Lynne H. Hehr is the retired Director for the University of Arkansas STEM Center for Mathematics and Science Education and the Arkansas NASA Educator Resource Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. At the University, she was a formal and informal education link between the Arkansas K-12 science, technology, engineering, & mathematics education and research communities for more than 25 years.

Her education background includes a BS Ed degree in English from Indiana University and a BS and MS research degree in Geology from the University of Arkansas. Prior to 1988, she taught kindergarten through high school students in private and public schools. Her main responsibilities included connecting K-12 students and educators to materials, resources and personnel while providing professional development for K-20 pre- and in-service educators.

She has been the President of the Arkansas Science Teacher Association, Conference Chair for the annual state teacher Arkansas Curriculum Conference, Director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Science and Engineering Fair for 5th -12th grade students, and has served on local and national boards for the advancement of lifelong learners. She has presented hundreds of invited professional development presentations at international, national, state, regional and local conventions, conferences, institutes and workshops. Currently, Lynne is the Vice Chair of the Education Working Group for the international GLOBE program < http://globe.gov >.

OK, if you read all of that and are not totally asleep, I am a native Arkansan from rural northeast Arkansas. I love all things Earth related, especially rocks! I have traveled all 50+ states, all 7 continents, and more than 50 countries. I have lived in Fayetteville for 35 years, graduating from both Fayetteville High School (many, many years ago) and the University of Arkansas (several years ago).

For me, Nature provides inspiration, evoking both a sense of stillness and exultation for those who take the time to listen and wonder. In the seventh grade, I misspelled the word ‘environment’ and told my mother that I would never need to know that word. Funny thing, I have spent 50+ years being surrounded by it, both as student and teacher. I look forward to working with and for the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists, a group that exemplifies the best in environmental stewardship. Thank you for providing me this opportunity to serve.

 A Call to Action for Master Naturalist Volunteers  

Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists have successfully established or helped to establish some wonderful public native plant beds at more than ten locations in northwest Arkansas (see list below).   This has been the result of careful planning, generous application of MN elbow grease, donation of native plants grown by MN, and collaboration with our partner non-profit organizations.  It is critical that we work to maintain these gardens so they remain attractive and functional habitats for local native insects and birds.  According to Doug Tallamy in his recent book Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Back Yard, establishment of beds such as these is something each one of us can do to promote diversity and retention of our native species.  

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities and like to work outdoors, please consider becoming a regular volunteer for native plant bed maintenance.  Each of the native plant beds listed below has a Master Naturalist coordinator (see list for the coordinators and their contact information for each location) who has graciously agreed to organize volunteers to carry out needed work in a timely fashion.  Maintenance includes tasks such as pulling weeds, applying mulch, pruning, watering, plant replacement, updating and replacing plant labels, etc.  

Please contact one or more individuals on the list below to volunteer for maintenance duty on a MN native plant bed near you.  Thank you.  

List of native plant beds and project coordinators  

Greenway Master Naturalist Beds – City of Fayetteville – "Rachel Lyons" <rkatherine.lyons@gmail.com> 

Rogers Native Plant Gardens – "Phyllis Stair" <pkstair59@gmail.com>

Lake Wedington Projects – "Kathy Mason" <kathy@constructioneqspecialties.com> 

Devil’s Den State Park – "Martha Ragar" <mmragar@msn.com>

Hobbs State Park – "Ken Leonard” <kenleonard57@gmail.com>

Botanical Garden of the Ozarks – Native Plant Beds "Ken Leonard “ <KenLeonard57@gmail.com> 

Mock Park in Prairie Grove – "LaDeana Mullinix" <ldmullinix@aol.com>

Buckingham Trailhead Native Planting in Bella Vista – "Nancy Gilmore" <Nldugas@gmail.com>

Lake Springdale Trailhead Project – "Jonathan  Perrodin" <jonathanperrodin@gmail.com>

Eureka Springs – "Scott Miskiel" <smiskiel@hotmail.com> 

Frank Tillery Elementary School Native Plant Beds –  “Frankie Jackson” <frankie.jackson@rpsar.net>  

What a timely CE opportunity we have as NWA Master Naturalists who are eagerly awaiting the grand opening of the Ozark Highlands Nature Center and a local volunteer partnership with AGFC! Nature Center info here https://www.agfc.com/en/explore-outdoors/nature-and-education-centers/jbjhfohnc/

We are being included in an invitation to participate in a 6 hour Project Wild workshop, offered to educators and nature interpreters like us!

Project Wild is a K-12 hands-on activity-based curriculum guide featuring wildlife, habitat, and environment lesson plans. In Arkansas, Project Wild workshops and activity guides are FREE through AGFC's sponsorship.

Opportunity: Workshop details: August 18, 9 am-noon and August 19, 9 am-noon. Offered online via ZOOM

To register, contact Sheila Connerly, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Project WILD Coordinator at sheila.connerly@agfc.ar.gov.

Project WILD activities are a great resource as we build interpretation credibility with our volunteer partners.

Hope to see you on ZOOM...and soon in person !

Stay well,

Care Butler, NWAMN Continuing Education Chair

Dr. Susan Rupp

 2016 Washington County

Arkansas ranks second in the nation for broiler (poultry) production, with most of that production occurring in Benton and Washington counties in northwest Arkansas.  Poultry wastes, including substantial amounts of manure and litter, can contaminate groundwater, spread pathogens, and contribute to air pollution and global warming. Even old, non-operational poultry houses can continue to cause environmental contamination years after they have been decommissioned. A new research project aims to improve our natural resources by removing old poultry houses and replacing them with native grasses to improve water quality, stabilize soils, remove contaminants, and provide wildlife habitat. 

