Heat Restrictions Lifted

U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

FWS News Release: The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) issued a Heat Advisory on July 9, 2020, as a result of seasonally hot weather conditions coupled with a series of increasingly complex search and rescue operations for hikes with heat exhaustion. Effective July 20, 2020, the Refuge is lifting those restrictions. Wichita Mountains is open…

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FOW Presidential Ponderings

Wildflowers in full bloom late spring - Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - by Teri Simonton

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we live our lives. Work has changed, school has changed, social interactions have changed, and the very livelihood of so many of our family, friends and neighbors has been affected. Our world has been upended. The Wichita Mountains NWR has had to adjust and initiate changes, as…

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Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Campgrounds and Other Services Remain Suspended

Hiking Trails - Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Oklahoma – The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced the temporary suspension of campground operations and other visitor services at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge on March 20. These suspensions and closures remain in effect. Managers at the Refuge are actively working to develop a phased approach to restore these services; however, the health and safety…

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Refuge Announces Temporary Suspension of Visitor Center

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

In keeping with guidance from the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and acting out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily suspending operations of the Visitor Center at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. We are committed to doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure…

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Mt Scott Roadway Reopened

Mt Scott Road Construction Completed - Open Dec 2020 - Photo O. Plumlee

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge announced the reopening of the Mt. Scott Roadway on December 20, 2019. Contractors worked hard for the last year to complete stabilization of the historic road-way and its drainage structures. Refuge staff and volunteers supported the effort by provid-ing additional clearing of brush and…

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Ferguson House Renovations Completed

Ferguson House Renovation Completed - Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - YouTube Video Poster by NatureLover

The Ferguson House restoration is finally done!! Thank you to all of our donors and volunteers who make this project a reality. Check out the news story with full photos and video by KSWO reviewing the renovations and featuring Bobby Williamson.  Check out our in progress story about the history of the Ferguson House. You…

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Pivotal Year for Our Natural World – Presidential Ponderings

More and more studies are documenting the physical, psychological and emotion-al benefits of spending time outdoors in nature. Florence Williams’s The Nature Fix “Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative” looks at some of those studies and showcases what cultures around the world are doing to increase not only time in the outdoors,…

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Ferguson House Update

Ferguson House Reconstruction Underway, Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge - Photo by Jim Meyer

According to Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a creature that is reborn from its ashes. The Ferguson House is the Refuge’s Phoenix. After a long, somewhat arduous, 6-year journey, The Friends of the Wichitas is very proud that the reconstruction of The Ferguson House has finally begun. If you are not familiar with the story we…

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