Arkansas Online - NWA outdoor briefs -
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/jan/21/nwa-outdoor-briefs-20200121/

An article describing NCAMN's Gaston Wildflower Meadows project and their Ozark Folk Center work.

NCAMN's Stream Team keeps an eye on water quality.

NWAMN attended the tour of the Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center, which is under construction. Master Naturalists are expected to have a strong presence in the volunteer group.

Trail teams from NCAMN are keeping the Natural State natural, one trail at a time.

Master naturalists lead several of the classes at the Lions Club's Live And Learn Day on Nov. 9.

Arkansas Master Naturalists have a new website and web address. View the new site at www.arkansasmasternaturalists.org.

NWA Master Naturalists Leads Hike

https://arktimes.com/news/cover-stories/2019/04/26/big-ideas-for-arkansas-2019#foster

In this segment, Master Naturalist Lynn Foster discusses the importance of native bees and while native plants are essential for supporting the native bee population.

Ozarks Master Naturalists Install, Monitor Array of Nesting Box Habitats

Master Naturalist Catherine Jones is quoted in article about the history of the mussel industry in eastern Arkansas.

The City of North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department and the Arkansas Master Naturalists have announced the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Arkansas Master Naturalists Pavilion on the Arkansas River Trail on May 18 at 10 a.m.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, every now and again, you’ve got to stop and smell the…wildflowers. We know just the place, too – the Gaston Wildflower Garden Trail.

Good work, NCAMN!

As autumn's cooler weather looms and the delta variant of covid-19 persists, finding outdoor pleasure can be as easy as a walk in the park. That's literally the case at Wildwood Park for the Arts, home to multi-theme trails and gardens in a secluded expanse on Little Rock's western fringe.

PINEVILLE, Mo. -- Pineville Primary students are getting their hands dirty this school year as they learn and work in the school's new garden.
Earlier this year, the school received a youth grant through the Ozark Society Foundation's Youth Environmental Engagement Grant Program. Elizabeth Cusack, a resource teacher and speech implementer at Pineville Primary, said the purpose of the grant is to engage students in environmental awareness and conservation activities. She said the grant allowed the school to purchase garden beds, soil, plants and bird-feeding stations.

CAMN participates in cleanup.

Chinese Privet may represent 3% of Arkansas forest biomass.

Bella Vistans got together to pull more than 100 tires out of a ravine near the Tweetybird trail on Thursday, March 4.

Michael Beilfuss, an Arkansas Master Naturalist who helped organize the cleanup, said he lives near the trail in question and noticed the tires while hiking.

FAMN seeks new members and plans big year in 2021.

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is hosting a monthly presentation on some of the latest conservation research with which it is involved titled, “Wild Science” for biologists, educators and the general public to enjoy.

Christopher Middaugh, research biologist for the AGFC’s Research Division, said the seminars will enable not only the public but partner agencies and even AGFC staff across the state to learn more about the many research projects with which the AGFC is engaged.

“The AGFC is constantly funding and participating in incredibly important work, but some of it may not be what you think of when you think of the agency,” Middaugh said. “Research on game species and their habitats gets highlighted often, but there is so much out there that field staff and biologists are involved in that may not receive the attention of those species.

The Foothills Arkansas Master Naturalists (FAMN), one of ANHC’s Adopt a Natural Area Program (ANAP) partners, recently built and installed two new footbridges along the trail at Cove Creek Natural Area (NA).

The Ozark Society Foundation (OSF) has published “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Arkansas,” a long-awaited comprehensive field guide to woody plants across Arkansas. With 536 pages, 1,500 color photographs, illustrations, and maps, this new publication serves as the essential Arkansas field guide for outdoor use.

Northwest MN’s are excited about the possibilities for education and service as the new JB Hunt Nature Center nears opening.

Foothills Chapter stream team in Damascus

iNaturalist is a free app designed by National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences for users to explore and connect with nature. Jennifer Ogle, University of Arkansas Herbarium Collections manager, demonstrates how iNaturalist works on trail hike along Lake Fayetteville.

In this issue:

The Foothills Newsletter
Photo from the Foothills
The Class of 2020
The Stream Team at Cadron Creek
Trail Maintenance at Bell Slough
Project Wingspan Taking Off
Get To Know Dan Dawson

memorial tribute to Sandy Baker-Lague

Master Naturalists recognized for work at Ozark Folk Center State Park

NCAMN celebrated the holidays and another successful volunteer year.

A story about NCAMN's Kids Team appeared on the front page of the Baxter Bulletin

A story about NCAMN's garden teams appeared on the front page of the Baxter Bulletin on December 7.

A story about NCAMN's stream team appeared on the front page of the Baxter County newspaper on November 30, 2019

Baxter Bulletin NCAMN article

An article about NCAMN appeared on the front page of the Mountaineer Echo recently.

An article about NCAMN appeared in the Stone County Leader recently.

An article about NCAMN appeared in the Harrison Daily Times (Boone County) recently.

NCAMN members certify and re-certify Wilderness First Aid credentials

NCAMN celebrated tenth anniversary in mid-September with members of every class since the first one in 2009

Compilation of memorial tributes about Gerald Garrison from other members of NCAMN

Strategic Planning, restoring Chinquapin Oaks at Lake Wedington, library book donations, and much more was covered at the November meeting of the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalist Board.

In a session best described as “get-down-to-business time,” the NWA Chapter of Arkansas Master Naturalists addressed some challenging issues and recognized a few under-the-radar, get-it-done volunteers at its monthly Board of Directors meeting at the historic Shiloh Museum in Springdale (September 10).

With Arkansas Master Naturalists State President Laurie Hartshorn in attendance and a packed agenda on the table, the NWAMN Board of Directors at its August meeting addressed issues and opportunities related to prairie restoration, strategic planning, the Lake Wedington Recreation Area, and a proposed native plant nursery in Benton County.

Especially encouraging was the presence of about 40 master naturalists and friends at the historic Shiloh Meeting Hall in Springdale, creating an inspiring atmosphere of special significance to Chapter President Dave Leisure, who opened the meeting on August 13 with his trademark Fun Fact about Nature – this time about the wild prairie petunia and its unusual way of spreading its seeds.

WAMN NiTs attended a Pollinators class and a Mushrooms class.

Western Arkansas Master Naturalists hit the trail to help out the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center by clearing brush back from their trails.

WAMN's Stream Team hit the gravel bars of Frog Bayou to analyze water quality and have a good time doing it.

Western Arkansas Master Naturalists joined with the Arkansas Butterfly Lady to examine the Massard Prairie. Ben Geren Regional Park is converting the rough around its golf course from bermuda to prairie plants. The old Massard Prairie underlies the entire park, so eliminating the bermuda allows long-dormant seeds to grow into a blanket of blazing star, tickweed, indigo, purple coneflower, and others. The abundant flowers have brought back pollinators of the butterfly and bee varieties, as well as numerous prairie birds.