A multi-program event for elementary school kids at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. There are only two park interpreters to help run the event for what could end up being several hundred children all at one time. Number of kids is contingent on number of schools who sign up to participate. This could be 100 kids from one school, or 600 from six schools. Time will tell! The kids rotate through their or their teachers‘ selections of 8-9 interpretive programs/games that CAMN provides the staff for. Each program is 40 minutes, with 5 minutes in between to "change classes." These programs include Scavenger Hunt, Nature Game Relay, Reptile Roundup (Snakes & Lizards), Reptile Roundup (Alligators & Turtles), Mammals (Predators and Prey), Leave No Trace and the Bigfoot Challenge, Kingfisher Trail Hikes, and Insects - Join the "I Ate A Bug" club. It‘s possible to substitute one of our own programs for one of these, like Trees or Geology if those are options. Otherwise, we try to cover the programs on the PMSP list. In addition to 2 volunteers per program, two volunteers are needed to help run the check in table. Matthew Friant, head interpreter at PMSP, can provide instructions for each program in advance so volunteers have ample time to become familiar with information on whatever the objectives of each program are according to subject, questions/answers, props, rules of whatever game is being played or whatever objects are being scavenged. Set-up is 8:00 a.m. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., first come, first serve RE selection of programs. Programming itself begins at 10:00 a.m. The park provides lunch for all volunteers. If the weather is rainy or storms are predicted, that day will be canceled. This entire event will absolutely not happen without CAMN‘s involvement. This event will not happen without CAMN involvement - and it takes a village! Contact Anne Holcomb anneholcomb@sbcglobal.net by April 1 if you can help!

YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ARRIVAL TIME BY CLICKING THE "REGISTER NOW" TO ENSURE THE GATE WILL BE UNLOCKED. Volunteer each week, every other week, once a month or once a quarter. Work at the Watershed Conservation Resource Center hoop house, at their Dead Horse Mountain Road property: enter thru the gate between the white fencing and drive down the lane to the Hoop House. Plant bare roots, re-pot if needed, separate seedlings, in ground planting, etc. These native plants will be used at WCRC project sites. All supplies are provided, just bring your favorite gardening gloves. YOU CHOOSE YOUR DATE(S) AND ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIME(S). Click the "Register Now" button to list your arrival and departure times.

Compton Garden/Greenhouse work.

A multi-program event for elementary school kids at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. There are only two park interpreters to help run the event for what could end up being several hundred children all at one time. Number of kids is contingent on number of schools who sign up to participate. This could be 100 kids from one school, or 600 from six schools. Time will tell! The kids rotate through their or their teachers‘ selections of 8-9 interpretive programs/games that CAMN provides the staff for. Each program is 40 minutes, with 5 minutes in between to "change classes." These programs include Scavenger Hunt, Nature Game Relay, Reptile Roundup (Snakes & Lizards), Reptile Roundup (Alligators & Turtles), Mammals (Predators and Prey), Leave No Trace and the Bigfoot Challenge, Kingfisher Trail Hikes, and Insects - Join the "I Ate A Bug" club. It‘s possible to substitute one of our own programs for one of these, like Trees or Geology if those are options. Otherwise, we try to cover the programs on the PMSP list. In addition to 2 volunteers per program, two volunteers are needed to help run the check in table. Matthew Friant, head interpreter at PMSP, can provide instructions for each program in advance so volunteers have ample time to become familiar with information on whatever the objectives of each program are according to subject, questions/answers, props, rules of whatever game is being played or whatever objects are being scavenged. Set-up is 8:00 a.m. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., first come, first serve RE selection of programs. Programming itself begins at 10:00 a.m. The park provides lunch for all volunteers. If the weather is rainy or storms are predicted, that day will be canceled. This entire event will absolutely not happen without CAMN‘s involvement. This event will not happen without CAMN involvement - and it takes a village! Contact Anne Holcomb anneholcomb@sbcglobal.net by April 1 if you can help!

Learn more about Prescribed Burning as a Land Management tool. Click the "Register Now" button for required registration and more details.

Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain Earth‘s ecosystems by aiding in the crucial reproduction process. Please join Karen Hicks for a look into the world of pollination and how it effects all biomes and ecosystems. This time we‘ll delve even more into the strange world of the creatures and features of pollination. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the various systems, and hopefully, have some fun along the way. And, if you have room for a few new plants, the students and faculty of the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences, and the Arts are having a plant sale that day. We hope to see you there. The class will run from 9 until 11:30. After a lunch break, we will have a tour of the ASMSA pollinator garden, with a Q & A session with Drs. Lindsey Waddell and Allyn Dodd. Snacks provided but you will want to BYOBBL (Bring Your Own Brown Bag Lunch). You may also want to bring a little cash for the plant sale. This class will count for 6 hours of NIT training or NAT continuing ed.

In the morning from 9:00-11:30, Alyson Hoge, Managing Editor Arkansas Democrat Gazette, will present on Monarch Butterflies.

We will be joined by Entomologist, Ray Fisher to learn about the insects of Arkansas. (Dr. Fisher will also lead a deeper dive into butterflies and dragonflies in the afternoon session. Please be sure to register for the afternoon if interested in attending both.) If you‘d like to join us for the full day, please bring your lunch. Remember to also bring your own drink container. Click on "Register Now" at the bottom of this page to begin the registration process.

Normally chapter meetings are the last weekend of the month, but I made a scheduling error. Sorry for any inconvenience! Doug Zolner with The Nature Conservancy will give our educational lecture. After the lecture, please stay for our business meeting and potluck lunch. If you can, bring something tasty to share with your friends! (In case you missed it: To reduce both food and packaging waste, the Board has decided try potluck-style meals at regular chapter meetings. The holiday party will be catered instead.) Our chapter meeting will be advertised to the public via the library‘s website. We could have a few visitors drop in, so if you see a new face, say hi! Maybe we‘ll attract a new member or two.

Afternoon training about native butterflies and dragonflies led by Dr. Ray Fisher, Entomologist. There may be an outdoor segment of this training, so sturdy shoes, dressing in layers, and sunscreen are recommended. Remember to also bring your own drink container. Click on "Register Now" at the bottom of this page to begin the registration process for this class.

In the morning session, Dustin Lynch, ANHC, will present on darters and crayfish.

Meet at Double-Drop Falls Trailhead at 12:00 We will conduct a wellness check on the Bluffton Chinquapins and plant 5 - 10 new seeds on the shelf plot. Several test plantings using wire mesh in lieu of tubes. This event will involve some short off-trail movement, some at incline. Please wear boots with decent ankle support. We will also conduct a maintenance check on the weather station. This event is weather dependent. A carpool/caravan option from Robert’s house will leave Sunday afternoon at 11:00. As always, if you have any questions, please keep them to yourselves…not really! if you have any questions, please let me know either by email or phone at 501.733.4019.

Join IRWP staff Annie Sales and Sarah Alvey to perform maintenance on the rain gardens! Click the "Register Now" button to sign up.

The Nature Conservancy Tuesday aka “TNC Tuesday”

CAMN volunteers work at The Nature Conservancy office at 601 N. University on Tuesday mornings starting at 9:30 – noonish. Arrive when you want and leave when you want. There are several native plant gardens to be maintained. A new emphasis this year will be on the Zen Garden.

Also, our team may participate as land stewards starting in April doing Preserve work.

Three Conservancy locations that we can work as needed under direct supervision are:

Ranch North Woods: Behind the Ranch neighborhood, west of town off of Cantrell. Under Land Steward Caleb’s supervision, volunteers would work to control woody stems in the open fields (primarily Bradford pear), collect seed and spread seed in the grasslands. You may have the opportunity to see a prescribed burn.

