Arkansas Out-of-Doors March/April 2012 by The Courier

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Arkansas Out-of-Doors • March/April 2012 - 1

MARCH/APRIL 2012

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A R K A N S A S W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N • A F F I L I AT E D W I T H T H E N AT I O N A L W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N

Photo by Wayne Shewmake

VOL 40

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit 128 Russellville, Ark. 72801

NO 2

2 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • March/April 2012

The older I get the more I realize the importance of wildlife. This is one of the reasons I try to do so much toward conservation. I feel we all have to take part in trying to conserve what nature and God has put here for us. President’s Letter May 1, 2012 Spring is here again, and we made it through the winter without having much of a winter. This is good for some but not so good for others. Wildlife should have had an easy time during the light winter, at least we hope so. I’m sure we humans will have a hard time with pesky insects this spring and summer since they also had an easy winter. It is great to see nature come to life in the springtime. My wife and I go down to the pond and feed the fish most every evening and sit in the swing by the pond. We watch the catfish come up and the turtles come to feed. We also get to watch the sunset and listen to all of the different birds in our area. In the fall we sometimes see the deer come out if we are quiet enough. It is so good to enjoy nature. The older I get the more I realize the importance of wildlife. This is one of the reasons I try to do so much toward conservation. I feel we all have to

take part in trying to conserve what nature and God has put here for us. To me it is so important to give a helping hand to nature to benefit wildlife. When is the last time you took the time to give of your time to help or support conservation in your area? What part of nature is important to you? If we all did a little each day, week, or month, just imagine what could be. Do you ever stop to think what if we lost one or more species of birds? What about small game, like squirrels? What can we do

without? The answer is none. We need to conserve all we have. It is up to us to do what is necessary to help nature out and provide the necessary assistance to maintain what we have. I am a member of Audubon but I am not an authority on birds. I can recognize several of them by sight and a few by sounds, but I think most everyone enjoys listening to them sing their melody. So I ask you to get outside and spend time with your family and friends and enjoy nature. Take some pictures and share them with us and your friends. I have taken some

very good pictures of several species of butterflies this spring, some appearing in this issue of the paper for you to see. If you take some really good pictures of wildlife, nature, or just a wonderful sunset, send it to us, we might use it in our centerfold. Send them to arkwf@sbcglobal.net then watch the paper to see if your image(s) make it in. Get outside and enjoy what nature has to see. Thanks for your support

Wayne Shewmake - AWF President

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Mission Statement

To promote conservation, responsible management and sustainable use of Arkansas’ fish, wildlife, habitat, natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities through education and advocacy.

President - Wayne Shewmake 1st VP - Ellen McNulty 2nd VP - Jerry Crowe Treasurer - Gary Bush Secretary - Lucien Gillham

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Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012- 3

AWF Nominated “Hero for a Day” By Wayne Shewmake

Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AFW), along with National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Arkansas Tech Fisheries & Wildlife Society, U.S. Forest Service Ozark—St. Francis National Forest, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), National Wildlife Federation, and the National Forest Foundation (NFF), recently held a work day at the Bearcat Hollow Project in the Ozark National Forest, Big Piney Ranger District as part of the Toyota and Field & Stream, “Hero for a Day” conservation program. See their web site link @ http://www.fieldandstream.com/herofor-a-day/ozark for more information. This project is part of the stewardship agreement between all of these and other environmental organizations to enhance the habitat on National Forest land called Bearcat Hollow.

This project is supported through an NFF grant to NWTF and AWF to improve the Bearcat Hollow habitat for fish and wildlife. This stewardship agreement includes Phase I, which is approximately 6,000 acres, with about 450 acres of openings planted for wildlife. Work on the project this year will almost complete Phase I of the project, which has cost about $1 million including all partner funds. AWF, NWTF and RMEF hosted a work day on April 21 for Earth Day, on the Bearcat Hollow Project. Emails and flyers were sent out to let everyone know about the work day. I talked to the Arkansas Tech University Fisheries and Wildlife Society about this project and asked for their help. They responded with several volunteer club members for the work day, and some camped out with us and made a great weekend out of it. We could not have accomplished our work goal without their help. We worked on two gates into habitat openings, put in to allow vegetation to grow for wildlife. In addition, we removed some old fence wire and posts to prevent wildlife from getting entangled, and we sowed seed by hand. ATU volunteers also picked up trash along the roads in the area. We served breakfast and lunch, cooked on an open fire, to all who volunteered. We were able to accomplish our goals and meet our objective to benefit wildlife. Approximately 50 volunteers showed up to support the work being done on the Bearcat Hollow Project. I want to thank Forest Service employees Jim Dixon and Dwayne Rambo, TNC's Doug Zollner, AGFC’s Martin

Field & Stream Nominates the Bearcat Hollow Project By Johnny Sain, Jr.

The forests covering the Ozark Mountains of today are quite different from those encountered by the first Ozark explorers. The dense hardwood ridges and creek bottom cedar glades were at one time open and park-like. Fewer yet larger trees allowed more sunlight to reach the forest floor. More sunlight meant more plant growth with native grasses and wildflowers blanketing the hillsides. The native fauna was more diverse as well. The familiar wild turkey and whitetail deer were present, but the lords of the mountains were elk and American bison. Black bear and bobcat prowled the ridges and hollows as they do today, but bobwhite quail and collared lizards flourished in the open Ozark savannah. Then, logging and the economy of a growing nation came and changed the habitat of the mountains forever. Or did it? Bearcat Hollow is located in the Richland watershed of Newton and Searcy counties in Arkansas. It is as far removed from the civilized world as one can get in modern Arkansas. This solitude is one reason it was chosen as the location for a grand

conservation effort, an effort to restore—at least in part—the Ozark forest of yesteryear. The U.S Forest Service has been working in conjunction with conservation partners on the Bearcat Hollow project. Project partners include the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and its affiliate the ATU Fish and Wildlife Society, the National Wildlife Federation, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Forest Foundation, the River Valley Chapter Audubon Arkansas, and The Nature Conservancy. The project was proposed by the Arkansas Game and Fish commission in 2002 as a wildlife improvement project on public lands. The proposal was made in part to address the loss of habitat stemming from the decline of oaks throughout the Ozark Highlands due to an oak borer—a beetle that lays its eggs in oak trees and can kill the trees--infestation. Jim Dixon, from the U.S. Forest Service, explained some objectives of the Bearcat Hollow Project. “Bearcat Hollow will provide more habitats for wildlife species, including deer, turkey, elk, and many nongame species as well. The increase in habitat

Blaney, Ray Wiggs & Wesley Wright, NFF’s Adam Liljeblad, NWF’s Geralyn Hoey, NWTF’s Dennis Daniels, and RMEF’s Sam Sneed for their leadership and support. I would also like to say thank you to AWF's executive director, Ethan Nahté, and board members, Bobby Hacker, Lola Perritt and Ralph Odegard, for their help and support. A very special thank you goes out to Toyota/Field & Stream for recognizing Arkansas Wildlife Federation as “Hero for a Day” for our conservation work on this project and the filming crew for their help and patience. The award ceremony won't be until the first weekend in October, and AWF hopes to win. But even so, we are proud to be nominated and enjoyed the experience. You can make a difference for fish, wildlife and our National Forest by joining and supporting these kind of projects.

