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CAMN MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
September, 2025 | | | | PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
CAMNation –
It is hard to believe the final quarter of the year is just days away and with it, cooler weather, Fall leaves, warm drinks, and the holiday season. It is also a busy time of year for everyone, including the CAMNation!
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I am not going to repeat a full list of the events that you will find below but just remember that the 2025 NiT Graduation is on Saturday, September 27th followed by BioBlast the following weekend, October 3-5. If you can show up to celebrate the NiTs becoming full-fledged, t-shirt and name badge wearing members, that would be meaningful to all of them! BioBlast `25, Emily Flora’s and my pet project, will be a lot of fun. If you are considering signing up for it, do not wait. Monday is the final day for BioBlast registration. If you miss Monday, email us at amnbioblast@gmail.com and we may be able to sneak you in if it is just a day or two after, but we have to give final numbers to The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute this week. I’d like to see CAMN be the best represented chapter there…and last I saw, we were but only by about two people. And don’t forget the homegrown Oaktober celebration either! Mark your calendars. Details on these events and more below.
I would be remiss not to mention the prestigious Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation’s “Outdoor Hall of Fame” award that was presented to all of AMN last month. Receiving that award is such an honor, one that every AMN member should take pride in. We are hoping to have more information and links to the AGFF’s video presentation and program article by next month’s newsletter.
Here's to cooler days and more smiles in the upcoming months! Thank you for your spirit of volunteerism as it is what keeps CAMN alive.
Yours in service,
John Sommer
President
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CAMN General Meeting
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Lynn Foster, CAMN member and President of the Audubon Arkansas Society, will be speaking about Cranes and Craniacs: Crane Behavior and the Rowe Sanctuary Volunteer Program.
Location: Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center
602 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Time: 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM
Pizza at 6:00. $1.00/slice
Program 6:30--7:30. Counts as 2 hrs CE in person. Zoom available 1 hr CE.
| | A two-time Sanctuary volunteer (who is also preparing to volunteer in 2026 as well, along with several other CAMN members), Lynn Foster will discuss the biology and behavior of sandhill cranes. Each year about a million stop on a 50-mile stretch of the Platte River on their way north to mate and breed. Not only are the cranes special birds, but so is the volunteer program at Rowe Sanctuary, which attracts volunteers from all over North America. Come and hear about both. |  | | Class of 2025 Graduation 9/27/25 at Boyle Park Pavilion
By Corbin Cannon
Come help us celebrate our New Master Naturalists! Saturday September 27th join us at Boyle Park from 10-2 and congratulate the Class of 2025 on their accomplishment. After the graduation ceremony we will have a lunch cookout provided by our wonderful Enhancinators! All CAMN members are welcome to come and take part, and project leaders will be allowed some time to pitch their projects to our new potential volunteers. Be sure to register if you are planning to attend, and bring a prospective member for the Class of 2026 if you like! | | Registration deadline is September 15th! BioBlast 2025 takes place October 3rd-5th at The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute at Petit Jean State Park.
BioBlast 2026 Planning Updates:
Half the speakers are already lined up for next year and there’s even more
variety! Almost a whole new slate of speakers! This event will again be held at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. | AMN Updates
By Karama Neal
The next AMN meeting is scheduled for November 18, 2025 at 6:30PM.
Names are solicited for the next president elect for AMN. This role would start in February
2026, before they become president in 2027.
| | Tinkerfest
By Anne Holcomb
Tinkerfest is an annual event hosted by the Museum of Discovery and various sponsors that promotes STEAM events. Kids of all ages get to participate in very hands-on activities designed to ignite and nurture interest in education and careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. It all happened Saturday, September 13 under the I-30 bridges in the Rivermarket with about 60 presenters from all those areas. Kids were building things, making forts, learning about aerodynamics, disassembling and reassembling a car, learning about rhythm and soundwaves -- tons of things! There was even a very talented and charming robotic dog strolling through the crowd - an instant magnet for onlookers, especially small children. | | | There were hundreds of visitors; CAMN interacted with many of them. We participated with a display showing the height of 6 different native prairie plants (with vertical lengths of PVC pipes attached to sawhorses) relative to the depth of those plants' roots, which ranged from 18 inches to 16 feet (with tape measures kids could pull out horizontally from the sawhorses to show the depth. Kids AND adults were amazed. We also had two tables of various seeds, cones, roots, and tubers for them to look at with a magnifying glass they could take with them, plus our native pollinator seed packets for them take home to plant. Possibly the hit of our things to look at under magnification was a tiny green caterpillar who hitched a ride in on a sweetgum ball. Not completely certain, but our best guess with help from iNaturalist is that he is a future Hibiscus Sawfly!
Many thanks to CAMN volunteers Ginger Allinson, Shaye Hopkins, Kathy Keefe, Emily Flora, John Sommer, Zoe Egan Gardner, Lindy Streit, Jodi Morris, Corbin Cannon, Beth White, and Anne Holcomb. |  |  |
9/14/25
Arkansas Wild Spaces—News and Notes
By Janet Lanza
AWS has been busy this year!
We have shortened the time between application and yard visit—an impressive accomplishment. We conducted 9 certification and 37 initial yard visits, wrote and submitted 9 certification and 29 yard reports, and certified 13 yards. We still have 2 scheduled and 15 unscheduled visits that we expect to visit this year. We expect to visit 63 acres this year before a frost closes us down.
We have been lucky enough to recruit four new Habitat Advisors, and they have helped us conduct more visits and write more reports. Thanks to Melissa Bacon, Cindy Hancock, Lia Lent, and Dauphne Trenholm. We are so happy to have them!!
We have represented AWS at two events, the First Thursday neighborhood event in Hillcrest and the CAMN Plant Sale for Pinnacle Mountain State Park. We will represent AWS at two (at least) additional events this fall.