Rattlesnake Ridge: Rattlesnake Ridge is part of the Maumelle Pinnacles, a rocky outcrop that is the edge of the Ouachita Mountains. Under supervision of Caleb, we would work on the trails and help close “social trails”, places where people take “short cuts”. We would work on controlling woody stems within the field to the right of the entrance road, and control invasive species (privet, mimosa, sericea lespedeza)

Blue Mountain: Blue Mountain is the next ridge over from Rattlesnake Ridge, also part of the Maumelle Pinnacles rock outcrop. Here we would want help with creating a species list using inaturalist and marking any non-natives observed.

Please contact Nancy Wyatt with questions.

Nancy Wyatt
Nwroute66@gmail.com
501-580-1218

***Due to excessive rainfall, this spraying event will be rescheduled. We will do our first spray of glyphosate on the meadow behind the library in preparation for planting natives this fall. We will begin spraying at 10, but you can arrive earlier to get ready. The library opens at 9am. The ground in this area may be moist, so wear good boots. Questions? Email Mary.

Come to Rose Creek Park to hunt for macros, conduct water quality testing, and clean the stream! Good idea to bring sunscreen, hat, water bottle, and waders (waterproof shoes). Be prepared to get a little messy!

tba

YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ARRIVAL TIME BY CLICKING THE "REGISTER NOW" TO ENSURE THE GATE WILL BE UNLOCKED. Volunteer each week, every other week, once a month or once a quarter. Work at the Watershed Conservation Resource Center hoop house, at their Dead Horse Mountain Road property: enter thru the gate between the white fencing and drive down the lane to the Hoop House. Plant bare roots, re-pot if needed, separate seedlings, in ground planting, etc. These native plants will be used at WCRC project sites. All supplies are provided, just bring your favorite gardening gloves. YOU CHOOSE YOUR DATE(S) AND ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIME(S). Click the "Register Now" button to list your arrival and departure times.

Compton Garden/Greenhouse work.

There’s lots to do to get NWAMN’s largest rain garden ready for the summer! Join us for bioswale reinforcement, mulching, and weeding. Come check out our fabulous new signs and enjoy some refreshments and social time in a beautiful setting right off the Greenway. Plant knowledge is not required! Experienced volunteers will be available to help you, and data coverage at the garden is good if you want to practice your iNat skills. What to bring: Gloves and your preferred gardening tools*, sun and bug protection, water. *we will have some to loan

Ginny Masullo and The Nature Conservancy staff will lead this trip. TNC staff will share information on habitat improvement efforts including reclaiming 12 acres of pollinator habitat from invasive blackberries and how we use prescribed fire and other management tools to improve the land for wildlife and water quality. The hike will be approximately 2 miles and include an easy stroll along mowed paths through grassland habitat and a moderate stroll along a gravel access road through the forest that has a moderate incline in some sections. Along the way we will observe a variety of flowering species that are in bloom which we will work together to identify. Directions: From Hwy 62 in Garfield turn south on Hwy 127. Cross the railroad tracks and travel 0.6 miles. Turn left onto Ford Road and travel a short distance. When Ford Road makes a turn to the left continue straight through the rock pillar gate into the preserve parking lot.

Monthly Board meeting via Zoom

Grab your clippers and snippers for garden day at Tyler Bend and Buffalo Point! Volunteers will meet at Tyler Bend Visitors Center at 9:00 a.m. to spruce up the gardens. To carpool or caravan meet at Flippin Walmart to leave by 8:00 a.m. We will leave Tyler Bend before noon and those who wish can continue to Buffalo Point Ranger Station for a brief clean up there. What to bring: Work gloves, your favorite weeding tools, leaf rakes, tubs for weeds and debris. Native plant swap: If you have native plants that have spread, pot them up and bring to trade along with seeds and root cuttings of native shrubs. Lunch: Bring a sack lunch and we will picnic in the park.

We will start our 2025 season with the horticultural group at the LR zoo on Friday, April 11. We would like to invite everyone who is interested to join us. We work every other Friday, starting April 11. We meet at 9am and work until 11. We meet at the staff Parking lot (behind the apes) which accessed by driveway on the south side of the zoo off Jonesboro drive before the interstate. There is an electronic gate; just hit the button, when they respond say you are a master naturalist to work and they will buzz you in. We meet at the parking lot behind the apes.

