Earth Day 2023: Every little bit helps

By Ethan Nahté

Earth Day had a bit of nip in the morning air as the day began down in the 40s and the breeze, although light, was constant. It was especially noticeable at clean-up events around Mena Lake and atop the mountain at Queen Wilhelmina State Park (QWSP).

A small local group from Human Rights Mena began at the old fireworks stand at Mena Lake early Saturday morning.

Johnson said the reason they chose Mena Lake was because they noticed it “had a lot of litter in the area. We decided we’d do something about it.” and bottles, fishing items like line and bait, cigarettes and tobacco products.”

Kynleigh said, “The animals that live around here [might be] eating the trash, and I don’t like that. She also recently planted a tree sapling at her home that was given to her at school as part of a program. This year, Arbor Day was Apr. 17 in Arkansas.

They also picked up broken glass and sharp, rusty wire in the parking lot, a highway reflector and roofing material.

Ashley reported in the first hour their group had picked up three-to-four bags worth of trash. “Our small group picked up going down the gravel road where the firework stand is by the lake access. The trash was concentrated to the roundabout before the lake and in all of the brush in the area. We picked up primarily cans

Families visiting from outside of Polk County assisted at QWSP, picking up trash along the trails, in the campground and the Talimena Scenic Byway within the park’s boundaries. The Patrick family were first-time campers at QWSP. Hayden Patrick said, “Wanting to just get outdoors and enjoy everything. We love it. Beautiful scenery so far and had a good time walking the trails.” Hayden is an environmental manager at Tyson Foods in Nashville, Arkansas. “It’s what I do every day. It’s nice that we came up here on the same weekend as Earth Day and do our part in trying to keep the earth clean.”

QWSP Interpreter Ivory Detter wondered if there would be anything to pick up as she praised the work of the park’s maintenance team. “Our maintenance guys do fantastic work here keeping it clean all of the time. [Earth Day] clean-up just really help get that additional boost. It lets the people come out and help. The park is for the people.” This is Detter’s first Earth Day Spring Clean-up. She does a clean-up in September, as well. The September 2022 event resulted in approximately 50 pounds of trash being collected within the QWSP boundaries. The importance is more than just preserving the beauty of the park. Detter said, “Up here on Rich Mountain, we have a lot of rare species that you don’t find anywhere else. We’re kind of like our own little island in the sky up here. We have specialized species like the Rich Mountain salamander and the Means’ giant earthworm. Because their population is so limited to a certain spot, litter really does terrible things for them. They need a clean, healthy environment. Even the smallest thing — just leaving a bag of trash on the trail can do harm to these creatures. Especially their tiny little habitat ranges.” Trash that ends up near the waterfalls and ravines that quickly fill during storms are also a potential for spreading litter not just on the mountain, but it flows down the mountain and into streams and rivers.

The wind is another hazard. “Things just get carried right off the mountain into the valley.”

Cigarette butts are another issue. “Those are some of the worst. It’s not just the paper from the butts, it’s also the chemicals that go along with that. Those take decades to go away. Even when you don’t see it anymore, the chemicals left behind from the cigarette butts are still there and still in the environment. We talk all the time about what cigarettes do to people — it does the same thing to the animals and the environment.” Wildfires from a cigarette butt are another threat. “It’s terrifying to me because we do have such specialized species up here, it would take only one really catastrophic event to completely alter our ecosystem and do a lot of harm to our critters. Controlled burns are absolutely essential; wildfires are terrifying.”

Detter was surprised that her 11 volunteers managed to find 20 pounds of litter Saturday. She said, “All together, a fantastic day to be out in the park, keeping it protected for future generations.”

To learn more about Earth Day, visit earthday.org/.

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By Richie Lawry

I sat in the high school auditorium, waiting in anticipation for the play to begin. I had been hearing about the play for several weeks. My oldest granddaughter, a junior in high school, had written the play over the last month. She also directed the play, with 15 of her fellow high school students performing all the roles.

When it was time to begin, my granddaughter made her way to the front of the auditorium and began to speak. “My name is Autumn Grant,” she began. “I am the writer and director of ‘The Unlikely Messenger.’ I am very nervous and excited to have you all watch the play that the drama class has worked hard on for so many hours for your enjoyment. I have a few little requests for you in the audience. Number one is, please silence your cell phones because this play takes place in the 1840s, so they did not have cell phones. It would add to the realism if no cell phones went off during the play. Just silence your cell phone so the actors don’t realize that they’re actually in 2023.”

After the introduction, the lights dimmed and faded to black. The audience was silent as a spotlight appeared on the center aisle, and three young girls walked toward the stage, happily chatting. Another girl soon appeared, and there was an altercation. When the three girls ignored her and walked away, she picked up a rock and threw it at them, hitting Ellen in the head. Her sisters pick Ellen up and carry her home.

The following scenes show the doctor visiting Ellen, her mother pleading with God for Ellen’s life, and her father not recognizing her because of her injuries. After her family listens to William Miller, a famous preacher of the era, they are excited that Jesus is coming soon. They are very disappointed when Jesus doesn’t come when they thought he would.

God calls teenage Ellen to comfort the followers of William Miller who have been disappointed, but she doesn’t feel like she can and stays away from church meetings, so she won’t have to share what God has told her. She tells God, “I know what you showed me. I know you want me to share