will reduce wildlife impact on private lands, reducing landowner wildlife conflicts.” The project is centered on the idea that biodiversity is the hallmark of a healthy ecosystem as Dixon explained. “This type of habitat enhancement can increase biodiversity in the Ozark National Forest. In some cases the increase could be incredible, from seven species per acre before restoration up to 75 per acre after restoration. These numbers are based on studies done in similar nearby areas.” The Arkansas Wildlife Federation and its affiliates have spearheaded volunteer work at Bearcat Hollow and others have noticed. As a result, the Arkansas Wildlife Federation has been nominated for the Field &Stream/ Toyota Hero for a Day Conservation Award. If AWF wins the award, the organization will receive $5000 and the use of a new Toyota Tundra pickup. AWF will compete against nine other volunteer conservation efforts across the country. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in October of this year in Washington, D.C. Film crews from Field & Stream magazine, and the Arkansas program The Huntin’ Show, were on hand at Bearcat Hollow to document the nomination on Saturday, April 21. The crews videoed demonstrations of habitat restoration including old fence removal, invasive plant

removal, water habitat enhancement, and field seeding. Forty-eight people attended the event. Representatives from many of the partnering conservation groups on this project, as well as professors and members from Arkansas Tech University, were on hand for the video as well. National Wildlife Federation Regional Representative Geralyn Hoey was very pleased with the AWF nomination. “We are very proud of this honor for the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. As an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, their work at Bearcat Hollow is a great example of the habitat improvement and maintenance that is a cornerstone for wildlife preservation.” Members of the Arkansas Tech Fish and Wildlife Society have played a key role in providing hours of labor for the BCHP. Much of their work will provide them with experience for future jobs, but the love of wild things and wild places also provides motivation. ATU F&W Society member Daniel Cooper summed up his reasons. “Instructors tell us that we need to take advantage of volunteer opportunities. Getting together here is a great way to meet other people involved in conservation. It looks good on a résumé and everything, but really, I just like to be outside and this is a great place to be outside.”

4 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012

Water’s Up! It’s Time to Visit Beaver Lake and Look for Wildflowers! By Dr. Robert Morgan

March 25, 2012 - Last week at Drake Field in the Beaver Lake watershed there was, according to the National Weather Service, just over four inches of rainfall. All that rainfall did, of course, was flow down the West Fork of White River into Beaver Lake. As a result, the water surface elevation increased by about five feet up to elevation 1125, just five feet below the top of the dam. High water and spring weather mean one thing: it’s time to look for wildflowers! Let me explain. Beaver Lake is a multipurpose reservoir operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. One of the multi-purposes is flood control. The way the Corps controls floods is by allowing the water surface of the reservoir to fluctuate throughout the year. When floods occur, the reservoir fills with the surplus water. Water is then released slowly into the downstream river after the floods have subsided. The water surface is high frequently enough that perennial vegetation doesn’t survive except above the highest flood elevation; in our case that is elevation 1130 feet above sea level. So, with the water surface well into the flood pool, it is now possible to get much closer to the vegetation, which of course is where the wildflowers live. With our great spring weather and the high water, we now have the perfect combination for viewing wildflowers around Beaver Lake. Viewing wildflowers was exactly what my wife, Sharon, and I did on the lake this weekend. That wasn’t necessarily our goal; it just worked out that way. Saturday morning

at 9:05 we launched our canoe at the Blue Springs use area. Blue Springs use area is on the Brush Creek arm of the lake near its confluence with the White River arm. It’s about a mile upstream from Highway 412. Our destination was Cedar Bluff, which was just a bit upstream from the confluence on the White River arm. It was cool Saturday morning; the temperature was in the mid-fifties. But the launching ramp was in the sun. We shed our jackets and left them in the truck. When we rounded the corner into the shade of the hillside, we regretted our decision. It was quite cool in the shade. The water was murky from the recent flood. Only a couple of inches of paddle were visible in the water. There were also hundreds of logs floating in the lake. Motoring through this area would have been hazardous. The canoe slid by the logs with ease. There was no wind, so the paddling was easy. Most notable about Cedar Bluff is that it is aptly named. The hillsides around the bluff, above the bluff, and even flat spots on the bluff are covered with Red Cedars. But the cedars aren’t continuous. There are clearings, also called glades, interspaced

within the cedars. With the high water, we were able to get right up next to the glades in our canoe. These glades are very steep and rocky. The hillside rises 75 to 100 feet above the lake. Access from the shore would be impossible without climbing ropes. The glades are protected by their inaccessibility. Their steep slopes, thin soils, and exposure to the elements make them a unique microecosystem in the Ozarks. Our first inkling that this was a special place was a hint of pink up high on a glade. It was too far away to identify. Just around the next group of cedars we were treated to a whole hillside of pink. This time they came right down to the rocky shoreline. Sharon, who got her retirement degree in horticulture, identified them as Rose Verbena. Then we saw the whites, whole fields of them! It turned out to be False Garlic. There were fifteen to twenty glades like this along the hillside and in flatter parts of the bluff. Each one was covered with pink and white flowers. There were also serviceberry and redbud trees and one tree with white flowers. Sharon’s best guess on that tree is Rusty Blackhaw. There was work to do back at the house, so we turned back to the car at ten AM. We shot a few photos and observed a turkey vulture drying his wings before it could fly on this cool morning. We were back in the car headed home by 11:15. Sunday turned out to be the perfect day. It was clear, the temperature was 78, and there was no wind. I couldn’t stand it! We headed back out to the lake mid afternoon. This time we headed downlake toward Highway 412 and explored the west bank. The hillside was deciduous forest. There were few openings. It was steep and inaccessible from land, perfect for woodland wildflowers. Paddling along this east-facing hillside was more difficult than paddling along Cedar Bluff. Bank erosion has eaten away at the shoreline over time. As a result, lots of trees have fallen over into the lake. Maneuvering around the dead fall required extra attention; otherwise your wife got stuck in the trees with the predictable results. Bugs fell into the canoe as an added extra. Our reward for dealing with deadfall and bugs was a hillside full of Yellow Dog Tooth Violet. Then there was the Large Bellwort and the Dutchman’s Britches. There were also dogwoods on this hillside. We slowly moved along the hillside into an area with a more open shoreline. As we moved out into

the open, the wildflowers transitioned back to Rose Verbena and False Garlic. All good days eventually end, so we headed back to the landing. Several larger boats were motoring around the lake. They likely had a good time. The Yellow Dog Tooth Violets evaded them. It was their loss. The waters up. Get out and see some wildflowers! Editor’s Note: Dr. Robert “Bob” Morgan is the Manager of Environmental Quality for Beaver Water District, the major drinking water provider for Northwest Arkansas. The District’s water source is Beaver Lake, which was impounded in the 1960s. Dr. Morgan’s goal is to be on Beaver Lake once a month and share his observations in words and pictures. “Through this exercise, I hope to get a better feel of the moods of the lake through the year, as well as to learn more about the lake and its immediate surroundings.” This is an excerpt from his March edition. To sign up for Dr. Morgan’s blog, visit bwdblog.com. For more information about Beaver Water District, visit bwdh2o.org, go to the Beaver Water District You Tube channel, or find the District on Facebook.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012- 5

