Several Clinton Junior High students and staff found perfect weather and hiked the trails on Wed. June 3, 2015. Ms. Pratt also led students in a Predator/Prey activity and Ms. Graham taught a short lesson on recycling. The students were part of an after school enrichment program.
Krissi Graham
Glade Restoration Update
A portable sawmill is site at SFNC and now beginning to process the numerous logs produced by the Glade Restoration Project. Some of the milled lumber will be used to construct key area structures
needed for maintenance and equipment. First products to be milled include posts, rails and pickets for a ‘hog tight’ old time picket fence to be placed around the cabin area.
Weather permitting, mill operations will be in the early hours, before noon
on week days only.
Bob Hartmann
Our glade restoration and milkweed planting funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service was visited by Joe Krystofik, State Coordinator for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. We have been working on the clearing for the glade restoration on in 3 areas of the Nature Center amounting to approximately 10 total acres. We have successfully planted approximately 400 milkweed plants in the glade areas. For purposes of the Federal grant these two projects are not considered finished by USFWS. We will be doing a controlled burn in these areas probably in late winter next year. This should cause the relic seed bed to spring in to life next Spring.
Don Richardson
46th Annual Lake & River Cleanup
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Fun Run, Cleanup, and Catfish Dinner
Join the 46th Annual GFL/LRRA Cleanup this year at Narrows Park in Greers Ferry, AR. This year’s event will kick off with a 1 mile Fun Run/Walk.
Directions:
GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
35.56389, -92.19806
35°33’50″N, 92°11’53″W
From Greers Ferry, AR, take SR-16 southwest for 2.5 miles. Follow signs to the campground.
Fun Run/Walk
Official start at 7:15 am. You are encouraged to design your own T-Shirt with a cleanup theme and logo. T-shirts will be judged and prizes awarded to the winners. All ages, and families are invited.
Come out, have fun, and after the race join in the lake cleanup that begins at 8:00 am.
Then, after the cleanup come celebrate with us back at Narrows Park and enjoy the festivities beginning at 11:30 am with a catfish dinner, and fresh squeezed homemade lemonade, watermelon eating contest, face painting, caricature artist, bounce house for the kids, and our first ever Augmented Reality Trail in the Park.
Count me in!
Sign up as a volunteer, register for the fun run, or inquire for more information at the Official Greers Ferry Lake website:
46th Annual Lake & River Cleanup
Leopold Education Project Workshop
Click the image to view the full-sized flyer
A Taste of Leopold at South Fork
July 18, 2015, 9:00a – 12:00p
Educators, both outdoor and classroom including SFNC docents and members can sample the curricula developed by the Leopold Education project.
The Leopold Education Project (LEP) is an interdisciplinary, critical thinking, conservation and environmental education curricula based on the classic “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold. LEP teaches about humanity’s ties to the natural environment in the effort to conserve and protect earth’s natural resources. It is the educational outreach program for The Aldo Leopold Foundation.
Leopold’s writings are both sound science and excellent literature, making them an outstanding tool for meaningful environmental education. The curricula encourages flexibility, creativity, and experimentation in using the lessons in a variety of subject matter areas. It uses hands-on critical thinking activities to not only teach students about nature and conservation but to instill what Leopold called a “land ethic”, an appreciation of and respect for the land. All activities are presented in an easy to use format similar to Projects WET, WILD and Learning Tree.
Special South Fork Offer
Those interested in becoming an LEP certified educator can do so with another 3 hours of training at South Fork (date to be arranged). Educators will get $50.00 worth of curricula for $30.00.
For more information, contact LEP Arkansas at suzannehirrel@gmail.com or call 501-224-9419 and ask for Suzanne or Marc Hirrel
Archey Fork Phase II Restoration Complete
June 11, 2015: Clinton mayor Richard McCormac joined representatives of the Nature Conservancy of Arkansas, SWN, and numerous agencies instrumental in completing Phase 2 of the Upper Little Red River restoration.
Read more about the outstanding conservation project at the team blog: Restoring the Upper Little Red
June 20 Butterfly Release
Saturday, June 20th, 2015 at 10am
If you are interested in butterflies and would like a close encounter with some of those flying beauties, come to South Fork Nature Center on June 20 beginning at 10 AM. There will be displays of butterflies in all stages of their lives, discussion about their place in the ecosystem, and a release of adults into nature by participants.
Due to the elusive nature and sometimes very small size of butterflies, many of us haven’t witnessed traits such as the clubs at the tips of antennae, the furry looking head and thorax of the body, and the way light reflects off of the eyes in species specific patterns. At this event you will have an opportunity to all of them.
The program will include some information about the butterfly life cycle with examples of each stage. It will also address any questions that participants have. So, bring questions, friends, and family to this fun event in the wooded environment of South Fork Nature Center. This program is free and open to the public.
For more information contact Trish at 745-6444 or email grf@artelco.com. Click here for driving directions…
South Fork Nature Center 
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