Don Culwell, Janet Miron, Bob Hartmann and Don Richardson of the SFNC Board met with Clint Johnson from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Mike Cagle from the Arkansas Forestry Commission, Joe Krystofik from the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and Joy DeClerk of The Nature Conservancy to talk about a plan for the management of the forestry resources of the Center. We discussed that we wanted to have a forest that was representative of the native species common to the area to use as a teaching tool in our conservation outreach. Clint Johnson volunteered to write a first draft of a plan for the Board to consider.
10am Saturday, May 13: “A Walk in the Woods” photography event, hosted by docent Dr. Don Culwell
Bring any camera or cell phone and join Don to photograph life along South Fork’s Trails. Submit your best pictures of nature as you see it for our photo contest. Winning photos will be posted on our website and displayed in Clinton at a site to be announced. All ages are encouraged to participate. You don’t have to be a pro – Just come and experience spring at South Fork Nature Center. We’ll meet at the SFNC’s Riddle Cabin and hike the trails together. Come a bit early & enjoy some coffee & Dutch oven cobbler!
ROSEBUD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VISIT SOUTH FORK NATURE CENTER
Joyce Hartmann Four small groups met at the cabin for hands-on outdoor education: in the foreground are students working on their art journal page after illustrating their impressions on a short hike; on the left is a group receiving instruction from Bob Verboon on how to identify animal skulls; on the right is a group studying flowers and plants with Don Culwell. Shirley Pratt has a group identifying edible and medicinal plants on the trails.
The weather was perfect the morning of May 9th, when the Rosebud High School Pre-Advanced Placement Biology Sophomores with instructor Margaret Moon arrived. Dr. Don Culwell met the school bus and led the group on a nature walk through the woods to the cabin, where he shared the story of folk singer Almeda Riddle, and how this authentic 100-year-old important piece of history was moved and restored.
Taxidermist Bob Verboon brought an extensive collection of animal skulls
for students to learn to identify.
Teacher Margaret Moon arrived with enthusiasm!
Naturalist Shirley Pratt took students on hikes to identify edible and
medicinal plants.
Four docents provided hands-on instruction: taxidermist Bob Verboon brought his amazing collection of skulls, Shirley Pratt led groups along trails to show edible and medicinal plants, Don Culwell taught hands-on flower structure and function, and artist Joyce Hartmann led the group in drawing techniques and constructing a group nature art journal.
One of the students sketching a turtle he found. We identified it as a
female (flat bottom and brown eyes). He was careful to put it back in the
same location that he found it.
The Red Buckeye was blooming profusely, especially near the Seeps.
Don Culwell led a group who wanted to try out a crosscut saw; they all
got a good workout!
After these sessions and lunch at the picnic tables, students got a good workout when they tried their hand at cutting logs using crosscut saw techniques. After a concluding hike to the waterfall, everyone loaded up on the bus for the return home, taking along memories of a great time with many new things learned.
CULWELL LEADS MASTER NATURALISTS IN SATURDAY WORKSHOP
Seventeen members of the Central Arkansas Foothills Chapter of Master Naturalists met on Saturday, April 19, for their last formal Saturday class before completing their study requirements begun back in January (they will have completed course requirements involving the environment and its plants and animals). Saturday’s class dealt with many aspects of plants (herbs, woody plants, their flowers, fruits and seeds). Bob Verboon was the Master Naturalist in charge of the class as Culwell had students dissecting flowers and other plant parts noting their structures and functions. Afternoon time was spent learning how to use a plant key (Trees of Arkansas from the Forestry Commission) to identify trees; an outside walk to key out lawn trees and learn their features gave students welcome experience.
The class session, scheduled to be held at South Fork Nature Center, was held in the First Baptist Church fellowship hall in Clinton due to the extended rain potential forecast for all day.
Board Members, Janet Miron and Dr. Don Culwell along with docents, Marc Hirrel, Shirley Pratt, Roberta Katz-Messenger and Krissi Graham visited with teachers from Clinton’s high school and junior high school on April 19th, 2017.
Docents brought a great assortment of desserts to share with the teachers as they explained South Fork Nature Center’s mission and resources. Teachers were invited to bring their classes out to the Nature Center for a hands-on, field based experience in a local natural environment. One docent, Marc Hirrel demonstrated “Conservation through Technology” equipment that will be available for teacher training during SFNC’s upcoming LEP Arkansas Educator Workshop on July 11th at SFNC. He demonstrated digital microscopy, eTrex GPS, and Vernier LabQuest equipment.
The lunch time spent with these 22+ teachers was very rewarding for the docents involved. We think the teachers left with a greater knowledge of the resources available to them at South Fork Nature Center along with contact names and numbers of board members and docents to help schedule their classes’ field trips.
Any educator or leader of an organization is welcome to contact our Programs Director, Dr. Don Culwell at (501) 358-2095 to find out more about scheduling a visit to South Fork Nature Center.
We have some exciting news to share! As part of the Sustainable Rivers and Forest Initiative with BHP Billiton announced last October, a new outdoor classroom pavilion is under construction at the South Fork Nature Center for the community to use.
Builders broke ground this week and expect to complete the project by this fall. The Nature Conservancy and BHP Billiton are both committed to identifying large-scale conservation opportunities and business strategies that enhance the resilience of our natural environment and improve community livelihood. Stay tuned for details about a dedication when the pavilion is complete this fall!
South Fork Nature Center 
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