Over the past year Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge has been working to grow its volunteer program with a focus on expanding our capacity to provide visitor services.  Beginning in September the refuge volunteers began taking visitors on weekend interpretive hikes and van tours leaving from the Visitor Center.  These new activities have been well received by participating visitors.  Other visitor services activities which took place during August include:  the LaSill Optimists Fishing Derby; Volunteer orientation for new volunteers and Refuge Friends;  several environmental education programs with local Boys and Girls clubs; Blue Thumb Water Quality Summit; Duncan Water Garden Society presentation; and the Rose State College continuing education tour.  The Refuge Visitor Center hosted 9,343 visitors in August which was an increase in visitation from the prior four years by over 2,000 visitors! 

Wichita Mountains conducted the 2007 longhorn roundup, the auction will be held at noon, September 20^th , 2007.

Throughout the Month of August the Oklahoma Fire District and Wichita Mountains detailed a total of seven staff to large fire incidents.

Total visitation, refuge-wide for August, 2007 was 125,943.