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.

Maintenance of wildflower gardens. Assist staff with special projects and educational programs; general light maintenance; other duties as needed, in a multi-use natural area managed by AGFC.

April 18 Presentation on Monarch Butterfly Adventure In December 2023, four Arkansas Master Naturalists — Lynn Foster, Debbie Milam, Kathy Boone and Ann Owen — journeyed to the oyamel fir forests in Michoacan, Mexico to see monarch butterflies overwintering in their natural habitat. Join us on April 18 to learn about their trip, the biology of the monarch butterfly, why monarchs are in trouble, what people are doing to help, and what you can do. Our chapter will be selling Arkansas Butterflies and Moths books, we’ll have monarch-related door prizes! And as with all Central Arkansas Master Naturalists meetings, there will be pizza! Please RSVP to Ann Owen at 501-960-0063 if you’re planning on having pizza (and whether you have any food restrictions). Please bring your own water bottle or other soft drink. The meeting will be held at Second Presbyterian, 600 Pleasant Valley Dr. in Second Hall, which is most easily accessed through the Northeast Entrance. Pizza time: 6:00 p.m. Program time: 6:30 p.m. Co-sponsors: Ozark Society Pulaski Chapter Environmental Stewardship Ministry, Second Presbyterian Church

THIS IS A RESCHEDULED EVENT (ORIGINALLY 20 APRIL) DUE TO WEATHER AND SCHEDULING OF KEY PERSONNEL. Meet at the Parking Lot of Bluffton House across from Double-Drop Falls Trailhead at 1:00 on Friday, 19 April. Three tree plots have been approved by the TNC to be used for new Ozark Chinquapin plantings that will be planted on this date. The plots have been prepped by selective clearing; the objective is to plant, tube and catalog Ozark Chinquapin seeds that have germinated. One site is easily accessible with the other two sites being off-trail; we will have to travel up the nose of a spur that will be an approximate 100’ elevation change. These are experimental plantings whose sites were chosen by assessing positive environmental factors for natural growth with minimal intervention. The trees will be monitored but mostly left to nature unless conditions may require periodic watering. Steve Bost (Founder and President of the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation) and Doug Zollner (Ecologist and Director of Science and Strategy with The Nature Conservancy) will be joining us for the planting. Please bring water and good hiking boots with ankle support. Directions: About 6.0 miles north of the Hwy 65/09 intersection in Clinton on Hwy 65, take County Road 79/Watergate Road (600 feet north and across from Botkinburg Foursquare Church – Correctly located on Google). Continue down Watergate Road (keep right at the fork) and watch for the Double-Drop Falls sign (35.653407,-92.525950), proceed approximately 50 feet, turn right into driveway and continue to the parking in front of Bluffton House (coordinates: 35.652746,-92.527426 - copy and paste into Google Earth or Maps). Call Robert with any questions or if you would like to carpool/caravan at 501-733-4019.

The main spraying will be done by 4-wheeler, but several members, preferably with backpack sprayers are needed to spray hard-to-reach areas. This event was cancelled on March 13th due to wind.

Leslie Patrick, instructor This class is out of doors, so dress appropriately for the weather. Wear sturdy shoes for the walking portion of the class. Bring your lunch, snacks and beverages.

Our rescheduled Boom Blast from 4/13 happens here, April 20, in conjunction with Impact the Rock and LR Parks & Rec. Still at Benny Craig, all the usual instructions apply.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR 1:00 FRIDAY, 19 APRIL DUE TO WEATHER AND SCHEDULING OF KEY PERSONNEL. Meet at the Double-Drop Falls Trailhead at 10:00 on Saturday, 20 April. Three tree plots have been approved by the TNC to be used for new Ozark Chinquapin plantings that will be planted on this date. The plots have been prepped by selective clearing; the objective is to plant, tube and catalog Ozark Chinquapin seeds that have germinated. One site is easily accessible with the other two sites being off-trail; we will have to travel up the nose of a spur that will be an approximate 100’ elevation change. These are experimental plantings whose sites were chosen by assessing positive environmental factors for natural growth with minimal intervention. The trees will be monitored but mostly left to nature unless conditions may require periodic watering. Steve Bost (Founder and President of the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation) and Doug Zollner (Ecologist and Director of Science and Strategy with The Nature Conservancy) will be joining us for the planting. Please bring water and good hiking boots with ankle support. Directions: About 6.0 miles north of the Hwy 65/09 intersection in Clinton on Hwy 65, take County Road 79/Watergate Road (600 feet north and across from Botkinburg Foursquare Church – Correctly located on Google). Continue down Watergate Road (keep right at the fork) and watch for the Double-Drop Falls sign (35.653407,-92.525950 copy and paste into Google Earth or Maps). Call Robert with any questions at 501-733-4019.