AROUND THE DEPARTMENT
State Charitable Campaign Team Wrap-up 2023
The ODWC Charitable Team comprised of Amanda Thomas, Heather Del Moral, Joseph McAllister, Josh Richardson, Betsey York, Kenneth Cunningham, Kristen Gillman, and Wade Farrar coordinated a variety of events including “Treat Yourself,” breakfast burrito day, bake sale, egg sale, public land stickers and an online auction.
The Charitable Team raised $6,482 toward its goal of $8,000. A special thank you to everyone who participated and donated.
The Payroll deduction drawing winner was Mark Howery. He was awards a $25.00 gift card to Academy.
If you would like to join the ODWC Charitable Team and coordinate for your neck of the woods please reach out to Kristen Gillman (W) at (405) 420-1579.
Leadership Development Program Level Two Kicks Off New Class
The newest LDP Level Two Class kicked off their two-year leadership journey on October 26 & 27 at a two-day training at the Arcadia CEA. The first day, class members got to know each other and learned all the details of the requirements for the program. The second day was spent learning and practicing Effective Communication Skills.
Wildscape Certifications Wrap Up after Recognizing more than 500 Homeowners.
By Jena Donnell (CE)
The Wildlife Department is suspending the Wildscapes Certification Program, a "backyard habitat" recognition program.
After nearly three decades, the Wildlife Department will no longer officially recognize the habitat improvement efforts of homeowners with its Wildscapes Certification Program.
Throughout the program’s tenure, at least 538 properties in 58 counties were certified as either “wildlife gardens” or “wildlife habitats” depending on the percentage of the property landscaped for wildlife. Applications described the wildscape’s habitat elements, along with the focal species, and plants included in the design. Certificates and outdoor signs were then mailed to successful applicants.
Though the certification program is being suspended due to decreasing interest and applications, the Wildlife Department still encourages the planting of native habitats on private property and will continue to promote the concept of “wildscaping.” A scanned copy of “Landscaping for Wildlife: A Guide to the Southern Great Plains” is available online, and several of the guide’s chapters have been added to the Outdoor Oklahoma Journal. These individual chapters can be shared throughout the seasons in the Wildlife Diversity Program’s e-newsletter, on the homepage of wildlifedepartment.com, and on the Wildlife Department’s social media channels.
Monarch Tagging Recap
"Over the span of four tagging sessions from 09/30-10/03, we managed to tag a total of 204 monarchs (45 female; 159 male). Tammi Schrick, the biological aide at Hackberry Flat, and our volunteers continued to tag monarchs after the events ended to reach our goal of 300. Their efforts increased our number by 95 (39 female; 56 male), which brought our grand total to 299 monarchs tagged and released! I couldn't have done it without all the help from Tammi, our volunteers, and Kelvin. I'm so grateful for them!" --Best, Cheyenne Gonzales (W)
Awards
"Riley Willman (Delaware Co.) won the coveted SEAFWA Game Warden of the Year in Corpus Christi, TX. Riley was recognized for achievements in Oklahoma and went on to compete against 14 other top state and federal officers to bring home the win. This is the first time in 21 years Oklahoma was able to clinch this awesome achievement." -Lt. Joe Alexander, Game Warden Supervisor (LE)
Betsey York (CE) received the Southeastern Directors Special Recognition Award at SEAFWA for her exemplary efforts to coordinate human dimensions research and surveys, and to foster public participation, communication and accountability within the ODWC. She not only snagged the award but also got a hilarious surprise of photos from her colleagues after leaving her phone unattended on the banquet table, LOL!
Jennifer Benge (CE) received the 2023 SEAFWA Diversity and Inclusion Award Gold Award for outreach initiatives leading to increased angling participation in Hispanic communities.
"Huge congratulations to Blake Podhajksy (CE) for winning two different awards at this year's conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Both were for his outstanding work showcasing the "Spark" lit by Todd in helping Emily get her first turkey. First place in the Family Participation / Youth Outdoor Education category and second for the Hunting or Shooting Sports category. Well done Blake, you are setting the bar high for your colleagues around the nation." -Micah Holmes (CE)
WMA Updates
A New Way to Update WMA FAQS
If you have FAQs to add to the website regarding your WMA please fill out the form below and Kara Garner (CE) will get your updates on the website. You can also find this form by going to the TOAD > Wildlife > Wildlife Forms/Report.