Please bring hat, sunscreen, gloves, water, pruners, hand digging tool, such as hori hori, and any other tools you think you need.

If you have any questions, send an email to Ron Rowland at rrowlan60@gmail.com
or text Ron at 504-329-0599.

Thanks for you consideration. Hope you can join us!

Ron Rowland and Sarah Henry

FAMN will have an outreach table at the Faulkner Co. Master Gardener‘s Plant Sale on Saturday, May 10th. The sale opens at 8am but volunteers can enter at 7am. Please contact Mary Conner or Dan Allen to volunteer. What to bring: Your FAMN t-shirt, name tag, and any naturalist swag you might like to use as a conversation starter with visitors

CAMNation, please mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Native Plant Sale - Bringing Nature to Your Yard! This year the sale is being sponsored by CALS, AMCP, and CAMN!



About 40 master naturalist have volunteered to help with this event - THANKS!!

The sale itself will be 10 am to 1 pm. It‘s not just a sale--there will be speakers and exhibitors and children‘s activities as well.

If you have specific questions, contact Lynn Foster at lfoster5211@gmail.com.

It‘s the day before Mother‘s Day, and what mom wouldn‘t want a native plant for a gift?

Extracting trash contained behind the two 100‘trash booms on Fourche Creek at Benny Craig Park. Watercraft (canoes and kayaks) will be provided or bring your watercraft. 34,800 pounds extracted since November 2020, as of January 2025.

Extracting trash contained behind the two 100‘trash booms on Fourche Creek at Benny Craig Park. Watercraft (canoes and kayaks) will be provided or bring your watercraft. 34,800 pounds extracted since November 2020, as of January 2025.

Botanists, Virginia McDaniel and Jennifer Ogle will lead this training about the plant life of Arkansas. This course will include a classroom segment and hiking identification activities. Sturdy shoes, dressing in layers, and sunscreen are recommended. Attendees will need to bring their own lunches and drink containers. Click on the "Register Now" button at the bottom of the page to begin the registration process for this class.

Join Rachel Engebrecht with the Audubon Society for a class on birding in the morning, followed by bird watching in the afternoon. Bring binoculars if you have them. This class falls on World Migratory Bird Day! https://www.migratorybirdday.org/ Class will be at Petit Jean State Park, in the CCC Barracks. In the afternoon, we will explore either the state park, or drive to nearby Winthrop Rockefeller Institute to see what birds we can identify. The CCC Barracks offer a microwave, sink, and refrigerator for your lunch- we won‘t be roughing it. Our bird walk will be easy too, so just wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes. Bug spray and a hat are also recommended, but there is no need for heavy duty gear. The Barracks is located about a mile east of Mathers Lodge, nestled in the woods near the ballfield and across from the playground area.

The Nature Conservancy Tuesday aka “TNC Tuesday”

CAMN volunteers work at The Nature Conservancy office at 601 N. University on Tuesday mornings starting at 9:30 – noonish. Arrive when you want and leave when you want. There are several native plant gardens to be maintained. A new emphasis this year will be on the Zen Garden.

Also, our team may participate as land stewards starting in April doing Preserve work.

Three Conservancy locations that we can work as needed under direct supervision are:

Ranch North Woods: Behind the Ranch neighborhood, west of town off of Cantrell. Under Land Steward Caleb’s supervision, volunteers would work to control woody stems in the open fields (primarily Bradford pear), collect seed and spread seed in the grasslands. You may have the opportunity to see a prescribed burn.

Rattlesnake Ridge: Rattlesnake Ridge is part of the Maumelle Pinnacles, a rocky outcrop that is the edge of the Ouachita Mountains. Under supervision of Caleb, we would work on the trails and help close “social trails”, places where people take “short cuts”. We would work on controlling woody stems within the field to the right of the entrance road, and control invasive species (privet, mimosa, sericea lespedeza)

Blue Mountain: Blue Mountain is the next ridge over from Rattlesnake Ridge, also part of the Maumelle Pinnacles rock outcrop. Here we would want help with creating a species list using inaturalist and marking any non-natives observed.

