Greetings Friends of Oklahoma's Conservation History,

The Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society is starting its seventh year of operation in 2024. In the first six years we have accomplished a great deal in carrying out our mission " to collect, preserve and share Oklahoma's rich conservation history". We are most appreciative of the support we have received from our present and past members. As a new organization with no paid staff, we are dependent on volunteers to manage our projects. We also depend on annual membership dues and grants to fund our projects. We appreciate our partnerships with the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission that have contributed to our successes to date. We also enjoy an excellent working relationship with the Oklahoma Historical Society and their staff. We have now received three grants through their Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.

OCHS President Ben Pollard gives a presentation on Oklahoma conservation history to Conservation District leaders at the Oklahoma Historical Society, April 2022.

Below you will find a report highlighting our accomplishments in 2023. Of note, we completed a first-class, museum quality photo exhibit in 2023 that highlights Oklahoma's conservation history from the Dust Bowl up to the 1980s. The exhibit is currently on display in the Atrium at the Oklahoma Agriculture Building. We will have it set up at the OACD state meeting at the end of the month and would encourage you to come take a look. The exhibit will be available for check out to conservation districts to display at local or regional museums.

The OCHS Conservation History Photography Exhibit on display in the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Building in Oklahoma City, January 2023.

In conjunction with the upcoming OACD state meeting, we will be holding our annual meeting of the Society. It is scheduled for Sunday, February 25 at 1:00 PM at the Embassy Suites Hotel at 3233 Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City. The annual meeting provides an opportunity for members to provide input to the board about our past and current projects and make suggestions for future projects. We will also be electing three board members at the meeting. Please plan to join us at the annual meeting.

OCHS members and supporters pictured at the 2023 annual meeting held in conjunction with the OACD state meeting, February 2023.

Our 2024 membership drive is ongoing. The funds generated by memberships are used to match the grants we have received as well as funding some projects in full. So, your continued support is needed to keep the momentum of the past six years going. Please consider joining or donating through our website. We hope you will consider being a member of the Oklahoma Conservations Historical Society in 2024. We appreciate your support.

Thank you.

Ben Pollard, President

Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society

OKLAHOMA CONSERVATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY

2023 HIGHLIGHTS

The Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society completed its sixth year of operation in 2023. Work was completed on several projects helping to meet our mission “to collect, preserve and share Oklahoma’s rich conservation history.” Here are the highlights of the work accomplished in 2023.

Conservation History Photography Exhibit. A grant for $4924 was received from the Oklahoma Historical Society to create a mobile exhibit on Oklahoma’s conservation history. The exhibit titled “Helping People Help the Land” features photographs from our collection at the Oklahoma Historical Society and describes Oklahoma’s conservation history from the Dust Bowl up to the 1980s. It is a museum quality exhibit consisting of five free standing panels (8 feet by 3 feet) designed to be easily transported for use by conservation districts and regional museums around the state.

NRCS Conservation History Agreement. Over the past five years in partnership with NRCS and OACD we have completed three significant projects. First, in cooperation with Oklahoma State University’s Oral History Research Program, 50 oral histories of Oklahoma conservationists have been completed. These oral histories are archived and can be accessed on the OSU Library’s website: https://library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/digital/. Second, working with the Oklahoma Historical Society, a conservation history photo collection was established on their Gateway to Oklahoma History website. The collection is made up of black and white conservation photos primarily from the 1930s through the 1960s. Photos were provided by Conservation Districts and the NRCS. The photos are digitized and labeled and posted to the website. The original photos are permanently archived at the Oklahoma History Center. To date around 10,000 photos are in the collection. The photos may be accessed at: http://gateway.okhistory.org/explore/collections/OKCHS. Additional photographs are still being processed by the Oklahoma Historical Society to be added in 2024. Third, this agreement supports our effort to provide training and education about Oklahoma’s conservation history. Materials for training were prepared and board members shared information on Oklahoma’s conservation history at this year’s OACD area meetings.

New Projects. We are working in partnership again with NRCS and OACD through an agreement that provides for four additional oral histories. Interviews on the four were completed in 2023 and will be added to the collection in 2024. We also worked on four new conservation pop up banners to add to the five we currently have. These banners will be available to conservation districts for local events. This agreement also provides resources for additional conservation history training. Finally, OCHS made a successful grant application in 2023 to the Oklahoma Historical Society that provides $16,650 in funding in 2024 to improve our website, develop a brand, and enhance our social media presence. Our website can be accessed at: https://www.oklahomaconservationhistory.org.

Organization and Membership. The Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We have a nine-member board of directors. Our 2023 board members were:

Ben Pollard, President Ed Casey, Member

Stan Rice, Vice President Fredia Rice, Member

Larry Caldwell, Secretary-Treasurer Patti, Christian, Member

Kim Farber, Member Harry Fritzler, Member

Sam Stalcup, Member

Our organization is dependent on funding from our annual memberships and from grant funds. We do not employ a staff. So, our projects are managed by our volunteers. We are proud of the work we have done in our six years of operation “to collect, preserve and share Oklahoma’s rich conservation history.” We invite you to join in 2024 to continue our mission. You may join by mailing the membership form or joining on-line through our website.