Gordon Bagby AGFC Education Specialist Central Arkansas Nature Center

Loren Hitchcock and Wayne Shewmake

Hitchcock announces retirement as AGFC director LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Loren Hitchcock announced April 6 his retirement effective June 30. Hitchcock, who began his career with the AGFC in 1985, has served as director since January 2011. Before that, Hitchcock had served as the interim director. Hitchcock began his AGFC career as a wildlife officer. In 1989, he became chief of the Enforcement Division, a position he held until 2003. In 2001, he took on additional duties as deputy director. Hitchcock said it has been an honor to work with and for so many great people throughout his career. “This agency by far has the most dedicated staff ever assembled in state government. My sincere ‘thank you’ to the scores of past Commissioners, Gov. Mike Beebe and past governors, legislative leaders, co-workers and everyone that I have come into contact and worked with,” he said. “Moreover, my gratitude goes out to our current Commissioners for the guidance and wisdom they’ve given me,” he added. Hitchcock spearheaded the Enforcement Division’s role in the passage of the 1/8thCent Conservation Sales Tax in 1996. He was designated as lead administrator in the agency’s acquisition of the state’s largest conservation easement – 16,000-acre Moro Big Pine Natural Area Wildlife Management

Area – and 4,000 acres in fee title property in Searcy County for continued elk restoration. He led the agency’s negotiations with Chesapeake Energy in its acquisition of mineral rights and natural gas exploration on wildlife management areas in the Fayetteville Shale play. The leases brought $32 million to the state of Arkansas, plus unknown gas royalty payments for decades to come. Additional highlights of his service include appointments to special committees and task forces by former governors Bill Clinton, Mike Huckabee and Mike Beebe. He served as the Southeastern States Law Enforcement Chief’s president in 1994. He has testified before numerous legislative committees concerning salary and benefits for wildlife officers and AGFC employees. Numerous equipment upgrades and new training techniques have been implemented during his oversight of the Enforcement Division. Hitchcock was born and raised in Batesville. He graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He is married and has two sons. [Editor’s Note: Loren has been very helpful in addressing some of AWF’s needs and projects. We have enjoyed working with Loren and wish him the best.]

Fishing Information Springtime brings warmer weather which in turn warms the water in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. Fish begin to become active which attracts anglers. You can keep up with the fishing status around the state by reading the Weekly Fishing Report on the Game and Fish Commission website. There is an option to have it e-mailed to you. Another helpful item on the website is a collection of lake maps from around the state. Although not extensive, it does have a good distribution of locations. Both of these are available at www. agfc.com under the Resources link. One of my favorites is bream fishing with crickets. I’m sure that rings a bell with many of you as well. There is nothing worse than to have found an area where they’re actively biting only to be delayed by struggling with a cricket tube. Invariably I ended up losing several crickets and a lot of time. However, I learned a great tip several years ago that makes baiting a cricket fast and easy. Put them in an empty fivegallon plastic bucket and you’ll have plenty of room to reach in and grab one off the bottom. They don’t climb up the bucket and must not be smart enough to fly out of there, so it works like a charm. Try it, you’ll like it! Another thing many fishermen face is getting rods tangled together when transporting them in a vehicle or boat. Retailers sell rod wraps and tubes but since I don’t fish with high-dollar rods and reels, I don’t want to buy wraps and tubes. A few years ago as I walked through a home improvement store, I saw the answer to my problem in the plumbing supply area. Foam water pipe insulation comes in several

sizes and some fit fishing rods perfectly. They cost a dollar or two apiece—perfect for me. To use, separate the slit in the pipe insulation. Cut the insulation a little longer than your rod and then cover the rod with it moving from the rod butt to the tip. In most cases this will cover most of the line guides, too. AGFC Director Loren Hitchcock Resigns AGFC Director Loren Hitchcock announced April 6 that he will resign on June 30. He began work at the agency as an enforcement officer in 1985. He became chief of the enforcement division in 1989 and remained so until 2003. Hitchcock became deputy director in 2001and director in 2011. Upcoming Events at the Central Arkansas Nature Center Besides the normal high level of school groups visiting during May, we have Riverfest during Memorial Day weekend. Being located in Riverfront Park brings several thousand people through our door. Then they get to see and experience what the center offers at no cost thanks to funding from Amendment 75 of 1996. If you go to Riverfest, please come see us! In addition, the “Wildlife of Arkansas” art exhibit, co-sponsored by AWF and Creative Ideas, will be on display. Check out the winning art of Arkansas students from kindergarten through 12th grade throughout May and during Riverfest. The awards ceremony is free to attend and will be held at 6:30 PM on May 4th at the Central Arkansas Nature Center.

6 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012

U.S. Supreme Court to hear AGFC case on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA timber damage

LITTLE ROCK – During the first week of April the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission made a major advancement in its 7-year-long lawsuit against the United States Government for cost recovery of timber damages to its Dave Donaldson Black River Wildlife Management Area. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with AGFC’s argument to review the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s decision that overturned a lower court award in favor of AGFC. In its brief to the high court, the AGFC argued it is entitled to compensation from the United States under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment for physically taking its bottomland hardwood timber on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA through six consecutive years of protested flooding during the sensitive growing season. The Court of Federal Claims had awarded $5.78 million, plus interest, costs and attorney fees, finding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ actions destroyed and degraded more than 18 million board feet of timber, left habitat unable to regenerate and prevented the use and enjoyment of the area. The Federal Circuit reversed the trial judgment on a single point of law. A sharply divided 2-1 panel ruled that the United States did not inflict a taking because its actions were not permanent and the flooding eventually stopped. The Federal Circuit denied rehearing en banc in a fractured 7-4 vote. The AGFC filed suit against the U.S. on March 18, 2005, to recoup the value of dead and dying timber and to restore areas where timber died on Dave Donaldson Black River WMA, which covers about 24,000 acres in Clay, Randolph and Greene counties. During the 11-day trial in December 2008, which

included a site inspection of parts of the WMA, the AGFC was able to prove that the Army Corps of Engineers’ management of water from the Black River and Missouri’s Clearwater Lake caused significant damage to the WMA’s bottomland hardwood timber. AGFC Chief Legal Counsel Jim Goodhart said he was very pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case. “We’re also happy for the people of Arkansas. The Black River Wildlife Management Area is one of the crown jewels of our state’s great wildlife management heritage,” Goodhart said. “We just want to right the wrong caused by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ flooding and subsequent timber damage to one of Arkansas’s – and this country’s – celebrated waterfowl habitat areas,” he added. The case involves the Clearwater Lake water-control plan of 1950 that the Corps was following until 1993, when the Corps began deviating from the plan to accommodate farming requests from within the Missouri boot heel region. The water deviations caused increased flooding on Black River WMA, particularly during the summer growing season. By the mid-1990s, the AGFC had repeatedly warned the Corps about flooding and potential hardwood damage on Black River WMA. In the Federal Claims Court ruling, Judge Lettow agreed that had the Corps “performed a reasonable investigation of the effects the deviations would have on downstream water levels, it would have been able to predict both that the deviations would increase the levels of the Black River in the management area and that the flooding caused by these increased levels would damage timber.” Instead, it was only in 2001 that the Corps performed actual water testing near the WMA