Kaw WMA Shooting Range Ribbon Cutting
ODWC staff celebrated the opening of Kaw WMA shooting range along with various partners, NGO's, commissioners, state representatives, local law enforcement, contractors, etc. -Amanda Thomas (CE)
Click the button below for a good story on PBS News about shooting sports exploding in popularity among young people.
Two Southwest Region WMAs Join Wildlife Tracking Network
Biologists and wildlife enthusiasts can now opportunistically track some of the animals visiting Hackberry Flat and Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Areas thanks to the installation of Motus Wildlife Tracking System receivers at the areas’ respective headquarters.
The automated telemetry system will detect any animal tagged with a Motus transmitter that passes within about 25 miles of the receiver. More than 43,000 animals of 334 species have been tagged by researchers around the world since the system was launched in 2012.
“With Motus, we’ll be able to monitor biology in a broad spectrum,” said Ron Smith, Southwest Region supervisor. “I think this will be a really good tool for us to make management decisions, but anyone with an interest in biology can look online and see where the tagged animals are moving.”
The system’s eight-antenna arrays were installed by University of Oklahoma assistant professor Jeremy Ross at Hackberry Flat on Oct. 10 and at Sandy Sanders on Oct. 11. Support poles from Hackberry’s days of cellular Wi-Fi and from a television antenna at Sandy Sanders were recycled for the project. The antenna arrays were moved from the southwestern border of the Panhandle where they had been used to track songbird migration.
“This will be another cartridge in our belt,” said Kelvin Schoonover, wildlife biologist at Hackberry Flat WMA. “At Hackberry, we’re relying on our eyesight to know which species are here. As more and more tags are put on more and more species, it will be interesting to see what else is moving through the area.”
Through an authorization letter, Ross is covering the operating cost of the receiver while the Wildlife Department is allowing access to Wi-Fi and an electrical outlet at each area. The detections are freely displayed on an online dashboard.
Early Results: The receiver at Sandy Sanders WMA made its first detections after a little more than two weeks – a Sprague’s pipit that had been tagged in mid-July in Montana by Jeremy Ross and the University of Oklahoma was detected on Oct. 27, and a Mexican free-tailed bat that had been tagged in mid-September at Selman Bat Cave WMA by a second University of Oklahoma research team, led by Daniel Becker, was detected on the same day. Researchers later relabeled the tower under a different project, and the early sightings are no longer easily found on the Motus dashboard. The receiver at Hackberry Flat WMA made its first detections in early November, with one detection showing a connection between Hackberry Flat and Sandy Sanders WMAs. The Sprague’s pipit detected at Sandy Sanders on Oct. 27 was detected at Hackberry Flat on Nov. 4. A second Sprague’s pipit, also tagged in mid-July in Montana by Ross and the University of Oklahoma was detected at Hackberry on Nov. 3.
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System has been featured in two recent Outdoor Oklahoma Journal entries. Click to read more about the system's mechanics and a Mexican free-tailed bat project utilizing the technology.
Shout Outs
Riley Willman (LE) and Austin Jackson (LE) received sweet thank you notes after visiting a Moseley elementary school for a skins and skulls presentation and a Q&A session.
"Dear Col. Erdman: The Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) would like to thank you for offering the presence of your staff at our 2023 auction(s). ODWC Game Wardens are always courteous and add an extra layer of safety for all who attend our annual auctions. We look forward to seeing you next year! Thank you again for your time and for your service." Sincerely, Grace Riley, Real Estate Management Division, Commissioners of the Land Office
"Nathan and team: Thank you for pursuing the case against the whooping cranes. I know it takes a lot of resources, emotional energy, and also personal risk to pursue something like this. Thank you for protecting our natural resources and for rejuvenating those of us who had lost some faith in the system." Apryle Craig (she/her) PhD Candidate, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington 970-443-7841
Click the button below to read more about the Whooping Cranes story
"Lance Meek worked to hire an interpreter for a kiddo who was attending Brian Meskimen's hunter ed class in October. They received this sweet thank you email from the parent. 'Just wanted to drop you a big thank you for all your help getting Jameson the assistance he needed to accomplish his quest. He had an awesome time and now I have a 10-year-old that's walking on cloud 9. The class was great, and the interpreters were the best. Looking forward to spending time outdoors with yet another outdoor partner.'" - Garry Kohout
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Farewells
District 8 celebrated two very special game wardens September 23 at John Groendyke's lodge in Enid. Mark Reichenberger's career spanned 9/1/1989 to 9/30/2023 (34 years); Max Crocker's career spanned 10/19/1992 to 10/31/2023 (31 years).
