Familes, start your engines. Springtime in Oklahoma is a great time to get outside and explore our state parks. Two state agencies, Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, teamed up to offer Explore the Outdoors. Each of the four free family events is held at different Oklahoma state parks, with the idea that getting children and their families into nature is a healthy experience for everyone.
“It’s just an awesome program,” said Dan Schiedel, OETA executive director. “We have families, grandparents, teachers and kids attend, and there are obstacle courses, prize stations around the park, nature hikes, storytelling with Al Bostick, a free performance by the Sugar Free All Stars, and all of it ties back to the classroom, so it’s fun and a learning experience.”
Program partnerships
Oklahoma State Parks director Kris Marek said she is excited about partnering with OETA for the event’s third year.“By working together, we achieve our goal to educate families about our natural resources and encourage youth to get outside and discover the state parks and the benefits of being outdoors,” Marek said.
The project is supported in part by a grant from the State Department of Education. Schiedel said Explore the Outdoors’ future might be in jeopardy because of the state’s sizable budget shortfall.
“We may need to find private funding to keep this fantastic program going next year,” he said.
But for this year, all is well. The first event is April 16 at Roman Nose State Park, 3236 S. Highway 8A, in Watonga. Next up is April 23 at Sequoyah State Park in Hulbert, followed by April 30 at Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton. The final installation of Explore the Outdoors is May 7 at Lake Murray State Park in Ardmore. Each event runs 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch is provided, and Schiedel mans the grill to cook hotdogs for everyone.
Hundreds of people have attended past events, and hundreds are expected at each park this year, organizers said. Explore the Outdoors events registration is free, but required. Find information, a schedule of events and park directions at oeta.tv.
“We have costumed characters from popular PBS shows, and when the Sugar Free All Stars play, kids get up and dance,” Schiedel said. “It’s a really great day, and it is a part of OETA’s educational services department.”
Print headline: Parks picnic, OETA and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department team up to encourage families to visit state parks.
This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2016.