of the modified water-control plan it had been using since 1993 and determined it could no longer continue the practice because of the potential for significant impact on natural resources. The Corps then returned to the water management plan used before 1993. From late 1999 to the filing of the lawsuit in early 2005, the AGFC attempted to negotiate with the Corps, hoping to receive compensation and avoid a lawsuit before the statute of limitations ran out. In the end, the lawsuit was unavoidable. The corridor of bottomland hardwood timber in Dave Donaldson Black River WMA is the largest contiguous block of forest along the Black River in Missouri and Arkansas, and is among the largest contiguous areas of bottomland hardwood timber remaining in the Upper Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Much of the WMA land was purchased by

the AGFC in the 1950s and 1960s to preserve bottomland hardwoods and provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl. The AGFC operates the WMA as a wildlife and hunting preserve, placing special emphasis on the waterfowl that pass through the area in the late fall and early winter on the Mississippi River flyway. Flooding of this green tree reservoir at specific times during the winter months enhances waterfowl hunting opportunities and serves as a valuable food source for wintering migrating birds. It was the long term flooding caused by the Army Corps of Engineers that AGFC had no control over that has taken its toll on this valuable resource. The Supreme Court is expected to schedule oral argument in the case for either this fall or early 2013.

Trail Tales by Johnny Sain, Jr. As I write this, turkey season has just started and I’m already exhausted. I know that many turkeys are killed midmorning. I know it’s not mandatory that I see the sunrise from a hardwood ridge on every available morning in April. I just can’t help it, call it compulsion. The season is shaping up to be a tough one. Arkansas turkeys have been in decline for a few years now. The reasons are hotly debated and are likely a combination of many theories, but whatever the cause, it’s just harder to find a gobbler than it was a decade ago. Nevertheless, daybreak finds me in the woods. Though I blame the turkeys for my early alarm clock, turkeys are only the cherry on top of morning in the spring forests. A good example is the youth hunt this year with my daughter, Mackenzie. We found a gobbling tom at daybreak and quickly set up on him. We listened with excitement as he gobbled regularly until fly-down and then-- silence. I’m sure he had several girls with him. The yelps and clucks from our calls finally brought a response but instead of the tom, it was a hen. We conversed with the hen until she melted back into the woods and then we took a nap. Folks, there is

not much better in this old world than a nap in the springtime woods. After the nap, we took pictures of wildflowers. We found wild iris, fire pink, and downy phlox. We saw dogwood and buckeye blossoms. The big birds that brought us out to the woods so early didn’t cooperate, but their smaller cousins kept us entertained. We heard the blue jays give their “tuloo” alarm call when we were spotted. Chickadees buzzed through the forest understory. I pointed out the fiery plumage of a summer tanager to Mackenzie and told her about its taste for bees and wasps. As the morning unrolled we never heard another turkey sound, and it didn’t really matter to either of us. Sure, it would have been nice to call one in and carry one out with thoughts of delicious turkey breast for lunch, but we didn’t need a kill to justify our time in the woods. Justification wasn’t necessary. I once read somewhere that time spent in the outdoors doesn’t count against you’re allotted time here on Earth. I think what they meant was that days like this, in the woods and with good company are a little taste of heaven, a taste of things beyond the constraints of time and obligations. While the world keeps turning, you get lost in the moment and time just seems to pass you by.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012- 7

A Different Shade of Green on Tech Campus By Johnny Sain, Jr.

The Arkansas Tech University campus is now a little greener in spirit and in color. This is due to the generosity of Tech alumni Robert and Sandra Norman. The Normans privately funded the planting of 553 trees on the Tech campus. Plantings started in spring 2010 with the first 150 trees and should conclude October 2012. “The motives for the tree plantings were simple,” said Mr. Norman. “I have always believed that aesthetics are important in anything I’ve been involved with. The Norman family hopes that the trees give the

students and alumni an additional sense of pride in their university.” The trees were purchased from Select Trees of Athens, Ga. Select Trees is a wholesaler of Select’s SustainablePlus trees to landscape architects, developers, contractors, government institutions and other organizations. Matt Nielson of Select Trees explained the aim of the company. “Since our founding in 1985, it has been the goal of Select Trees to grow trees that landscape professionals consider the best available. We have developed a system for propagating, growing and harvesting that

What is ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society?

By Sarah Chronister

Arkansas Tech University is home to many different students who spend countless hours sitting in classrooms learning the knowledge that will gain them the careers they’ve always wanted. Out of all the majors and learning opportunities that are offered at ATU, the Arkansas Tech University Fisheries and Wildlife Biology major has got to be one of the most fun and interactive degrees offered. While other students are spending their days inside a classroom, ATU Fish and Wildlife majors are learning in outdoor classrooms and spending their time and efforts into making a positive change for conservation. Many Fish and Wildlife Biology majors are members of ATU’s Fisheries and Wildlife Society; a group of students who all have the common goal of wanting to gain experience in their field, volunteer to make a change in conservation, and have fun. One of the organizations that ATU Fish and Wildlife Society is committed to helping is the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. AWF has provided countless opportunities for our members to become involved, thus creating a partnership between the two organizations. Wayne Shewmake, president of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation, keeps the society up to date on projects and volunteer opportunities that could benefit the students, all while aiding AWF in the conservation goals they work towards. Wayne and the members of AWF look out for the students by providing them home-cooked meals during most of these project outings, and even go so far as to write recommendation letters for the hard working students who request them.

This type of partnership is exactly what the Arkansas Tech Fisheries and Wildlife Society is all about. Anytime there is an opportunity to volunteer, the society can gain valuable work experience that can later help in scoring the students jobs. One of the most significant projects that the ATU students have been involved with AWF in is the Bearcat Hollow Project. On several occasions, ATU Fish and Wildlife Society members have gotten the opportunity to plant clover and other supplements on the project lands, as well as install gates, do spotlight surveys, cleaning up portions of Richland Creek, and remove old fencing. While working hard, the students have enjoyed the camaraderie of the members of AWF and have gained personal friendships, as well as sources of networking within the organization. Other projects that the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and ATU Fisheries and Wildlife Society have partnered up on include the LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail) cleanup projects, National Public Lands Day, and even the construction of wood duck and blue bird boxes. All of these volunteer opportunities allow Tech students to gain experience before actually getting a job. These types of volunteer events show agencies that Tech students are hard workers and truly care about conservation. Arkansas Tech University’s Fisheries and Wildlife Society appreciates the partnership that has been established with the Arkansas Wildlife Federation, and the society members are eager to help out when at all possible. Arkansas Tech University Fisheries and Wildlife Society is proud to be an affiliate member organization to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

