Karen Keith Board of Director | Oklahoma Historical Society
Karen Keith Board of Director | Oklahoma Historical Society
The Fort Towson Historic Site in Oklahoma is organizing a “Spring Fling” event scheduled for April 26. The festivities will commence at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Activities include a children’s map-making workshop, a lecture on Thomas Nuttall, a picnic, and a guided nature walk. The event is free and open to everyone, though participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and to prepare for a gentle-paced walk.
The day begins with a map-making session for children. This activity, starting at 10 a.m., allows young people to learn map-making—the skill explorers like Thomas Nuttall used to document their journeys using simple materials.
The program continues with a lecture at 11 a.m. focusing on Thomas Nuttall, who chronicled environmental changes from the time he left Philadelphia in 1818 until 1832. His records of the ecosystem in the Fort Towson area include references to wolves, bison, and other wildlife from that era.
Visitors will pause for a picnic on the site’s grounds at noon. Fort Towson Historic Site is equipped with a pavilion and several picnic tables for the occasion.
At 1 p.m., attendees can join a nature walk led by Dr. Steven Patterson and Jona Tucker. This walk will explore the evolution of the ecosystem since Nuttall’s time and cover native flora and fauna of the period. Dr. Patterson is an expert in wetland restoration and enhancement, while Jona Tucker is an environmental planner with the U.S. Forest Reserve in the Oklahoma Ranger District.
For additional details, contact the Fort Towson Historic Site at 580-873-2634 or email fttowson@history.ok.gov. The site is located at 896 N. 4375 Rd. in Fort Towson and is managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society. The OHS is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history and culture of Oklahoma. Information about the society can be accessed at www.okhistory.org.
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