Bob Verboon

On Saturday, March 25th, the Foothills Chapter of Arkansas Master Naturalists met in Clinton for training on Trail Construction and Maintenance. The day started early at the Van Buren County Library with a presentation by Roy Stovall, Trail Boss for North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists. Roy has hiked and studied trails in the United States, Canada and other parts of the globe and brings a lifetime of experience with his training program on Trail Science. Roy and his “Trail Patrol” construct and maintain over 50 miles of trails a year in the Bull Shoals State Park, Norfork Lake, Leatherwood Wilderness and surrounding areas. He is an active hiker and is involved in forming a chapter of the Ozark Highlands Trail Society. OHTS is the volunteer organization that built and maintains 230 miles of the 240 mile (as of 2017) and growing Ozark Highlands Trail, and pioneered the 15 mile Ozark Highlands Trail Lower Buffalo Wilderness Route in northwest Arkansas.

Normally, we wouldn’t think of a trail as a part of our wilderness experience needing much thought. We just need to follow a wildlife trail, right? However much pre-planning is needed before construction begins. When you start thinking about specifications for switchbacks, sheet flow, grade reversals, knicks, rolling grade dips and water bars, we quickly realize that a lot of planning needs to go into the construction of a trail. Gravity is a natural force that determines which way the dirt and water flow. A good rain can destroy a trail quickly, or make it impassable for a period of time. Gravity has a partner: the critter. Critters include pack animals such as mules and horses, pocket gophers, humans, bears, deer, cows as well as others that use the same trails. Critters burrow and plod through the tread (trail). Trail strategies are only as good as understanding the critter’s mind. Trail construction requires good teachers and experience to lay out and design sustainable trails. Roy is one of the best.

Then we have maintenance of these trails to contend with. The “Naturalists in Training” continued the day at South Fork Nature Center, where we met up with Bob Hartmann, Vice president of South Fork. Bob stopped his activity of moving logs around to take time to point out some of the flora and fauna at South Fork. Over 500 native species of plants have been identified and documented on the 75 acre preserve. We even ran across some Morel Mushrooms on one of the trails. And yes, we also have a few invasive species at South Fork, so some of the NiTs used their limb loppers to remove new growth from the trail.

Roy demonstrated some of the equipment used for trail maintenance such as limb loppers, leaf blowers, chain saws, as well as tools for chopping, grubbing, digging and tamping. He finished the day by making sure each student had a copy of the “Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook” by the USDA Forest Service.

The Foothills chapter is the newest of the 7 Master Naturalists chapters in the state. The chapter draws members from Clinton, Conway, Russellville, Heber Springs, Fairfield Bay and Greers Ferry areas.

The course for “Naturalists in Training” concludes with graduation on May 6. The application form for next year is available on this web page:

http://wordpress.arkansasmasternaturalists.org/how-do-i-join/.
(Scroll down to “FAMN”)

• New NiT classes will begin again in January 2018.
• New members have a lot of fun learning about everything from rocks to plants and animals found in the Ozarks.
• Experts teach classes in eco-regions, geology, astronomy, mammals, interpretation, entomology, herpetology, ornithology and botany.
• Lessons also include practical skills like stream monitoring and trail maintenance.
• You do not have to have a college degree to participate. Everything you need to know to be an active member will be provided during the training.
• Students receive a certificate upon completion and must complete 40 hours of volunteer work and 8 hours of advanced training before December 31st to maintain membership in Master Naturalists.

See Also: Foothills Master Naturalists: What is an FAMN?

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

It was a cold, crisp morning (nearly freezing) a bit before nine when 19 docents and South Fork workers gathered for coffee and Dutch oven cakes around the blazing fire in the pit before the Riddle Cabin. It was time to gear up for the coming spring classes of students expected at SFNC as they spend the day stamping out the “Nature Deficit Syndrome” (no cell phones allowed). Don Culwell passed out the new Docent Manuals detailing procedures and ideas to use with groups of all ages as South Fork comes alive showing off the woods, the lake edge, the larger animals, and the butterflies that are anticipated in the glades newly managed for milkweed populations.

Marc Hirrel gave the group instructions on using and recording data at the new weather station that he and Suzanne had just donated and installed; air temperature, ground temperature, and precipitation are recorded daily each week. On the trail back to the cabin they led an exercise that can be done with groups using CO2 concentrations stated from 1800 to the present noted beside a time line along the trail; the question asked at each stop, after a reading and a given CO2 concentration, was “is this science or policy?” (Time line graphs of CO2 concentrations were drawn from data that was given at each stop.) So, just what is global warming, anyway?

Janet Miron, the new president of GRF (SFNC Board) challenged docents in their work and spoke about new developments on the grounds, namely a large outdoor classroompavilion enhanced for student use that is about to be constructed at South Fork.

Use of the cabin facilities and contents (even lighting of lanterns) was discussed pointing out the use of ID manuals, binoculars, scopes, collections of dried fruits, etc., as groups gather during the year to learn about the environment.

After filing one’s coffee cup several times during the morning from the old porcelain pot, the group broke up just after 12:00. Another fine day in nature!