Please contact Nancy Wyatt with questions.

Nancy Wyatt
Nwroute66@gmail.com
501-580-1218

Join us to help eliminate the Sericea lespedeza that has invaded the meadow!

The NCAMN Wildflower Meadow Team maintains the Gaston Wildflower Meadow at Bull Shoals-White River State Park from March through December. Team members will work for 2 hours on scheduled Wednesdays. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VERIFY START TIME BY CHECKING THE WORKDAY EMAIL AS TIME MAY VARY DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURE. The workday email will also list plans for the day and any additional tools that you might need. Always wear gloves and sturdy garden shoes, dress comfortably and expect to get dirty. Volunteers will become familiar with native plants common in north central Arkansas and learn about their characteristics and requirements for growth. Please log your volunteer hours as follows: Activity - Volunteer - Natural Area Maintenance, Sponsor: State Park: Bull Shoals-White River State Park.

Dr. Alex Barnard, National Park Community College instructor and DLAMN member, will be conducting a Stream Team training session on May 14, followed by a water quality sampling on Bull Bayou. Alex is expanding this training session to include a full morning in the science labs at NPCC. While there, Alex will cover water chemistry, stream ecology, and sampling techniques. After lunch you will move to Bull Bayou to actually sample the water quality, the results of which will be reported to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. We will meet at 9am at the Lab Sciences Building at National Park Community College, room 123. After time in the classroom, we will break for lunch. We will the move to the picnic area on Bull Bayou (find it on Google Maps or use coordinates 34.5296498, -93.0960664). You will not have to get wet to participate in the water sampling, but if you choose to, you will need to bring boots for wading. Alex will provide all needed equipment. The water sampling will take about two hours. Remember to bring a lunch. You may also need to bring water and bug spray. This is a great way to learn the Stream Team procedures that we use on the Caddo and Middle Fork rivers. Plus, you get some fantastic biology class time. If you wish to skip the classroom portion, plan on meeting at the picnic area around noon. NITs will be able to count this as 5 hours of NIT training. NATs can count 3 hours of continuing education and 2 hours of volunteer time.

8:00 pm - 10:30 pm, Telescope Training Session. Limited to 15 NCAMN members (or guests). Participants will practice their skills in using small Dobsonian telescopes to locate some of many DOGGoNe beautiful dim fuzzies in the night sky. Location: Proctor Ranch, 11043 N. Clinton Creek Rd, Lead Hill, AR 72644

YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ARRIVAL TIME BY CLICKING THE "REGISTER NOW" TO ENSURE THE GATE WILL BE UNLOCKED. Volunteer each week, every other week, once a month or once a quarter. Work at the Watershed Conservation Resource Center hoop house, at their Dead Horse Mountain Road property: enter thru the gate between the white fencing and drive down the lane to the Hoop House. Plant bare roots, re-pot if needed, separate seedlings, in ground planting, etc. These native plants will be used at WCRC project sites. All supplies are provided, just bring your favorite gardening gloves. YOU CHOOSE YOUR DATE(S) AND ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIME(S). Click the "Register Now" button to list your arrival and departure times.

Compton Garden/Greenhouse work.

Click the "Register Now" button to sign up to join the Illinois River Watershed Partnership in a clean-up to help improve the water quality of the Illinois River Watershed. We will provide you with all of the equipment and supplies needed to pick up litter, including trash-grabbers, gloves, and trash bags.

Mycology training led by Jay Justice, President of the Mycological Society. Be prepared to learn interesting facts about Arkansas fungi! This class may include some field work, so sturdy shoes, dressing in layers, and sunscreen are recommended. Attendees will need to bring their own lunches and drink containers. Click on the "Register Now" button at the bottom of this page to begin the sign-up process.

Ferns: Debutantes of the Vascular Society is a three part class consisting of a morning outdoor classroom presentation, an afternoon Field Study, followed by numerous Pop-Up Walks/Hikes during the year. The first two parts will be presented on Saturday, May 17 from 9:00 to 3:00ish.

