Arkansas Master Naturalists

 

Please call ahead when adverse weather is predicted to confirm the event is still happening and/ or to find out the revised date/ time of the event.

 

Stay Safe!

 

Request for thistle seeds to be planted at Logan Springs Preserve. The seeds needed are Cirsium discolor or C. altissimum and need to be from close to this region if at all possible.

Label seed packets with source information (where and when collected/purchased, by who, and scientific name) and mail to:

Shawn Hunter
300 S. Collins Ave.
Gentry, AR 72734

Support for thistles:
1. A recent study from Pennsylvania regarding the newly listed as endangered Regal fritillary reports the need for 150 native thistles per acre as necessary for that species survival.

2. We know that the Diana fritillary prefers Cirsium discolor and C. Carolinium as primary adult nectars, although C. Carolinium is not considered as being indigenous to Benton County.

3. The Xerces Society strongly supports the need for planting and rescuing native thistles in order to save pollinators.
Native thistles are a largely misunderstood and wrongly maligned group of wildflowers. Many species of bees, butterflies and other wildlife rely heavily on native thistle flowers. For example, monarch butterflies visit native thistle flowers more than any other wildflowers in some regions during their migration back to Mexico. Despite the significance of native thistles to our ecosystems, these plants are often targeted for eradication along with the more widely recognized invasive thistles. Many native thistles are now threatened with some species at risk of extinction.

References:

https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dmva/documents/dmvaoffices/environmental-resources/documents/regal-butterfly/2022%20regal%20fritillary%20butterfly%20fact%20sheet.pdf

https://xerces.org/publications/guidelines/native-thistles-conservation-practitioners-guide?_gl=1*zbjqid*_gcl_au*Nzc2ODM0OTMwLjE3NTQ4NDM5MDM.*_ga*MTk4OTg1ODgzMS4xNzU0ODQzOTAz*_ga_4H43V6TS1Y*czE3NjExNjE0MTkkbzYkZzEkdDE3NjExNjI5MjYkajMwJGwwJGgxMDYyMjUwMTk4

Conservation Status and Genetic Variation of the Diana Fritillary, William H. Baltosser, Ph.D. – 10 April 2008

It's that time of year.

 

Reminders:

 

Master Naturalist JB Portillo works with Bella Vista Community TV, and she connected us (the nonprofit I work for, H2Ozarks) to produce a television episode on their show Let's Go Outside. We talk about local watersheds, Beaver Lake, the source of our drinking water in NWA, and ways to get involved and volunteer. It was a great collaboration with Master Naturalists, the watershed nonprofits H2Ozarks and Beaver Watershed Alliance, and many other partners.

The episode is live and free to watch on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3a_gHGuw-U

Off the Shelf – a weekly notice from the Awe in Arkansas with Children’s Literature project.

1. Provide books as gifts!
2. Use for programs!
3. Share with nature gift shops!

A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston

Age Range: 3 to 10

 

Visually appealing introductory book to seeds. Fabulous illustrations with embedded text. A must have for young learners.

 

 

 

 

Most programs/events are free and will meet at the Visitor Center unless otherwise noted. Call the park office at 479.789.5000 or visit the Arkansas State Parks web site under Hobbs State Park events or the Friends of Hobbs State Park Facebook page or web site to check on future programs. 

Sat., January 24, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Mammals of Arkansas Tabletop: Hair! It’s a useful thing, and one of the characteristics of most mammals, but not the only one! Visit this tabletop to discover various mammal skins and skulls in this hands-on display. A 15-minute program will start every half hour. Come and go as you please.

Sun., January 25, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Leave No Trace Monument Trail Tabletop: The choices you make when you are outside make a big difference. The Leave No Trace principles are important for all ages, but especially for girls and boys who are just beginning to experience camping, hiking, and the outdoors in general. A 15-minute program will start every half hour. Come and go as you please.

Sat., January 31, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Mammals of Arkansas Tabletop: Hair! It’s a useful thing, and one of the characteristics of most mammals, but not the only one! Visit this tabletop to discover various mammal skins and skulls in this hands-on display. A 15-minute program will start every half hour. Come and go as you please.

Sat., January 31, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Groundhog Day Tabletop: Groundhog Fact and Fiction: What exactly is a groundhog, and can they predict the length of winter by seeing their shadow or not? Join a park interpreter who will share the truth about the groundhog, woodchuck, or whistle pig! A 15-minute program will start every half hour. Come and go as you please.

Sun., February 1, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Groundhog Day Tabletop: Groundhog Fact and Fiction: What exactly is a groundhog, and can they predict the length of winter by seeing their shadow or not? Join a park interpreter who will share the truth about the groundhog, woodchuck, or whistle pig! A 15-minute program will start every half hour. Come and go as you please.

NWAMN is participating in the Leopold event at ONSC on March 8th, and there's more info at the link provided. If you could get the event on the calendar, that would be great. Once we've shaped up exactly how NWAMN is participating, either Care or Miranda will provide something for a future Weekly Update.

Mark Your Calendars for March 3, 7 and 8 for Arkansas Reads Leopold. This summer, AAS received a grant from the Aldo Leopold Foundation to host a community reading event. I contacted the Arkansas Master Naturalists, Audubon Delta, Ozark Society, Sierra Club, Central Arkansas Library System, Ozark Natural Science Center, the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas and a few others about partnering with us for events in central and northwest Arkansas. Everyone has come together, and on March 3, CALS will show Green Fire, a documentary about Aldo Leopold's life and work. The following weekend, seven community reading events will be offered in Fayetteville, Conway, and the Little Rock area. See https://arbirds.org/AASPage.aspx?pg=16 for more details. We hope you'll join us!

Mark Your Calendars for April 25-26, for our spring convention in Fort Smith! Look for the Call to Meeting around the end of February.

Mark Your Calendars for May 9, which will be the dates of the BirdAR Birdathon! The Birdathon is back! Many thanks to Ragan Sutterfield, the planner-in-chief! He and a planning team are working on a terrific statewide event. Sponsors include Audubon Delta, AAS, ASCA and NWAAS at this point. BirdAR will be in conjunction with the Global Big Day. Both teams and individuals can participate. Registrations will be through Eventbrite with an option for t-shirts. The cost will be nominal to participate. We want this to be a community building activity! During the week following the Big Day there will be a zoom meeting where the winners will be announced. Watch for the details on our website.

 

To help inform a larger audience of NWA Master Naturalists, please add the NWA Events email address to communications sent to project/ committee members.  That way the NWA Communications Committee can accurately post activities happening in our area to the NWAMN's Events Calendar and to the NWAMN Weekly Update.  The cutoff for submissions is end of day Tuesday for Friday membership delivery, assumes no revisions are required. 

nwamnevents@gmail.com