"Let's see what I can say about these two guys: Here is just a little bit. Mark grew up in Alva and as a little lad he was shooting at the new cars in the railroad cars as they would go by his house. Max, on the other hand, grew up in Beaver County, as a little lad he was shooting prairie dogs with a recurve bow. Both of them had to take a new young warden and train him not only in the fine art of being a game warden but also in the art of dealing with folks in western Oklahoma. These guys were my mentors, trainers, work partners, heroes, but most of all my friends. I can't start to guess how many hours I have spent riding with them over the years from patrols, to meetings, to overnight quals with late night poker games, to driving to EXPO. They were always there for me, no matter what. I cannot express how grateful I am to both of them for their friendship and patience with me. The Department will not be the same place without the two of these rockstar wardens. I know Max & Mark will both have lots of hunts to go on and grandbabies to spoil. The most troublesome thing about them leaving is that Mark will have days to plot and scheme his pranks on all of us in the future (Stephen Paul better watch out). One last note, if one day you are out and about with Mark, always make sure he has his wallet with him before going to eat lunch!" -Col. Nathan Erdman Chief (LE)
"Both are a wealth of outdoor knowledge that will be missed at work. Both plan to spend time with their families and spoil their grandchildren every chance they get." -Capt. Ben Bickerstaff, Game Warden Supervisor (LE)
Curtis Latham was honored by District 4 wardens on Oct. 27 for his remarkable 33 years of service to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Latham began his journey in 1990 as a technician in the Game Division before transitioning into the role of a Game Warden for Cotton County in 1992. For five years, he served both the citizens and wildlife of Cotton County before transferring to Johnston County in 1997, where he continued his commitment until his retirement. Throughout his career, Latham also provided assistance to wardens in Marshall, Pontotoc, Carter, and Coal counties. His dedication to his job earned him the prestigious title of Game Warden of the Year in 2002. As Warden Latham embarks on a new chapter in his life, we extend our heartfelt congratulations on his career and wish him nothing but happiness and tranquility in his retirement." -Tom Cartwright and Billy Bob Walker (LE)
Captain Jeff Brown received a special tribute from the District 1 wardens on Oct. 7 in recognition of his incredible 33 years of dedication to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
"Captain Jeff Brown began his career with ODWC in 1985 as a Game Ranger stationed in Dewey Co. He would later transfer to Nowata Co. where he would spend the majority of his career forging his legendary status as not only a good Game Warden but an outstanding Supervisor and District Chief. For 38 years, Jeff served the sportsmen & citizens of this great state. We will all miss him dearly and wish him the best in his retirement." -Lt. Joe Alexander Game Warden Supervisor (LE)
The HR Corner is a section in the WOG where HR shares tips, tricks, reminders, etc. for all things related to Human Resources. This month covers timesheet deadlines and upcoming events."
Deadlines
NOVEMBER TIMESHEET DEADLINES: All employees (full-time and part-time) must have all November hours entered and submitted by noon on Friday, December 1, 2023. All supervisors must have all timesheets reviewed and approved by end of day on Friday, December 1, 2023
TimeKeeping Tips
- NOVEMBER HOLIDAYS: Don't forget that November 10, 23, and 24 are state holidays. State holidays are automatically loaded in Workday and will show 8 hours of HOLPP_holiday. If your timesheet does not have this system-generated entry, contact HR.
- If you work on the holiday, enter "Regular hours" which will replace the system-generated holiday entry and you will automatically accrue "Holiday Comp" hours.