NOTE: RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JUNE 21 When: Saturday, May 17, 2025 - 10:00 - 3:30 Where: Class: Van Buren County Library (correctly located in Google Maps/Earth) Field Work: South Fork of the Little Red River - under the Hwy 65 Bridge in Clinton. The coordinates for the event are: 35.5874,-92.4519 (copy and paste into Google Maps/Earth for location). Class and Type of Project: Becky Pierce will be conducting a class on fresh water invertebrates and insects in the morning. Dan Dawson and Becky Pierce will be leading a Stream Team Event (local location to be determined). This event will analyze water chemistry and aquatic biodiversity. Directions: Travel north on Hwy 65 to Clinton and past the road to the Van Buren County Library (Correctly located on Google Maps/Earth). What to Bring/Wear: Water shoes/Knee Boots (Critter Collection will require wading, turning rocks and operating a seine net) Hoe or rake to turn over rocks in the :stream Tweezers (with a bright cord attached) Magnifier (loupe or hand lens) Hat, sunscreen, towel, etc. REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Graduation ceremony for 2025 NCAMN NiTs

Our spectacular job of removing invasive Japanese honeysuckle last month led the state park to ask if we‘d consider continuing this month. Of course we will! Because of campers nearby, we don‘t want to start too early. So, meet at 9:00, work no later than 11:00. Meet in the Big Bluff parking lot off the left side of Powerhouse Rd, about 1/2 mile past the campground turnoff. Come with tick protection, water, work gloves, loppers/clippers or diggers. Long sleeves recommended. Come join us!

Calico Creek is a free flowing stream in the small historic town of Calico Rock overlooking the White River. From Mt. Home, take Hwy 5 South, passing through Norfork and Old Joe to Calico Rock, approximately 36 miles. From Mt. View, take Hwy 5 North to Calico Rock, approximately 26 miles. The creek is located in Rand Park and runs alongside Hwy 5 with easy access and parking. Contact: Stream Team Leader: Karen Woods (916)607-5965

The Nature Conservancy Tuesday aka “TNC Tuesday”

CAMN volunteers work at The Nature Conservancy office at 601 N. University on Tuesday mornings starting at 9:30 – noonish. Arrive when you want and leave when you want. There are several native plant gardens to be maintained. A new emphasis this year will be on the Zen Garden.

Also, our team may participate as land stewards starting in April doing Preserve work.

Three Conservancy locations that we can work as needed under direct supervision are:

Ranch North Woods: Behind the Ranch neighborhood, west of town off of Cantrell. Under Land Steward Caleb’s supervision, volunteers would work to control woody stems in the open fields (primarily Bradford pear), collect seed and spread seed in the grasslands. You may have the opportunity to see a prescribed burn.

Rattlesnake Ridge: Rattlesnake Ridge is part of the Maumelle Pinnacles, a rocky outcrop that is the edge of the Ouachita Mountains. Under supervision of Caleb, we would work on the trails and help close “social trails”, places where people take “short cuts”. We would work on controlling woody stems within the field to the right of the entrance road, and control invasive species (privet, mimosa, sericea lespedeza)

Blue Mountain: Blue Mountain is the next ridge over from Rattlesnake Ridge, also part of the Maumelle Pinnacles rock outcrop. Here we would want help with creating a species list using inaturalist and marking any non-natives observed.

Please contact Nancy Wyatt with questions.

Nancy Wyatt
Nwroute66@gmail.com
501-580-1218

Let‘s read and discuss Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10, 201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration by Sara Dykman. All are welcome. You are encouraged (but not required) to share your thoughts. You may log one hour of education for this event. If people are interested, we could go out for dinner after! We usually find a table near the middle or back of the library. Come find us!