addresses the quality of the entire plant, from root structure to head structure and everything in between. We have committed ourselves to the research and development necessary to evolve the process of tree selection in order to offer the best-improved cultivars possible.” Cultivars are plants selected for certain characteristics and then reproduced. “At Select, we strive to provide trees that are going to live and thrive long term. None of our sales representatives are paid on commission. We are all very passionate about what we do, and strive to educate our clients about the value of long-lived trees and the recipe for tree success.” “Since March of 2010, we have supplied 553 sustainable trees to ATU, the majority of which are superior selections of ownroot clonal oaks. In addition to clonal oaks, southern magnolias, hollies, and arborvitae

have also been planted around campus. The vast majority are oaks because they give the most benefits for the least amount of maintenance long-term. They are the most sustainable shade trees for this area of the country.” Nielson said that Select Tree’s service doesn’t end after the sale. “We communicate with ATU’s tree care team and work together for solutions to ensure the trees are getting the best possible care for the maximum return on the investment. The goal is not just that the trees will live, but thrive to provide the optimum amount of environmental and quality of life benefits.” [Editor’s Note: ATU recognized the Normans for their dedication and the trees at the December 2011 graduation ceremonies.]

8 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012

Student Success Stories Sarah Chronister My name is Sarah Chronister and I am a senior at Arkansas Tech University, majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology. I am also an active member of the ATU Fisheries and Wildlife Society, where I have held the office of President for one year, the office of Secretary for two, and maintained active membership for four years. During my time at Tech, I have had many experiences, many different learning curves, and many different accomplishments. I’ve been very fortunate to have had great opportunities as far as summer work experience, all of which has gotten me where I am today. Throughout my time as a Fisheries and Wildlife Biology major, I have earned 3 conservation-related scholarships, including the Yell County Wildlife Federation Scholarship, as well as the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Conservation Scholarship. Being an active member of ATU’s Fish and Wildlife Society, I learned early from the start that volunteer experience and hard work can help get you to the career that you’ve always dreamed of. In my case, my dream career is slowly becoming a dream come true. During the summer of 2009, I was accepted for the position of a STEP (Student

Temporary Employment Program) at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge in Dardanelle, which is managed and owned by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. At this point in time, I hadn’t quite realized what I had stepped into, but I quickly found out that making the decision to become a fish and wildlife biology major was the right decision. With the help of the staff at Holla Bend, I was able to learn more that summer than I ever thought possible. At the end of that summer, I also decided I wanted to pursue a permanent career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. After completing the summer of 2009, I was also given the opportunity to work at Holla Bend for the summer of 2010, as well as the summer of 2011. After completion of the last summer, I was further given the opportunity to once again work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in their Ecological Services Office located in Conway, AR. Though working in the office setting was quite different then working on a refuge, all of the experience gained helped me to become one step closer to the opportunity of a lifetime. In the fall of 2011, I got a call from my previous supervisor from Holla Bend, refuge

manager Durwin Carter, saying that he chose to nominate me for a SCEP (Student Career Experience Program) Position that had become available for the Southeastern Region. It made me feel great to know that Mr. Carter thought I had the potential to be a candidate for a SCEP of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which are very hard to come by, let alone hard to get accepted. The special thing about a SCEP position is that they have the possibility of a full time job offer following graduation. After an intensive interview, many weeks of waiting, and mounds of paperwork, I finally got the call in December 2011 saying I had been chosen. Boy was I happy. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service informed me that they will be sending me to the Florida Keys for the summer of 2012 to gain more hands on experience working with the public and to see and learn from a different refuge setting. In May, I will be heading to Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge in Big Pine Key, Florida. To know that my hard work has gotten me the opportunity of a lifetime makes me feel proud of myself and very accomplished. Being a member of the ATU Fish and Wildlife Society, we always stress the importance of volunteer work, as well as gaining any type of work experience possible. To any young readers interested in the field of Fish and Wildlife Biology, learn from an early start that volunteering is essential and creates key networking opportunities. Start by

joining the ATU Fish and Wildlife Society and becoming an active member and affiliate with the Arkansas Wildlife Federation, and you too can be one step closer to your dream career. If you are a student or recent graduate, regardless of grade, and have been successful with a project related to conservation, the environment, or wildlife, send us your story and an image.

Landscaping for Wildlife: How Native Plants Bring Nature Home

By Nao Ueda Hummingbirds are back in Arkansas! That means it’s time to hang hummingbird feeders, right? Although hummingbirds like to drink nectar, 75 percent of their diets consist of insects. Landscaping your garden with native plants will greatly improve your chances of attracting hummingbirds to your yard. Why are hummingbirds more attracted to native plants? Because native plants attract more native insect populations. In his book, Bringing Nature Home, Douglas Tallamy writes that a native oak tree can support 534 species of butterflies and moths. In comparison, only 5 North American insect species feed on non-native European Common Reed. Tallamy, professor and chair of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, studies the effects of plant biodiversity on insect populations. His research has uncovered the fact that most plant-eating insects are not able to eat alien plants like Crape myrtle and Japanese privet. So, when we replace native plants with exotics, we are reducing the diversity of our insect populations. Reduced insect populations mean less food for insect-eating animals such as birds, fish, and young frogs. Less birds, fish, and frogs translate to fewer foods for animal-eating organisms like

snakes, raptors, and wolves. How can we reverse this trend? It’s easy. Replace alien plants in your yard with those that are native to your area! I did just that after I moved into my current house in 2007. Previous owners planted exotics like Camellias, Knock-out Roses, and non-native Azaleas. Lawns covered my front yard, and only a handful of House Sparrows and Northern Cardinals called my garden their home. Soon after I moved into the house, I smothered lawns by placing cardboard and mulch on top of them. I dug up non-natives and gave them away. I then planted my yard with native plants that I had purchased from Mary Ann King with Pine Ridge Gardens. Located in London, Arkansas, Pine Ridge Gardens specializes in plants that are native to Arkansas. Mary Ann knows which native plants serve as food for butterflies, moths, and birds. Zebra Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, for example, feeds only on species within the Paw Paw genus. Gulf Fritillary butterfly caterpillars feed exclusively on species of passion flower such as Maypop, Yellow Passionflower, and Running Pop. No Paw Paws and passion flowers in your yard, no Zebra Swallowtails and Gulf Fritillaries. As the saying goes, if you plant them, they will come, and boy, they have been coming! My yard used to be a wildlife desert. Now, after five years of replacing lawns and exotics

with native plants, my yard attracts so many birds, butterflies, and moths. Brown Thrashers and Downy Woodpeckers raise their young in my backyard. Spicebush Swallowtails lay their eggs on my Spicebush plants. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Cecropia Moths feed on my Wild Black Cherry tree. Native plants helped bring nature back to my home. If you want to bring nature to your home, say NO to aliens and plant native plants!

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Tips to Increase Biodiversity on Your Property By Johnny Sain, Jr.

