Arkansas Master Naturalists

 

We won an award just last night for Wizard of Hobbs0. A photo is posted on Chapter FB Group. We had about 30 NWAMN volunteers involved in it. Please find writeup below.  Thanks NWAMN Interpretation volunteers!

 

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to support the nomination of The Wizard of Hobbs for the Outstanding Special Event Award. I chair the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists’ Interpretation Volunteers Committee. I had the privilege of inviting our Chapter of Master Naturalists to partner with Hobbs State Park and Conservation Area to tell the story of the May 2024 tornado storm impact on forest ecosystems and introduce the audience to the diverse efforts of professionals and volunteers in restoration efforts. The response was remarkable, and NWAMN volunteers embraced the spirit of engaging the audience through conservation messages and playful references to both Wicked and Wizard of Oz movies. The whole NWA region experienced the tornado outbreak, and volunteers found it motivating to be involved in a program that imparted, in a unifying spirit, the hope of succession in damaged forest ecosystems.

Each scene was narrated by volunteers costumed as ecosystem citizens interacting with one another and inviting audience participation. Broken limbs from trees were removed from the path after a tornado swirled through the scene. The snag was reminded that woodpeckers would now nest within. Owl and Raccoon found refuge in toppled tree root balls and vacated tree cavities. Chipmunk, Skunk, and Opossum celebrated new brush piles as food and shelter resources, and chipmunk invited the audience to try stuffing cheeks with food- marshmallows! “Cowardly” Bobcat , frightened by the storm, came to the realization that as apex predator, he had a more open habitat for hunting food. Forester Tim Mann explained through song that by clearing downed trees he might mitigate beetle infestation, and he dressed a volunteer in all the protective gear he uses- minus the chainsaw! Bee balm, Milkweed, and Ironweed celebrated open areas of sunlight and were visited by Monarch Butterfly through interactive puppetry. Bursting onto the scene were aggressive Japanese Honeysuckle and Perilla Mint, seeking sun as well. And so, volunteer coordinator Dorothy, clad in blue gingham pants, red glitter tennis shoes, and gardening gloves invited all to sow a few native seeds and visit Hobbs for ongoing invasive plant removal parties. All gathered around Grandfather Oak Tree, the real Wizard of Hobbs, to hear his witness accounts of storms, fire, logging, and infestation that have swept through the forest followed by accounts of diverse and cyclical restoration efforts, aided by volunteers.

The Ozark Plateau Trail and Visitor Center at Hobbs SPACA was briefly transformed into the Yellow Brick Road just one day in October 2025, but this interpretive program’s impact remains a topic of discussion and inspiration for NWAMN Interpretation volunteers and an ongoing volunteer outreach resource for forest ecology restoration efforts.

Care Butler

 

Master Naturalist JB Portillo and Charity Shares Everything You Need to Know to Get Started with Native Plants on The Garden Show.

 

We had a great time sitting in with Bella Vista Community TV to talk all about native plants on their latest episode of The Garden Show with host JB Portillo.
Charity mentions the classic native plants to start growing like Purple Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susan— and then she dives a little deeper into the different varieties of Mountain Mint, Bee Balm, and more!

If you're just starting with native plants or want to expand your knowledge a little bit more, this is a great one to listen to and start planning for 2026.


https://aquwdydab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IssM1qQyRwU8zVenwqE2mkInZUDmF7BAO_L3_DLsZAmCALPCShZX_6WoEalAgup0vKT-b4PlUc0GxdUyMVljPbkY825vpJOQs9Il6VnkQOspRqIPc_Ec6WtXkRk8ILHXpTX0QOkFhPlw0OR5lx4yTPmJZ0X8oYOIUABu-rhUxqlDb8FZ1hQiBZom-z1ox5-c&c=ZytMc521nOkmo149zk-RJgnK3nOBq9ZiWyoZTQ9LLwB1HAyg2Fjy4A==&ch=woiy1uMFe9-NBsbjzxCP2rDDcLzlx5jRLGDVzfbm-cXGC9kLrynYMw==

Send photos to:  arkansasmasternaturalist@gmail.com

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!

The Secret Life of Trees  by Moira Butterfield

Age Range: 6 to 12

 

Comprehensive book about trees with a storyline, facts, and stories about trees from around the world.

 

 

 

 

Hello Everyone,

Watershed Conservation Resource Center has a lot of volunteer opportunities at our green house or "Hoop House" on the Dead Horse Mountain property. Please click the link below to read more about these volunteer opportunities and sign-up for a shift or several shifts! We will sign off on any volunteer hours needed if the form is provided by the individual.

Through google forms https://forms.gle/2s58FxVi1cFEYq3u8 or through Give Pulse https://givepul.se/nr6vy

Here are some quotes from past volunteers at the "Hoop House"

"Had such a great time doing some Spring cleaning by picking out the weeds and getting them ready for sale. Super easy and fun way to give back to the community. Plus, the staff on site are very welcoming and kind!" --- Ashley

"I enjoyed my time helping to repot gamma grass and chatting with Haden about native plants and WCRC projects. We took a short walk to look at the pond. It's a lovely place!"   
---- Jennifer


Kelley Beth Paul B.S.A.

Watershed Outreach Coordinator
Watershed Conservation Resource Center
909 E. Rolling Hills Ste A
Fayetteville, AR 72703
www.watershedconservation.org

 

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