Contact: Becky Ross, (405) 843.5031 or .
Oklahoma Sustainability Network (OSN)
The Oklahoma Sustainability Network (OSN) serves to connect those concerned about and working towards sustainability in Oklahoma. OSN is a resource for promoting, gathering, distributing, and exchanging environmental information integral to the sustainable future of Oklahoma. OSN sponsors an annual conference, eco film fests, political and educational forums, and an internet resource guide for sustainable purchasing.