About the Masthead Photo

Bison still roam free at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, Oklahoma, providing a unique glimpse into the past of the mixed-grass prairies of the Great Plains. Visitors can easily see the free-ranging bison, as well as elk, Texas longhorns, prairie dogs and burrowing owls. If you're lucky and patient, you might even catch a glimpse of the highly endangered black-capped vireo from the top of Mount Scott, which overlooks the plains.

From prairie chickens to "horny" toads, scissortail flycatchers to elk, the private lands of Western Oklahoma are home to a diversity of unique and interesting wildlife species. Now a new project — the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma — is being developed to take advantage of Oklahoma’s small-town hospitality and showcase the many wildlife species that can be seen. Besides leading people to some of Oklahoma’s prime natural habitats, the Trail also will offer travelers much more than wildlife watching, including Oklahoma’s diverse cultural and historical heritage.

The Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma is an exciting new multi-state project whose sites will consist of federal, state, and privately-owned locations that offer a wide variety of wildlife viewing opportunities and habitats. Support for this project comes from the Western Oklahoma Trail Coalition, representing 28 agencies and organizations, including the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Trail will allow travelers to see wildlife in their natural habitat, while also providing opportunities to communicate important conservation messages for some of the rare and unique species found in the region.

Due to the magnitude and complexity of this project, an effort is now underway to develop a Master Plan that will guide site selection and the future development of the Trail. Fermata Inc., a nature tourism consulting firm specializing in wildlife trail development, is working with the Trail Coalition to develop the Master Plan and to seek public input on the project.

The Trail will take form throughout the region by incorporating people’s suggestions for great places to view wildlife. Individuals, conservation and birding clubs and businesses are invited to: nominate potential sites for inclusion in the new trail or participate in one of the five public meetings that will take place this fall.

Volunteers will be the backbone of the development of this new network of wildlife sites. Wildlife enthusiasts, chambers of commerce, local business owners, town governments, and others are encouraged to not only recommend sites for the trail, but also to adopt sites for on-going maintenance and visitor support such as on-site nature programs.

You, your organization or business can be a part of this effort to launch Oklahoma’s first wildlife trail. We invite you to get involved by attending a stakeholders meeting or nominating your favorite site. For more details, contact the project manager — Mary Jeanne Packer of Fermata — at mjpacker@fermatainc.com.

The sites along the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma will be grouped into four unique loops — one for each of the natural landscapes that cover the area:

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• Western High Plains

• Cimarron Gypsum Hills

• Red Canyon/Granite Hills Prairie

• Mesquite/Shinnery Oak Savanna

Selman Bat Cave Wildlife Management Area

At first glance, this property looks like any other in northwest Oklahoma -- bluffs of white gypsum and red shale towering over sandsage prairie. Certainly attractive in its own right, but nothing overly special. However, as the sun goes down during summer months, a select few are able to experience one of the most unique spectacles in the Southwest.

You see, Selman Bat Cave is inhabited by one million Mexican free-tailed bats. Those are the ones made famous by Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico and the "Bat Bridge" in Austin, Texas. These bats take off by the hundreds and thousands in a spiraling line, filtering out to the countryside to eat an estimated 10 tons of insects every night -- definitely the farmer's friend! The bat emergence takes 30 minutes or more until the skies are filled with black dots as far as you can see.

Both before and after you view this awesome spectacle, you'll learn how the bats are only part of a larger prairie landscape. The biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, who have managed the property since 1996, share additional information on the importance of the bats, as well as the other prairie species you'll encounter.

Getting there

Selman Bat Cave is located near Alabaster Caverns State Park, six miles south of Freedom on SH-50, then one-half mile east on SH-50A. The area is closed to the public except during specific summer bat viewing dates, when a wildlife department biologist will escort people on and off the property. Click Here for more information on the Bat Viewings.

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All photos copyright Ted Lee Eubanks, Jr.

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