Spiders are a seriously misunderstood, feared, and understudied group of invertebrates. Did you know that some species of spiders are considered to be pollinators? How about that spiders can be found on every continent, except Antarctica?
Join us at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area for a morning crawling with spiders. The event will start off in our classroom in the William H. “Bill” Crawford Building, where you will hear from biologists on all thing’s spiders! You will learn about spider biology, their importance, and how to identify common spiders of Oklahoma. The second half of this event is optional, but encouraged and will take place outside the classroom. We will search for and capture spiders for close inspection and use iNaturalist to catalog all individuals observed. Come discover why spiders might not be as scary as you think!
Please meet at the William H. “Bill” Crawford Building at 10:00 AM.
While searching for spiders, we will be using iNaturalist to catalog all individuals captured. This will help biologists develop a list of species present on the area. Devices are not required, but attendees are welcomed to download the app prior to the event to become familiar with the features. If you would like to add observations to our iNaturalist project, you will need to join here. Before the event we will go over how to properly use iNaturalist and upload observations to the Hackberry Flat WMA Observations project.
Please wear weather appropriate clothing and closed-toed shoes. Hackberry Flat typically experiences windy conditions, so please be prepared for this. A hat and sunscreen are recommended, as the area has very little shade. Bring plenty of water.
Disclaimers:
*Online registration is required for this event.
*Participants must be at least 8 years old.
*Registration for the event will close when the participant count reaches 20.
*No pets allowed.
*This event is weather dependent
Please expect an email from Cheyenne Gonzales the day before the event regarding weather conditions and expectations! If weather conditions are looking unfavorable, a cancellation email will be sent out to attendees. We will have a back-up date if needed.
Directions to the Event
To get to the William H. “Bill” Crawford Building, from the south side of Frederick, take U.S. 183 south for one mile, then go east on Airport Road for three miles. Follow the blacktop road south and continue six miles. Watch for signs. (Coordinates for the building are 34.277642, -98.963945.)
*In Google Maps, type in 'William H. “Bill” Crawford Building' and this will take you directly to the event location. The building was originally listed as 'Hackberry Flats Center,' so please use this name if you cannot locate 'William H. “Bill” Crawford Building' in Google Maps.
*Please do not select 'Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area' in Google Maps, as this will take you into the WMA and not to the William H. “Bill” Crawford Building.
Photo provided by Stephen Ofsthun.