Any kind of edge habitat increases biodiversity. Sometimes you can do this by adding features (like a water source), sometimes by subtracting features (like thinning timber). There are many things that you can do to increase biodiversity in your yard:

• Leave a brush pile in the back corner of your yard (Editor’s Note: Be aware that in addition to becoming a sanctuary for birds, rabbits, or fox, it could become the home for wood rats or snakes. So be careful when working around the brush pile. Granted, it could be snakes that eat rats or mice, or king snakes which eliminate poisonous snakes.) • Plant a section of your yard in native wildflowers or even annual sunflowers • Hang a bird feeder. You’ll have other visitors besides birds

• Make a water hole. I cut the bottom out of a plastic barrel, put a pump in and built a rock waterfall for it. Everything from birds, to deer, to foxes have visited. I also have a couple of resident leopard frogs.

If you own a farm or lease land to hunt on you’ll have more options: • Build a small pond. If you want more critters, just add water.

• Thin out dense stands of trees, particularly pines and cedars. This allows sunlight to reach undergrowth.

• Let fencerows grow up. Fencerows are prime nesting habitat for many birds, especially bobwhite. • Plant trees on barren stream banks. This doesn’t have to be labor-intensive. I collected acorns this fall and have been sticking them in the ground at select spots this winter. Trees prevent soil erosion and erosion turns valuable top soil into stream damaging silt.

Online information can help with war on feral hogs LITTLE ROCK – When you go to battle against a formidable enemy, it helps to have all the knowledge you can find. Feral or wild hogs are a foe to most Arkansans, especially owners and managers of land with sizeable amounts of woods, pastures and agricultural fields. The destructive hogs are hard to get a handle on, and it is virtually agreed by everyone that trapping is the way to reduce numbers of hogs rather than trying to do it by hunting. Here are some Internet sources of information on dealing with wild hogs:

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, http://www.agfc.com/species/Pages/SpeciesNu isanceWildlifeResources.aspx •University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, www.arnatural.org/feralhogs . •Mississippi State University, http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu •Texas AgriLife, http://feralhogs.tamu.edu •University of Missouri, http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G9457 •The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, http://noble.org/ag/wildlife/feralhogs •Berryman Institute, http://www.berrymaninstitute.org/pdf/managing-feral-pigs.pdf •Animal and Plant Health Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, http://www.aphis. usda.gov/wildlife_damage/state_report_pdfs/2010/4-arkansas_report.pdf

• Control invasive species. From kudzu to feral hogs, non-natives throw the local ecosystems out of whack. • Plant part of your food plots in native grasses or let a pasture grow up naturally. • Leave a swath of un-mowed grass around pastures and food plots.

• If you can pull it off, controlled burns are one of the best ways to get nutrients back into the soil, burn up fuel that could feed an accidental fire, and create edge. • If you aren’t killing to eat or manage, then don’t kill it.

• Depending on how many acres you have, you may qualify for AGFC’s “Acres for Wildlife” project. Visit their site for more information and enrollment form @ http://www.agfc.com/species/Pages/SpeciesConservationProgramsAAW.aspx

501.847.7275

6401 Boone Road • Bryant, AR 72022 parkinfo@cityofbryant.com • www.cityofbryant.org/ParksAndRecreation

If you hunt and ﬁsh it’s always good to have a reliable friend at your side. Whether it’s the guy you grew up with, your best dog or the staff at DNW Outdoors you know it will be a good day. If your passion is Bows, Guns or Lures DNW Outdoors has the stock and experience to get you where you need to be. Remember, we’ll be right beside you.

To name just a few of our reliable friends

10 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2012

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12 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • March/April 2012

Repairing Tornado Damage Spring Greening Festival By Morris Gotschall Last April 19 [2011], tornado damage left an ugly scar on a big section of the Hot Springs Village (HSV) landscape. It was classified an EF2. Before summer’s end, other tornados ripped down a generation of trees across the Midwest. It was a problem demanding a response. So Lions International leadership challenged Lions nationwide to set the example in repairing the damage. The goal: plant one million new trees. Hearing the call, HSV Lions environmental coordinator, Karen Sterzik, recruited volunteers from Morning and Evening Lions, as well as Fountain Lake High School, sought donated trees, received clearance from area utilities, and gained HSV Property Owners Association approval to plant pine and oak seedlings in common areas damaged by last year’s storms. Two weeks ago, county ranger William Howard arrived with 1,200 pine and oak seedlings from Arkansas’ Forestry Commission and from the Arkansas Wildlife Federation for volunteers to plant. They soon finished the job. It may be 20 years before those seedlings become full-grown trees, repairing the storms’ blight. Still, it’s a start, and it warmed the hearts of all who volunteered.

By Ethan Nahté

Music from a variety of bands, the sounds of children enjoying themselves, the occasional barking of a dog, and the smell of popcorn and hot dogs filled the air at the second annual Spring Greening Festival. Held at historic Legion Island right off Spadra Creek in Clarksville, next to the castle-like American Legion Hall structure, the free event featured bands playing the evening of Friday the 13 th to kick the event off. Since the castle is considered to be haunted, fun was had with a ghost-hunting tour as well. Saturday threatened rain, but turned out to be a beautiful day, if not a bit windy. The free event was fun for the entire family and included a variety of booths providing educational information, such as the Arkansas Forestry Commission and US Forest Service, Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Solar Power Company of Little Rock brought the solar panel which provided the power to the stage for the musicians and other presenters at the all-day event. This included Lynne Slater with HAWK Center (Helping Arkansas Wild “Kritters”) and her presentation on birds. She captured the audience’s attention with her raptors, a red-tailed hawk and a barn owl, both which will have to live the remainder of their lives in captivity due to injuries and health reasons. Other booths and tents included animal rescue groups, a bakery for animal treats, places to buy earth-friendly items such as soy soaps and candles, health items, etc. There were also arts & crafts booths and a booth where kids could make tie-dye shirts and make crafts from natural items. Clubs and organizations from regional high schools and University of the Ozarks, including their Planet Club, Angler’s club and the canoe club were on hand. They gave demonstrations on Spadra Creek. Other demonstrations included Tai Chi and yoga. Ozark Outdoors Club discussed biking safety, changing tires on bicycles and took people on rides throughout the local bike trails. The event also had attendees participating in Book It Downtown 5k race, sponsored by the Johnson County Public Library through a portion of old downtown Clarksville. It was followed by a one-mile Family Walk. The booths closed down around 4 pm but the bands kept going into the night. Music ranged over the two days from classic rock to surf-indie music, bluegrass/ For more information about Evening Lions, please visit the club’s website at www.hsvelions.org. country to a single guitarist using technology to loop and back himself as he jammed jazz, blues and pop as a one-man band. The event was organized by The Spring Greening Festival Committee along with the help of University of the Ozarks, Ozarks Outdoors, Clarksville-Johnson Co. Region Chamber of Commerce, The Downtown At Heartland Bank, our customers come Association, The Johnson County Public Library, first. Our friendly staff is here to assist and The American Legion Bunch-Walton Post #22.

you with all of your banking needs - from loans to new accounts, mortgages, cd’s, and everything in between. Stop by any one of our convenient locations today… we’re here to help.

