CONSIDER THE BENEFITS
Newest OKFB member benefit is otterly amazing Less than a mile from the entrance of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near Lawton lies a unique facility filled with family fun for all ages.
rom playful otters to swift coyotes, bring your family to the Medicine Park Aquarium & Natural Sciences Center in Medicine Park, Oklahoma, for a day of family fun. Our newest benefit offers Oklahoma Farm Bureau members 10% off a daily admission or 10% off your family or individual annual membership. This unique ecotourism attraction, located at the base of the Wichita Mountains, is home to more than 90 native and nonnative species with a mission of bringing people, science and nature together in a fun and interactive experience for all ages. Within the 10,000-square-foot facility, visitors can view an electric eel feeding show, see Moby — the largest blue catfish in captivity — and learn about an array of other creatures lurking within Oklahoma’s hills, plains, lakes and rivers. The aquarium also features several non-native exhibits, including the Joyce family octopus, tide pool and touch tank exhibit which allows visitors to explore urchins, horse conches, starfish and other marine creatures. Visitors can now stroll through the recently opened Bobcat Bungalow and Coyote Corner, made possible with the generous help of the Dollar-Janosko family. “We’ve had several people tell us that though they have
seen coyotes all their lives from a distance, they never really appreciated how beautiful they are until they get an up close view of Moriah, our blue-eyed coyote,” said Doug Kemper, Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences executive director. “These new exhibits are a big step forward in developing our native wildlife zoo, which also features a walkthrough aviary where visitors can feed and view northern bobwhite quail and our North American river otter habitat.” The center itself sits less than a quarter mile from the entrance of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Adjacent to the center is a six-acre botanical garden featuring many plants native to the area. As Oklahoma’s very first resort town, Medicine Park has been offering visitors hospitality since 1908. Overnight accommodations are plentiful with the Plantation Inn and many cabin rentals to choose from. Visitors can dine and shop while strolling along picturesque Medicine Creek, which feeds Bath Lake, a popular family swimming hole right in the center of town. To learn more about Medicine Park Aquarium & Natural Sciences Center and other OKFB member benefits, visit okfarmbureau.org/benefits. Fall 2020 — 11