COWETA – Weather conditions on Thursday, Oct. 9 could not have been more perfect for a stroll outside to learn more about the plant species found on the Mvskoke Reservation. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Conservation District held their annual Plant ID Field Day where citizens were invited to go on a walk in a field filled with hundreds of plant species. This year’s location was at Rick’s Place, a wedding venue located on the northeast corner of the reservation. The event was hosted in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
The walk was guided by Oklahoma Conservation Commission Rangeland Specialist Blane Stacy who works in the department’s soil program. Stacy leads nature walks for the annual event, including one held in Okmulgee in 2022. According to Stacy, the fields at Rick’s Place could have contained anywhere from 150-200 different species.
“Everybody’s got an opportunity to come and appreciate the natural world. Whether you’re a cattleman trying to produce livestock, whether you’re looking for additions for your butterfly garden and everything inbetween.” – Blane Stacy
“This is probably one of the most pristine, intact native prairies I have seen in a very long time,” Stacy said. “We got the opportunity to come out here to visit, evaluate plants to identify them but also to learn about their significance for agriculture, significance for cultural or historic reasons and to look at some pretty flowers.”
Stacy’s favorite part about leading nature walks is sharing knowledge and encouraging others to explore the natural world. He especially appreciates anyone who will lend an attentive ear to learn about ecology and agriculture. Stacy’s department also holds workshops for grazing cattle management, restoring ecosystems, and prescribed burns.
According to MCN Conservationist Julie Norem, Rick’s Place was selected due to a mutual connection between one of the MCN Conservation Commission board members and the owner. This location was located further north on the reservation compared to previous years.
Norem enjoys these events because it allows her to be outside and learn about new plants. She specifically picks flowers for bouquets that are identified along the walks. Norem said she plans to display the plants in her office for education and engagement.
“The last couple years I’ve collected all the ones (plant species) that we have actually looked at or talked about,” Norem said. “When we have things like that in the office people ask about it. We can talk to them about different plants and what we learned about them as we were out here at the Plant ID.”
After guiding many different walks at different areas of the Mvskoke reservation, Stacy has concluded that its ecosystem is a unique one.
“The Creek Nation covers such a vast area with a lot of different eco types. We could run in any direction and run into a different ecological community. The location we’re at today (Rick’s Place) is more endemic of a native tall grass prairie. We could do the same event in a different location next year and run into a completely different plant community.”
A location for next year’s Plant ID Field Day has not been announced, yet Norem hinted that a possible location in Okmulgee county has been scouted.
To stay up to date on the Conservation District’s programming, visit their Facebook page, Muscogee Nation Conservation District.