Bryant: 4937 Hwy 5 N. / 501-847-7982 Sheridan: 108 South Main St. / 870-942-8844 Fordyce: 610 W. 4th St. / 870-352-3101 Little Rock: 5100 Kavanaugh Blvd. / 501-663-3350 www.heartlandbankonline.com

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012- 13

MARCH/APRIL UPCOMING EVENTS

To volunteer, participate or general information contact: Adam Roberts @ 501-655-2161 or adamrobertshsgcbc@ msn.com

AWF Quarterly Meeting

Saturday, June 2, 2012 10 am – 2pm The Center of Bryant, 6401 Boone Road, Bryant, AR Open to the Public Working lunch provided- first come first served. For more information or to RSVP (so we know how much food to provide) contact: arkwf@ sbcglobal.net or 501-224-9200

5th Annual E-Day Festival

2012 Art Competition Awards Presentation

Friday, May 4, 2012, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Witt Stephens, Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center 602 President Clinton Avenue Little Rock, AR 72201

Sunday, May 20 11 am- 3 pm, Rain or Shine Historic Downtown Farmers Market, Hot Springs Admission: Free e-Day Festival is an environmental event hosting almost one hundred environmentally conscious businesses, non profits, schools, places of worship, and various eco-savvy groups. The event is full of family fun, food, entertainment, and kids’ activities all focused on earth friendly practices. This is a great green day out for the entire family. The best part about the event…admission is completely free! Whether you’re “green” and want to see the latest in environmentally sound practices and new ideas (and meet other people like you) or whether you just want to learn some new “green” tips and practices, this is the event for you. You will discover all kinds of intriguing exhibitors with eco friendly products to purchase and green practices to start implementing in your daily routine.

National Wildlife Federation National Conservation Achievement Awards

Saturday, May 17, 2012 Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C. For more info on the event, tickets or sponsorship contact: Cristy Heffernan, 703-438-6231, heffernanc@nwf.org or visit www.nwf.org/connies

76th Anniversary AWF Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet

Saturday, August 25, 2012, Times: TBA The Center of Bryant 6401 Boone Road Bryant, AR

Rural Roots Help Grow a Champion By Johnny Sain Jr. Modeled after professional tournament circuits, college bass fishing has exploded on the outdoor scene in the last decade. With talent like Reagan Moore, it is no coincidence that Arkansas Tech sits atop the season standings with four events remaining on the 2011-2012 tournament schedule. Moore is a 20 year-old junior at Arkansas Tech University. She is studying Emergency Management and will graduate December 2012. Moore is also a pioneer. She is the first female angler to win a collegiate bass fishing tournament event. Moore may be the new kid on the block when it comes to college bass fishing winners, but she says the fishing bug bit her a long time ago. “I’ve been fishing since I was big enough to hold a pole.” Reagan is from Dierks, a small town in southwest Arkansas. Fishing and outdoor pursuits are a birthright to rural Arkansans regardless of gender. Reagan was no exception. “I’m pretty sure my dad wanted a boy when I was born. Dad and Poppy started me out

hunting and fishing, doing all those outdoor things. I wanted to fish all the time even when I was little. My grandpa had to force me off the lake so he could go to work. I always knew I had a passion for fishing more than anything else.” Many youngsters enjoy angling, but sometimes the desire dims as they grow older. Reagan’s fire to fish grew stronger with time. “My grandparents hoped that I would love fishing, that I would always love fishing. I don’t think they ever dreamed that I would be like this though. I love it more than any of my family does, I just go and go and go and go.” Reagan understood that most people considered fishing a boy’s sport. That public notion was the fuel for her competitive drive. “I knew in high school that none of the girls did it, it’s supposed to be a boy’s sport. When I started beating the boys, that’s when I got hooked. I was beating the boys and that feeling was just great. I set a goal when I started fishing in college to be the first girl to win one of these college tournaments and I did it. I don’t care if I ever win a championship or whatever. I’m the first girl to leave their mark on college fishing.”

Spring/Summer Events at U of O

This Spring Ozarks Outdoors--the outdoor education and recreation program at University of the Ozarks--is offering a quintet of trainings, open to students and the public, in a single “outdoor semester” format. ACA Level Four Swift Water Rescue. Those who paddle any river or reservoir in Arkansas can enhance their skills for personal safety when facing common river hazards as well as techniques for self-rescue and rescue of other paddlers in distress. This training will also include basic safety and techniques for wilderness river crossings encountered by hikers and backpackers. – Registration $160 Each. Plus, from June 16-24, the AHSI Wilderness First Responder course will be held on the Ozarks campus, also in collaboration with OSRE. This organization caters to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts in the Ozark Mountains, emphasizing small class sizes and student-to-instructor ratios. The instructors are experienced outdoor professionals with years of hands-on, real-world experience dealing with emergencies in the back country. “Responding to events in the news, Ozarks Outdoors wants to prepare both the Ozarks campus community and communities throughout the Northwestern Arkansas region to be able to contribute to rescues and solutions when we are faced with crisis,” Hedges said. “Since July, Ozarks Outdoors has been hosting trainings in technical skills in order to help enrich their campus and the region.” – Registration $575 Each. Space is limited in each of the outdoor training programs and early registration is recommended. To register visit https://www.ozarks.edu/register.aspx or call toll-free 1.800.264.8636, 8 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday.

Young CP-31 and WRP hardwood stands now eligible for forest carbon income LITTLE ROCK – The GreenTrees reforestation approach has generated 2 million tons of carbon credits under contract from over 40 landowners throughout Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. GreenTrees is for landowners with land in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley who want to grow and own the most valuable and vibrant hardwood forest possible. It was the first to register reforestation carbon and command strong prices. GreenTrees has a 5-year history in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of bringing new planting options and sources of income for those who reforest their land. Landowners now have a new opportunity to sell forest carbon from young, existing hardwood stands. GreenTrees’ new service, Carbon Farmers, measures the carbon stored on landowners’ qualified hardwood forest. Landowner properties must meet the following criteria to qualify: • At least 100 acres are enrolled in CRP or WRP • If they are CRP acres, they are specifically enrolled in the CRP Practice CP-31 (Bottomland Hardwoods for Wetlands) • The CP-31 contract or WRP contract began in 2006 or later If all three criteria are met, the landowner should contact GreenTrees. GreenTrees and the landowner split the income 50/50 after they sell the carbon tons. But in order to sell the credits, GreenTrees must measure, verify and register the tons on the American Carbon Registry. GreenTrees performs all of these requirements at no cost to the landowner. Interested landowners should contact either Andy Johnson at 870403-3885 or Bob Misso at 866-623-8733, extension 8945.

