Eureka Springs Volunteers Honored at Arkansas Municipal League Conference

At the recent Arkansas Municipal League Winter Conference held in North Little Rock, Eureka Springs mayor Butch Berry accepted an award on behalf of a local organization with close ties to NWAMN.

The Native Plant Garden Project, one of the three awards given, is the winner in the Under 5,000 Population category for Environmental/Green Management Practices. The Eureka Springs Native Plant Garden Project began about four years ago with two main objectives. The first was to provide a community educational resource by transforming a neglected right of way in downtown Eureka Springs into a vibrant, ecologically productive public green space. With support from the city, donors and NWA Master Naturalist volunteers, the neglected garden space along First Street has been transformed into a lovely demonstration of native plantings for attracting birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial wildlife. 

The second objective was to encourage others to go native by offering a variety of interesting learning opportunities. The Native Plant Garden Project has hosted several Native Plant Fairs that included native plant vendors and expert speakers. 

The Native Plant Garden Project was honored locally at the beginning of the Eureka Springs City Council meeting on Monday, February 24, 2020.

Fellow MNs and NITs!  If you haven't already, join our Facebook group at NWA Master Naturalists - Class of 2020.   You can use this group as your training journal and share photos and thoughts of your training days and activities.  Not only will each of our posts contribute to the full story of our shared Master Naturalist training experience, but they also plant the seeds of awareness to the good work that we are doing for our community!  Post! Comment! Share! 😊

The group is public, but we are allowing only MNs and NITs to submit new posts.   After joining the group, send a request to D Jasmine Dorn or any admin so that you can post.  Please be sure to identify your NIT group.

What year did you become a Master Naturalist?

2018

What was it that made you interested in MN?

The love of nature and the desire to know more about what I observed first drew me to the Master Naturalists.  When I learned about its outreach, service and dedication to protecting our natural resources, it felt like coming home.  

What activities do you volunteer as a MN?  

One of the joys of becoming a Master Naturalist is the abundance of volunteer opportunities.  I already had been working as a Kessler teacher volunteer for elementary field trips.  After becoming a MN,  I explored many other avenues including greenhouse work with Native Plants,  Avant Gardening at Crystal Bridges and more.  Since then I have primarily focused on volunteering at The Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, Mount Kessler and Wilson Springs. Being a Butterfly Nanny is one the highlights for me at BGO.  Participating as part of a team in the maintenance, monitoring and data collection for bird boxes at Wilson Springs is another project I thoroughly enjoy. An additional benefit of regular hikes at WS is the chance to take pictures along the way for the Citizen Science project iNaturalist.  I also am on the Citizen Science and Ambassador committees.  In the last two years I’ve moved from being trained in projects to be a trainer, though I always feel I still have a lot to learn.

How long have you been in NW Arkansas?  From where did you move?

Twenty-nine years ago my family relocated here from Katy, Texas.  I grew up outside Washington, D.C., but was attracted to wide open spaces and moved to various locals in New Mexico, then Texas before settling in Fayetteville.

What other hobbies besides MN do you enjoy?

So much about life fascinates me.  Of course, I love hiking, gardening, birding, and other MN pursuits. On the long list following would include travelling, reading, writing, painting, photography, cooking, movies and music.   Recently I have returned to genealogical research and find that alone can be a full-time endeavor.  

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I am very appreciative of  other Master Naturalists and volunteers  who take the time to share their knowledge and skills.  In the two years I’ve been with NWAMN I have seen great things accomplished through the efforts of many.  

The following books are being suggested for our upcoming meetings:    

March 19th, 2020:  Inconspicuous Consumption, The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have  by Tatiana Schlossberg.  Nominated by Rose Gergerich 

April 16th, 2020:  Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World by Emma Marris.  Nominated by Frankie Jackson  

May 2020:  We have decided to read Ansel Adams: An Autobiography by Ansel Adams, suggested by Ken Leonard for our May Book Club meeting, and we may possibly meet at Crystal Bridges on May 23rd during Ansel Adams exhibit. Our normal meeting date for May 2020 is on Thursday, May 21st.  Stay tuned while we firm up plans for this book. 

See you next month, till then, get outdoors!!