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Blake Shelton has been a fixture in Hollywood for the last ten years as a coach on The Voice. And before that, he was and still is a Nashville Country Music Star. But at his core, Blake will always be an Oklahoma boy, and his home state truly has his heart. Blake takes the health of his home state very seriously and has been a fully voting member of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation (OWCF) since 2018.
Blake Shelton shares a sweet memory about wildlife growing up. “When I was 10, my dad took me out in the woods deer hunting with him, and it changed my life forever. Healthy fish and wildlife, and the opportunities to get outdoors, make Oklahoma a special place to live.”
Blake Shelton enjoys the work
Blake took time this weekend to work with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) as they studied the black bear population. The ODWC works with the Oklahoma Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to collect data and track the health of Oklahoma’s bears. The biologists on the team that Blake Shelton assisted have been collecting this research for twenty years. Blake volunteered to be a bear biologist for a day to help the researchers. He was responsible for holding the cubs and keeping them warm as the cub’s data was recorded.
The ODWC finds the cubs by tracking their mothers, who are also study subjects and have been monitored sometimes for years. Researchers measure the cubs’ girth, weight, gender, and distinguishing marks. Then they microchip the babies and return them to their dens and sleeping mothers. Researchers monitor mamma bears and babies to make sure that both are healthy and alert before leaving the vicinity. Blake loved his experience and tweeted that it was “easily one of the coolest experiences of my life,” and others can have the same experience. The ODWC is offering the opportunity to assist researchers as bear cub holders and all the proceeds support conservation efforts.
Other conservation activities
Blake Shelton has participated and sponsored other activities through the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation. Last year in September Blake hosted foster children at his farm in Oklahoma for a fishing trip. This trip was part of the OWCF’s partnership with Fostering Outdoor Oklahoma Families. Fostering Outdoor Oklahoma Families is a program that sponsors activities for foster children and their families to participate in outdoor activities. The OWCF posted pictures of the event on their website and thanked Blake for his generosity. “He and some other wonderful volunteers with ODWC, OKDHS, and OWCF helped teach the kiddos how to fish (and as you see in the pictures, they caught some nice bass).”
Blake has long supported the Oklahoma Wildlife Department, which spurred their director J. D. Strong to ask Shelton if he would be interested in the OWCF. The foundation supports the ODWC in its activities of managing the state’s fish and wildlife habitats and resources. Blake was initially asked to be an honorary member of the board, but Shelton wanted to be more involved. He asked to serve as an active and voting member of the OWCF’s board. The Conservation Commission approved his request in September of 2018.
Shelton spends a good portion of his time outside of Oklahoma for work. But Blake has deep roots and he is loyal to his state. But catch Blake Shelton’s further antics on the next episode of The Voice, which airs March 15.