In December 2006 there were one hundred twenty-eight (128) participants who took part in our Environmental Education Programs. Some of the programs the EE Section presented in December were: a program for forty-one (41) members of the Edmond High School Environmental “SUN CLUB”, where Endangered Species, Medicinal & Edible Plants, and the cycling of nutrients were discussed; Three presentations for sixty-seven (67) International students from Singapore. These students are attending Oklahoma City University and always show great interest, appreciation, and respect for these Wichita Mountains. Some of the topics discussed were Bison ecology, native prairie grasses, and the Black-tailed prairie dog as a keystone species; Two presentations for twenty (20) new Treasure Lake Job Corps students; The EE Section also continued their participation with Blue Thumb taking part in a Data Interpretation Seminar held at the Agriculture Building in Oklahoma City and by performing water test at three sites located within the refuge. Blue Thumb is the primary education vehicle of the Oklahoma Conservation Commissions Water Quality Division. We also continued our participation with Water Watch of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board by performing test on water samples form Elmer Thomas Lake.     

The final two elk hunts were completed on the Refuge during the month of December.  The December 4-7 elk hunt had a total participation of 65 hunters with 45 elk being removed for a 69 percent success rate.  The second hunt on December 11 – 14 had a total of 66 hunters with 43 animals being harvested for a 65 percent success rate.  A total of 130 elk were harvested from the Refuge during the three elk hunts in November and December.  The annual hunt, a cooperative effort between the Refuge and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), is used as a tool for managing elk populations in the Wichita Mountains NWR.

Refuge visitation for December, 2006:  77,723