AEDC awards grants to support wildlife education, improve school conservation programs

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (February 14, 2023) - The Arkansas Economic Development Commission Division of Rural Services has awarded grants totaling $645,493.22 to promote wildlife education and improve school conservation programs to 206 schools, school districts, and conservation districts in 68 Arkansas counties. These grants are funded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission through fines collected from hunting and fishing violations. Only money collected in the county where the violation occurred may be used as grant funds for that county.

“Contrary to what some Arkansans may think, the AGFC never sees a single penny from citations our officers write,” AGFC Director Austin Booth said. “Instead, that money is invested in the children of that county to help instill that love of the outdoors that makes Arkansans unique.”

All schools in the state are eligible to participate in the program. The funding has helped schools create and maintain archery, fishing, and competitive shooting sports programs. Schools also have used the money to help improve wildlife education by purchasing educational materials, materials for the creation of indoor and outdoor habitats, lab supplies, and field trips to AGFC nature and education centers. Conservation districts have used the funding to help promote wildlife conservation awareness in the communities by hosting environmental education days and fishing derbies for children of all ages.

“As Arkansans, we are fortunate to live in a state with abundant wildlife and outdoor recreational opportunities,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic

Development Commission. “Supporting programs that enhance education and outdoor activities for students is an important investment in the future of our state.”

Outdoor education plays a vital role in understanding the need for conservation and participation in the outdoors, according to AGFC Chief of Education Tabbi Kinion.

“The AGFC is happy to partner with Rural Services on this program,” Kinion said. “Thousands of Arkansas students will be outdoors or having hands-on experiences in nature centers, learning and perfecting skills. These grants offer the opportunity to learn about wildlife habitat and conservation as part of the Arkansas school experience.”

Recipients from Polk and surrounding counties include:

• Caddo Hills High School$1,163.06 x 2

• Cossatot River High School$2.996.40

• Cossatot County Conservation District - $6,942.22

• De Queen High School -$3,000.

• Dierks High School - $1,184.07

• Mena Middle School - $203.52

• Mine Creek Conservation District - $1,184.07

• Mineral Springs High School$1184.06

• Mount Ida High School$1,163.05

• Ode Maddox Elementary School - 1,000.00

For more information, including a complete list of 2023 Game and Fish Wildlife Grant Award recipients and program narratives, visit https://www. arkansasedc.com/Rural-Services/division/grants/wildlife-education-grant

Woodworking Artist of the Year gallery opening at Forest Heritage Center

BROKEN BOW, OK, March 5 —

The work of some of the nation’s top wood artists will be on display during the 2023 Woodworking Artist of the Year gallery, located at the Forest Heritage Center in the heart of Beavers Bend State Park.

The 2023 Woodworking Artist of the Year will be named at the opening reception which will take place on March 5, at 1 p.m., a free event open to the public.

Graduates from the Beginning Woodturning program will also be recognized at the gallery opening and have their pieces on display. Beginning Woodturning is a grant-funded curriculum hosted at local high schools for youth and adult learners in partnership with Southeast Oklahoma Woodwork- ers.

As the “Wood Art Capital of Oklahoma,” the Forest Heritage Center has the honor of hosting the gallery with exquisite pieces from across the country.

Artists will compete in this year’s show with a diverse array of techniques including marquetry, furniture making, woodturning, carving, and sculpture.

The featured non-competing showpiece for this year’s exhibit is a life-size, fully operational wooden motorcycle and side car, crafted by Darrell Whisenhunt. Many wood artists select their material from Oklahoma’s diverse array of native woods, choosing to harvest timber or knots and burls that are otherwise unsuitable for construction, adding immense value to Oklahoma’s already booming forest industry.

The Woodworking Artist of the Year exhibit will be open free to the public from March 5–May 7 at the Forest Heritage Center. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1– 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information call 580494-6497 or email fhc@ag.ok.gov

This exhibit is made possible by the Oklahoma Arts Council, Forest Heritage Center, Oklahoma Forestry Services, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department.

By Richie Lawry

As I walked up to the beautiful antebellum mansion hidden behind lush old trees, I was impressed by its size and presence. I was in Natchez, Mississippi, with my wife and my sister, and it was the third historic home we had visited that day. The exotic oriental design of the house, with its octagonal shape and the Byzantine onion-shaped dome, was unlike any of the other homes we had seen. It seemed out of place in the southern United States. Each of the antebellum mansions in Natchez has a story to tell. Wealthy men wanted to show off their wealth and make sure they were noticed by Natchez society. The Natchez homes were town homes, as most of the homeowners’ wealth came from operation cotton plantations across the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The finest things that the world had to offer adorned these opulent homes. Marble and mirrors from Italy, carpets and china from France, clocks from Switzerland, and furniture from the finest furniture makers in the eastern United States were used in these luxurious houses.

Haller Nutt was one of the wealthiest citizens of Natchez. He was born on a plantation, and after attending the University of Virginia, he returned home to help his father run the family’s plantations. Nutt inherited and purchased several plantations. By 1860, he owned 43,000 acres of land and 800 enslaved people. It was Nutt’s oriental-style octagonal mansion that stood before me, gleaming in the sunlight.

As we toured Nutt’s home, that he called Longwood, our guide told us the story of the house. The tour started on the basement floor. One of the first things I noticed was how low the ceilings were compared to the other homes we had toured. The other grand homes we toured had ceilings from 12 to 19 feet tall. But here in Longwood, the rooms had 9-foot ceilings. Our guide explained that these basement rooms were never intended to be the living spaces for the family. Those rooms had 14-foot ceilings.

Unfortunately, the family never lived in those rooms. Our guide continued with the story of Longwood. Nutt hired Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan for his ambitious project. Sloan brought 200 artisans from Pennsylvania to Natchez and began work