You probably know that the best time to plant is in the fall (generally anytime until the ground freezes). However, it’s easier to buy plants in the spring. There are a few native plant sales coming up! The ones I know about are:
Audubon Plant Sale, on-line ordering September 16 (8AM) – September 23 (6 PM) and pickup October 3 and 4. They expect 8 vendors and have published a list of species that they expect to offer. For more information, an ordering link, and a link to the species list, see https://delta.audubon.org/events/2025-fall-native-plant-sale. Be warned—the earlier you get on-line, the less likely your desired plants will be out of stock.
Bernice Garden Fall Plant Sale, October 11 (10 AM-1 PM). There are likely to be four plant vendors.
And remember, Pineridge Gardens (Pineridgegardens.com) will have open houses on several weekends this fall. This nursery has moved to 10989 Fulton Rd, Dardanelle, AR and is now owned by Brent Baker. It’s possible to visit by appointment. Brent has scheduled the following open houses for which you don’t need an appointment:
· Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm
· Sunday, September 14, 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm
· Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm
· Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm
· Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm
· Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm
· Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm
· Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm
· Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm
· Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm
· Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm
· Sunday, November 16, 2025, from 12 pm to 3 pm
The final note is that there is (possibly) some movement in Little Rock to amend code enforcement to accommodate yards with native plants rather than standard sod lawns. About two weeks ago, Kate Spontak spoke about the importance of native trees to the Little Rock City Beautiful Commission (CBC). The meeting was also attended by members of the LR Sustainability Commission (SC) and about six CAMN members. The CBC asked the SC to organize a meeting that included members of the two commissions, LR Code Enforcement, and the AWS Outreach Coordinator to discuss how the commercial and residential codes could be amended, coordinated, and enforced. The initial meeting of the group will be held on September 15.
| Tree Replacement Project Updates
By Kate Spontak
Who knew MRS. ROPER'S ROMP could be lots of fun even if you weren’t in a red wig and caftan. Some of our Master naturalists seemed to be having a great time without all that falderol at Hillcrest’s First Thursday celebration on September 4th. Lu Smith from Hillcrest Garden Club, and her friend, Keith, from the Hillcrest Business Association, got the electricity going and we got some colored lights strung overhead. Janet Lanza and Frank Olinde set up one table with a display board of the current CAMN projects and lots of information about native plants and creating a Wild Space in your yard. Jenny Wiedower was there to answer questions and provide information to revelers stopping by. A second table ran the Decades Project slide show on screen and raffled off some seedling trees, promoting Tree Planting and showing off our tree watering bag called a Tree Diaper. Martha Nixon was there with Kate to talk about the Tree Replacement Project. Audrey Cobb and Jodi Morris came to distribute Oaktober information. Anne and David Holcomb and Laura Olinde joined us to take in the action. Jim Winter and their very smart blue heeler (name escapes me) did some romping of their own up and down Kavanaugh. Had to get that daily exercise requirement done.
Three people won the seedling trees. Twelve people requested more information about Arkansas Wild Spaces and seven were interested in the Tree Replacement Project. We weren’t signing up people for the 2026 CAMN class but that was in some of the conversations.
Any Wednesday in September, 9 to 11 am, 28 Talmage Drive 72204
Tree Replacement Project is working on Wednesday mornings at Kate’s house, 9 to 11, to keep moving seedlings up to larger pots, or Growbags, and get them ready for fall planting. Jenny Wiedower just brought over some more seedlings she had been carefully tending over the summer. Daphne Trenholm has been managing the watering at St. Joseph’s Center and reports the trees are doing well. She double checked the inventory so we have a clear picture of current availability.
Wednesday and Saturday mornings will be our planting days in October & November. Our first planting event will be Wednesday, October 8, 9 am, at 1818 North Taylor Street, at the curb strip in front of the strip of stores that includes Wild Birds Unlimited. We have 2 Serviceberry trees to install there, to replace the dying Japanese Cherry trees. The birds are sure to appreciate the difference for years to come. We hope the humans will too.
Kate Spontak
|  | | Oaktober 2025 Updates
By Audrey Cobb
We hope you join us in celebrating oak trees this Oaktober! Details about some of the Oaktober events are listed below. There is at least one other event in the works, so keep checking the event page on the website and explore the rest of the website to learn about this keystone species.
The Oaktober kickoff is quickly approaching!
- Sunday, September 28 from 2-4pm at the park beside Southwest Community Center (6401 Baseline Rd, Little Rock)
- Arrive by 2:00 to see a watercolor demonstration by Midsouthern Watercolorists: "Learn to Paint a Tree"
- There will also be activities for kids, honey tasting, and more.
Pinnacle Mountain State Park is hosting two fun and educational events related to oak trees. Both events are on Saturday, October 11 at different locations in the park. Find time and location details here.
- Who Needs a Tree? Oaktober Edition - Learn about the life cycle of oaks and the wildlife that depends on them.
- Gall-y! - Learn about oak trees, wasps, and their role in history.
The Nature of Oaks: Screening and Discussion
This will take place during the October CAMN general meeting on Thursday, October 16. The event is open to the public, so we are asking attendees to register here. Please try to register by Thursday, October 9 if you are attending in person. This will help us determine how much pizza to order and make sure our space is big enough.
- Thursday, October 16; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (Screening begins at 6:30) - Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center (602 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock
- Attend this screening to hear Doug Tallamy reveal the essential role oak trees play in supporting biodiversity and explain how they sustain wildlife and healthy ecosystems.
- The recorded webinar is about 50 minutes long. Afterward, we will have a Q&A and discussion. If you are already familiar with Doug Tallamy's work, bring a friend and spread the word. This event is open to the public.
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