Please register for this event using the "Register Now" button below. Join Bentonville Public Library in a discussion about how to design with native plants – how to choose them, where to find information about them, where to purchase the plants, how to garden easier, and how to design with natives in a beautiful manner. We’ll also discuss how natives can create a sense of place and add small-town feeling within neighborhoods. The presenter, Sarah Geurtz, is a landscape architect holding dual degrees in Turf and Landscape Horticulture and in Landscape Architecture. Her landscape designs are based off extensive experience with Arkansas’ locally-native plants. She is passionate about Arkansas’ natives and in the positive ecological impact and public educational potential created through specification of native plants.

regular Trail Patrols cancelled until autumn, lake is too high to access trail

YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ARRIVAL TIME BY CLICKING THE "REGISTER NOW" TO ENSURE THE GATE WILL BE UNLOCKED. Volunteer each week, every other week, once a month or once a quarter. Work at the Watershed Conservation Resource Center hoop house, at their Dead Horse Mountain Road property: enter thru the gate between the white fencing and drive down the lane to the Hoop House. Plant bare roots, re-pot if needed, separate seedlings, in ground planting, etc. These native plants will be used at WCRC project sites. All supplies are provided, just bring your favorite gardening gloves. YOU CHOOSE YOUR DATE(S) AND ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIME(S). Click the "Register Now" button to list your arrival and departure times.

Compton Garden/Greenhouse work.

We will start our 2025 season with the horticultural group at the LR zoo on Friday, April 11. We would like to invite everyone who is interested to join us. We work every other Friday, starting April 11. We meet at 9am and work until 11. We meet at the staff Parking lot (behind the apes) which accessed by driveway on the south side of the zoo off Jonesboro drive before the interstate. There is an electronic gate; just hit the button, when they respond say you are a master naturalist to work and they will buzz you in. We meet at the parking lot behind the apes.

Please bring hat, sunscreen, gloves, water, pruners, hand digging tool, such as hori hori, and any other tools you think you need.

If you have any questions, send an email to Ron Rowland at rrowlan60@gmail.com
or text Ron at 504-329-0599.

Thanks for you consideration. Hope you can join us!

Ron Rowland and Sarah Henry

The Interp Interest Group is open to all Chapter members! Join us in May to complete preparation for additional Native Plant-themed tabling programs for Crystal Bridges Garden Party event and elsewhere

The Nature Conservancy Tuesday aka “TNC Tuesday”

CAMN volunteers work at The Nature Conservancy office at 601 N. University on Tuesday mornings starting at 9:30 – noonish. Arrive when you want and leave when you want. There are several native plant gardens to be maintained. A new emphasis this year will be on the Zen Garden.

Also, our team may participate as land stewards starting in April doing Preserve work.

Three Conservancy locations that we can work as needed under direct supervision are:

Ranch North Woods: Behind the Ranch neighborhood, west of town off of Cantrell. Under Land Steward Caleb’s supervision, volunteers would work to control woody stems in the open fields (primarily Bradford pear), collect seed and spread seed in the grasslands. You may have the opportunity to see a prescribed burn.

Rattlesnake Ridge: Rattlesnake Ridge is part of the Maumelle Pinnacles, a rocky outcrop that is the edge of the Ouachita Mountains. Under supervision of Caleb, we would work on the trails and help close “social trails”, places where people take “short cuts”. We would work on controlling woody stems within the field to the right of the entrance road, and control invasive species (privet, mimosa, sericea lespedeza)

Blue Mountain: Blue Mountain is the next ridge over from Rattlesnake Ridge, also part of the Maumelle Pinnacles rock outcrop. Here we would want help with creating a species list using inaturalist and marking any non-natives observed.

Please contact Nancy Wyatt with questions.

Nancy Wyatt
Nwroute66@gmail.com
501-580-1218

The NCAMN Wildflower Meadow Team maintains the Gaston Wildflower Meadow at Bull Shoals-White River State Park from March through December. Team members will work for 2 hours on scheduled Wednesdays. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VERIFY START TIME BY CHECKING THE WORKDAY EMAIL AS TIME MAY VARY DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURE. The workday email will also list plans for the day and any additional tools that you might need. Always wear gloves and sturdy garden shoes, dress comfortably and expect to get dirty. Volunteers will become familiar with native plants common in north central Arkansas and learn about their characteristics and requirements for growth. Please log your volunteer hours as follows: Activity - Volunteer - Natural Area Maintenance, Sponsor: State Park: Bull Shoals-White River State Park.

YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ARRIVAL TIME BY CLICKING THE "REGISTER NOW" TO ENSURE THE GATE WILL BE UNLOCKED. Volunteer each week, every other week, once a month or once a quarter. Work at the Watershed Conservation Resource Center hoop house, at their Dead Horse Mountain Road property: enter thru the gate between the white fencing and drive down the lane to the Hoop House. Plant bare roots, re-pot if needed, separate seedlings, in ground planting, etc. These native plants will be used at WCRC project sites. All supplies are provided, just bring your favorite gardening gloves. YOU CHOOSE YOUR DATE(S) AND ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIME(S). Click the "Register Now" button to list your arrival and departure times.

Compton Garden/Greenhouse work.

Click the "Register Now" button to sign up to join the Illinois River Watershed Partnership in a clean-up to help improve the water quality of the Illinois River Watershed. We will provide you with all of the equipment and supplies needed to pick up litter, including trash-grabbers, gloves, and trash bags.

Please sign up using the "Register Now" button below. As part of our "Connecting Community to Urban Forests and Streams” project at Walker Park, the Watershed Conservation Resource Center is conducting a FREE training course on Invasive Plant Removal and Native Plant Establishment. The course is designed for both beginners and experienced people and will guide attendees on how to tackle invasive vegetation on their own property. For the experienced landowner or employee, it allows for the opportunity to discuss with the trainers, others problems and questions that arise when conducting invasive vegetation removal. WCRC staff is always learning as we work towards replacing invasive vegetation, such as bush honeysuckle and privet, with vegetation native to the Ozark Region.

We will have a workday to cleanup the Sugarloaf Mountain Trails Native Garden we planted last year.

This program explores Arkansas‘ six major ecological regions. Participants will gain an understanding of the natural diversity found within the state, and how human development has been shaped by the natural features of each region. The class will be taught by Erica Benoit. Erica is a native of Arkansas. She attended Hendrix College, earning degrees in Environmental Science and Spanish. She earned her master‘s degree in Env Sci at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where she also worked for the Sustainability in Prisons Project to being environmental education programs to incarcerated learners. Most recently she has held roles within the Arkansas Dept. of Agriculture to grow capacity for farm to school efforts (food education, school gardening, local foods in school meals) statewide. She is now the Education and Outreach Specialist at the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.

My name is Lauren Johnson, I am the Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist with Quail Forever, based in the Heber Springs NRCS office. One of Quail Forever‘s key components is raising awareness about pollinators, wildlife, habitat conservation, and other related topics. Heber Springs has never had a QF Farm Bill representative and so what better way to meet the community than to share my work with the public and build partnerships as I do it! For this "Nature Walk" event I really wanted to make it "family friendly" and ensure those from all ages and backgrounds felt welcome to join us on this walk. I have planned ways to keep children engaged and also ways to connect to their guardians as well. As of now I hope to have guests show up around 9:30 for a brief discussion and start the walk around 10. The walk is located at the hidden pond trail which is 0.25 miles long and handicap accessible.   Master Naturalist can come help with plant identification and nature interpretation. Lunch is provided.

We will begin with an indoor program presented by Dr. Clinton Willis, who will offer a different look at astronomy called “Archeoastronomy”. He will discuss how ancient civilizations mixed both their mythologies and science together in order to understand and explain the cosmos and the origins of many natural phenomena. Weather and cloud cover permitting, outdoor viewing will begin about 9:00 p.m. Saturn and Venus will be in the lower sky to the southwest. Jupiter will shine brightly and appear high in the sky, while Mars rises in the east. The Milky Way will be faint. Club members will bring high quality amateur telescopes for public viewing. Items you may wish to bring include a red light, binoculars, and a lawn chair. Reservations not required.