- Employees on a flex schedule may need to workweek adjust during a week with a holiday. Contact HR if you have questions.
- Do not enter and submit your time in advance (i.e. do not enter time for the entire month during the first or second week). While we appreciate your effort to plan ahead, doing so will result in Workday generating a zero-dollar ($0.00) check for you. Explanation: When you make an entry in your Workday timesheet and submit it, the “scheduled” time block that is preloaded by the system is replaced. If you enter and submit your time in advance but your supervisor doesn’t approve it, the payroll process will generate a zero-dollar check. The payroll process doesn’t “see” your unapproved time entries or the “scheduled” time blocks that were replaced. As a result, Workday assumes you had no time entries and pays you accordingly - $0.00.
Contacting HR Staff
- Although we love you guys, our phones are not a call center with someone waiting eagerly to take your call. (Although we want to!) Sometimes we are on another call, away from our desk, in a meeting, or if lucky, taking a well-deserved day off work.
- If we do not pick up when you call, please leave a detailed voicemail or better yet, send us an email so all have a record of your contact.
ODWC Retirement Seminar Recordings
- Both the Defined Benefit Retirement Seminar and the Defined Contribution Retirement Seminars are now available for viewing via Workday Learn. Click on the buttons below to enroll and view:
Retirees
- You must notify HR if you make any changes to your insurance. OMES will tell you the change happens automatically but that is not the case for us because we are on our own retirement plan.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Different Together While Making a Difference
By Jamie Green, Human Resource Management Specialist
This is a recurring new Diversity section of the WOG where I will share all things related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Implicit Bias……What Is It and How to Combat It
When was the last time a stereotype popped into your mind? If you are like most people, it happens all the time. It doesn’t make you a racist, or sexist. You just happen to notice patterns and make a generalization. This type of bias is called implicit bias. It sets people up to overgeneralize, sometimes leading to discrimination even when people feel they are being fair. These types of biases operate almost entirely on an unconscious level.
Social conditioning plays a role in implicit biases. They can be influenced by experiences, although some may not be the result of direct personal experiences. Cultural conditioning, media portrayals, and upbringing can all contribute to the implicit associations that people form about the members of other social groups.
Examples of Implicit Bias in the workplace include:
- Prove it again - unconventional candidates going through extra hoops for a position
- Tightrope - encourages marginalized groups to behave a certain way
- Maternity Wall - Soon to be moms are no longer focused on their careers
- Discounted Success - assuming that the success of one member in a group is due to an affirmative action program
- Weight of the World - when an individual is singled out to say a few words or take photos because they are a member of a certain group.
The impact of implicit bias can be reduced by focusing on seeing people as individuals, working consciously on changing your stereotypes, taking time to pause and reflect, adjusting your perspective, increasing your exposure and practicing being mindful.
These types of biases can be troubling, but they are not set in stone. If you do hold unconscious biases against other groups of people, it is possible to adopt new attitudes, even on the unconscious level. It won’t be a quick or easy process, but being aware of the existence of the biases is a good place to start making a change.
It's National Native American Heritage Month! Three Sisters Soup is a delicious harvest soup made with the nourishing trio of corn, squash, and beans. This authentic Native American soup is a family favorite that you can make this fall!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups diced summer or winter squash (fresh or frozen)
- 1 1/2 cups corn (fresh or frozen) or a 15-oz can (drained and rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked beans (any type) or a 15-oz can (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes or 2 cups diced fresh
- 3 cups low-sodium broth (any type)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- 1. Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add carrot and onion and saute until onions have begun to turn slightly brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- 2. Add garlic, squash and corn and continue to stir for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- 3. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, cumin and pepper.
- 4. Allow soup to come to a boil and then turn heat down to a simmer until all vegetables are tender to taste (15 to 30 minutes, depending on the vegetables used).
You can look forward to different topics each month in the WOG, the DEI calendar of monthly information, as well as information on the development of our DEI training program, with courses that will be available to attend in the future. I welcome your feedback, and if you would like to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion or if you have ideas or suggestions for the program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jamie.green@odwc.ok.gov or (405) 522-1453.
Director's Report
November Commission Meeting
Highlights from the November Commission as well as a link to read the meeting summary are below.