 Opportunity: We are looking for landowners who have 2 to 4 old 40' x 400' broiler houses on their property they would be willing to take down as part of a project to create a poultry house remediation program for the state of Arkansas. 

 Opportunity: We will also be looking for citizen scientist volunteers to assist with the project, if funded. 

If interested, please contact Dr. Susan Rupp at 479-340-7018 or email her at srupp@enviroscapes.org.

VIRTUAL August 15, 2020

15th Annual Secchi Day Science Fair Goes Virtual

To ensure everyone’s safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the “in-person” Secchi Day Science Fair at Prairie Creek is cancelled this year.  Instead, we invite you to join us for an ONLINE VIRTUAL 15th Annual SECCHI DAY SCIENCE FAIR 2020 with videos and photos of Environmental and Water Education activities for local citizens and friends around the world to learn from and enjoy. This is a work in progress. Please keep an eye on this webpage, as well as following Beaver Water District and our partners on our Social Media pages.

Secchi Day sampling activities will continue this year with all the necessary precautions to ensure everyone is safe. To indicate your interest in volunteering, email Matthew Rich at mrich@bwdh2o.org. 

Secchi Day is named for the Secchi Disk, a black and white device lowered into the water to measure clarity. Volunteers with boats help us gather samples that day. This takes about 20-30 minutes, but there’s travel time involved depending on where your sample point is located. Pre-registration well in advance is required. Additionally, you must have a boat (in some instances, sites that need to be sampled may be accessed via a kayak, a canoe or a stand-up paddle-board that is rigged to carry sampling gear and an ice chest).

Topic: Lake Fayetteville Watershed Partnership
Time: Aug 13, 2020 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 838 5292 5089
Passcode: 767717

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Joyce Hicks is one of only a handful of Arkansas Game and Fish certified and licensed turtle rehabbers.  Saving sick or injured box turtles, red-eared sliders, common snappers, and river cooters is her passion.  In this photo essay, NWA Master Naturalist Joyce tells the story about the Northwest Arkansas Turtle Rehabilitation Center.

What’s in a name?  How about the Dianthus aka Sweet William aka Sops In Wine aka Wild Carnation.  This annual with many names is among the favorites of nursery-raised flowers.

Unlike the hardy hibiscus, the tropical hibiscus makes its way onto patios and porches from nurseries and commercial greenhouses.  She’s a summertime favorite for many naturalists who enjoy her saucer-sized flowers and her ability to produce blossoms all summer long.

Below is an abbreviated synopsis of the meeting.

The NWAMN Board approved $1826 for the interpretive signage at Buckingham Trailhead and Blowing Springs Park.  

The Bella Vista and Beyond NWAMN, Cooper Elementary, and Discover Bella Vista is collaborating on a program about butterflies this summer.  Families are encouraged to participate.  Wildflower seed packets are available thanks to Discover Bella Vista and JB has about 400 packets left to distribute.  Opportunity:   Please contact JB Portillo if you would like wildflower packets or would like to help distribute them.

Opportunity:  Denise reported for Nancy that the Monarch monitoring project started today and will run through August 2nd.  Contact Nancy Dugas Gilmore for more information.  

Deb Shoemaker reported that the Leadership Committee is beginning to look at positions that will become open for next year, and will be advertising the openings.  Deb is working on position descriptions and an easy application for members to complete.  Announcements and information will be available on the website, social media and newsletter.  Opportunity:  Consider applying for a board position or to serve on the education, outreach or service committees.  

Susan Rupp submitted the grant proposal for poultry house remediation activities with a request for $148,000.  The announcement will be sometime in September.  If the grant is awarded there will be several opportunities for Master Naturalists to become involved.  She is looking to recruit land owners who have old poultry houses on their sites, particularly broiler houses.  Contact Susan Rupp if you know someone who may be interested in the project. Opportunity:  Contact Susan if you would like to be on her email list to volunteer at one of the field days or volunteer collecting data at treatment sites in August.  

Gayle Walker reported that the watering at Buckingham Trailhead is going well.  Several volunteers are taking turns watering the native plants about 3 times a week.   There is some deer damage but the gardens look good.  Opportunity:  If anyone is interested in helping to water, please contact Gayle Walker at sgcwalker@msn.com.

Carrie Byron is heading up a group to address membership engagement which is especially important during these times of social distancing due to COVID.  She and the group are looking for ideas to keep the members engaged and moving forward.  COVID seems to be taking its toll on involvement:  Jim Klinger reported that there was a 33% drop off in the number of members who read the July newsletter.  Partner organizations who requested volunteers for projects saw a decline in responses.  Four of the 7 groups who posted volunteer opportunities in the last newsletter did not receive any responses.  

Several ideas were generated such as working on infrastructure projects like the website and social media.  It was suggested that the Ambassadors (formerly the mentors) could be involved in contacting and encouraging members.   

Opportunity: Paula Hixon and her family have been conducting stream testing, but she needs help with quarterly data entry.  She would email the documents to the volunteer with the data needed to be inputted into the AR Game and Fish Commission database.  She estimates that it would take an hour each quarter to enter the data.    Contact Paula if you are interested.