Photos Afield
Gunnison Rockwell (Age 8) with his archery doe! (Son of Jason Rockwell WL)
Retired Law Enforcement Chief Robert Fleenor's grandson Grandson, Ryne Leach, 13, who is an 8th-grader at Glenpool Middle School harvested an eight-point buck the opening day of youth deer gun season. He enjoyed a celebratory root beer in an ice-cold mug after the hunt! Now that is a great way to celebrate! Congrats, Ryne!
"Here are a bunch of pictures from the last few deer gun seasons. These are from the youth deer season event hosted by Unlimited Outdoor Adventures Foundation. This is a non-profit organization I'm involved with that creates outdoor opportunities for youth with limitations like terminal illnesses etc. This year we had 14 kids that all harvested at least one deer; most harvested a buck and doe. For a majority of our kids these were their first deer, and for a few it was their first time shooting a firearm." -Marcus Thibodeau (W)
To learn more about this organization click the button below.
Tentober 2023: The city of Edmond Parks department held their annual Tentober event at Mitch Park during fall break. This event introduces families to camping and outdoor activities and takes place around the Mitch Park fishing pond and amphitheater. Darrin Hill, scoutmaster for Scout Troop 77, ran a fishing clinic. Families caught their very first fish, ate s'mores, camped in tents, and went on a nature hike.. Attendance was marked at 250 at this annual event.
Women on the Wing
The pictures below are from a STEP program for the Bluestem Quail Forever Chapter's Women on the Wing Group. District 1 Game Wardens Travis Garrett, Jason Adair, Larry Green, and Lt. Joe Alexander were on hand to teach these new wing shooters.
- BAKER, MICHAEL 11/24
- BEATTY, KARLA 11/22
- BROWN, JEFF 11/6
- CARROLL, MIKE 11/25
- CARTER, JOHN 11/17
- CUNNINGHAM, KENNETH 11/24
- DAVENPORT, JOHN 11/13
- FLYNN, JAYLEN 11/4
- GAINER, COLBY 11/21
- GREEN, JAMIE 11/12
- HARLEY, GARRET 11/13
- HOLMES, MICAH 11/18
- HOWERY, MARK 11/10
- HURST, RHONDA 11/4
- KEMPH, RYAN 11/2
- MAGBY, BRADLEY 11/18
- PEARSON, BLAKE 11/20
- POTTS, THAD 11/2
- REID, MONTE 11/17
- RODGER, ANTHONY 11/28
- SHIMP, LOGAN 11/29
- SMITH, DAVID 11/2
- SMITH, PAXTON 11/27
- SNOW, RICHARD 11/14
- ST YVES, SKYLAR 11/10
- STOUT, TREAGER 11/2
- WILSON, EDDIE 11/20
- WORDEN, ANN 11/13
- WRIGHT, TYLER 11/17
October Personnel Action Items
Promotions
- Doug Zentner – Fisheries Biologist to Central Regional Supervisor, 10/1/23
- Heather Del Moral – Administrative Assistant to C&E Technician, 10/15/23
Transfers
Seth Bennett – Wildlife Technician to Hatchery Technician, Durant SFH, 10/1/23
Retirements
- Max Crocker – Game Warden Supervisor, District 8, 10/31/23
- Curtis Latham – Johnston County Game Warden, 10/31/2023
Reelin' in the Years
- ADAIR, JASON 13
- BADLEY, JASON 7
- CARPENTER, CLINT 25
- COFFEY, ANDREW 4
- COTTRILL, BLAKE 13
- CREWS, ANDREA 27
- FARQUHAR, COLBY 13
- FIELDER, ZACK 2
- HENSLEY, MATTHEW 20
- HICKS, BRAYDEN 7
- KESTER, NATHANIEL 10
- MARROW, VERLIN 14
- MATTIODA, MATTHEW 13
- MCCANDLESS, JACOB M 4
- MULLINS, KIMBERLY 9
- PLUNKETT, MIKE 42
- ST YVES, TAMMY 11
- TAYLOR, MICHAEL 7
- THOMPSON, BRETT 13
- WRIGHT, TYLER 28
- APPLING-POOLER, CATHERINE 1