14 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012

Over 250 Unique Bird Sightings at Holla Bend Report by Dan Scheiman, Ph. D. Below is a list of Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge birds that have been reported to eBird, also available here http://tinyurl.com/6m94qho/. I’ve put in bold a few species I think are of interest to birders, would be of interest to beginning birders, and there is a reasonable chance of seeing. You’ll see in the link above that the bar chart’s bars are fragmented. That means the refuge needs a lot more birder visitations AND subsequent eBird Acadian Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher American Bittern American Black Duck American Coot American Crow American Golden-Plover American Goldfinch American Kestrel American Pipit American Redstart American Robin American Tree Sparrow American White Pelican American Wigeon American Woodcock Anhinga Bachman’s Sparrow Baird’s Sandpiper Bald Eagle Baltimore Oriole Bank Swallow Barn Owl Barn Swallow Barred Owl Bay-breasted Warbler Bell’s Vireo Belted Kingfisher Bewick’s Wren Black Vulture Black-and-white Warbler Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Blackburnian Warbler Black-crowned Night-Heron Black-headed Grosbeak Black-throated Green Warbler Blue Grosbeak Blue Jay Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Blue-headed Vireo Blue-winged Teal Bobolink Bonaparte’s Gull Brewer’s Blackbird Broad-winged Hawk Brown Creeper Brown Thrasher Brown-headed Cowbird Brown-headed Nuthatch Bufflehead Cackling Goose Canada Goose Canada Warbler Canvasback Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Wren Caspian Tern Cattle Egret Cedar Waxwing Chestnut-sided Warbler Chimney Swift Chipping Sparrow Chuck-will’s-widow Clay-colored Sparrow Cliff Swallow Common Gallinule Common Goldeneye Common Grackle Common Ground-Dove Common Loon Common Nighthawk Common Yellowthroat Cooper’s Hawk Dark-eyed Junco Dickcissel Double-crested Cormorant Downy Woodpecker Dunlin Eared Grebe Eastern Bluebird Eastern Kingbird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Towhee Eastern Wood-Pewee Eurasian Collared-Dove European Starling Ferruginous Hawk Field Sparrow Fish Crow Fork-tailed Flycatcher Forster’s Tern Fox Sparrow Franklin’s Gull Gadwall Golden Eagle Golden-crowned Kinglet Grasshopper Sparrow Gray Catbird Gray Kingbird Gray-cheeked Thrush Great Blue Heron Great Crested Flycatcher Great Egret Great Horned Owl Greater Roadrunner Greater Scaup Greater White-fronted Goose Greater Yellowlegs

submissions to make those bar charts more accurately reflect the refuge’s seasonal bird life. See for example, the entire State’s bar chart with a substantial amount of aggregated data. http://tinyurl.com/89mkxmr/. For more information visit eBird at http://wwww. ebird.org/ , Audubon Arkansas at http://ar.audubon. org/, or Holla Bend at http://www.fws.gov/hollabend/ [Editor’s Note: Dan Scheiman is Director of Bird Conservation as well as Director of Conservation for Audubon Arkansas.] Great-tailed Grackle Green Heron Green-winged Teal Hairy Woodpecker Harris’s Sparrow Henslow’s Sparrow Hermit Thrush Herring Gull Hooded Merganser Hooded Warbler Horned Grebe Horned Lark House Finch House Sparrow House Wren Indigo Bunting Kentucky Warbler Killdeer Lapland Longspur Lark Bunting Lark Sparrow Laughing Gull Le Conte’s Sparrow Least Flycatcher Least Sandpiper Least Tern Lesser Scaup Lesser Yellowlegs Lincoln’s Sparrow Little Blue Heron Loggerhead Shrike Long-billed Dowitcher Long-eared Owl Louisiana Waterthrush Magnolia Warbler Mallard Marsh Wren Merlin Mississippi Kite Mourning Dove Mourning Warbler Nashville Warbler Nelson’s Sparrow Northern Bobwhite Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Harrier Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Northern Pintail Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northern Shoveler Olive-sided Flycatcher Orange-crowned Warbler Orchard Oriole

Osprey Ovenbird Painted Bunting Palm Warbler Pectoral Sandpiper Peregrine Falcon Philadelphia Vireo Pied-billed Grebe Pileated Woodpecker Pine Siskin Pine Warbler Prairie Falcon Prairie Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Purple Finch Purple Martin Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-eyed Vireo Redhead Red-headed Woodpecker Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Ring-billed Gull Ring-necked Duck Rock Pigeon Rose-breasted Grosbeak Ross’s Goose Rough-legged Hawk Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ruddy Duck Rusty Blackbird Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Scarlet Tanager Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Sedge Wren Semipalmated Sandpiper Sharp-shinned Hawk Short-billed Dowitcher Short-eared Owl Snow Goose Snowy Egret Solitary Sandpiper Song Sparrow Sora Spotted Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Summer Tanager Swainson’s Hawk Swainson’s Thrush Swamp Sparrow Tennessee Warbler Townsend’s Solitaire Tree Swallow Trumpeter Swan Tufted Titmouse Tundra Swan Turkey Vulture Upland Sandpiper Veery

Vesper Sparrow Virginia Rail Warbling Vireo Western Kingbird Western Meadowlark Western Sandpiper White Ibis White-breasted Nuthatch White-crowned Sparrow White-eyed Vireo White-rumped Sandpiper White-throated Sparrow Wild Turkey Willet Willow Flycatcher Wilson’s Phalarope Wilson’s Snipe Wilson’s Warbler Winter Wren Wood Duck Wood Stork Wood Thrush Worm-eating Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-breasted Chat Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-headed Blackbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Vireo Yellow-throated Warbler

If you love wildlife, nature and keeping Arkansas as natural as can be, then why not help by becoming a member of the oldest non-profit conservation organization in The Natural State. For as little as $25 a year you can become a member of Arkansas Wildlife Federation. That's an average of $2.08 per month; only 7¢ a day.

Help us to conserve wildlife, forests, waterways and wetlands for our children and our children's children for years to come. Fill out the membership form in this issue or contact AWF: arkwf@sbcglobal.net or 501-224-9200 to become a member today.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012- 15

AWF Attends Trappers association regional convention

By Ethan Nahté The National Trappers Association sponsored the 2012 Southeastern Regional Trapping and Outdoor Expo in Russellville, April 13-15. AWF was one of many organizations and vendors attending the event, held at the Pope Country Fairgrounds, meeting and talking with many of the trappers and enthusiasts that ranged from all neighboring states and as far away as Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Nebraska. The convention was hosted by the Arkansas Trappers Association, an affiliate of AWF, in conjunction with the Russellville Advertising and Promotion Commission over a 2½-day period. It included a number of speakers who are experienced trappers who provided demonstrations on a variety of trapping topics in the auction barn area at the fairgrounds. In addition to being an excellent chance to learn tips from the pros, it was a good chance to pick up items for trap preparation and supplies to increase trapping inventory. There was an abundant amount of lures, baits and supplies such as spring traps, live traps, how-to videos and more available from vendors attending the event. As a matter of fact, the variety of scents and lures was obvious before entering the room and practically hovered in the air throughout each day of the event. It took a little getting used to. The ATA raised money for their organization on Friday evening with a great dinner of barbecued brisket or chicken with all the fixings, all for $5 per plate. It was followed by an auction by Fur Bearers Unlimited. They conducted a silent auction on Friday and Saturday. AWF donated some nice prints from our collection of Arkansas artists to the auction. FBU also had a raffle on various items and many of the other vendors had drawings for a variety of items including rifles, shotguns and hunting trips. According to the National Trapper’s Association website, The National Trappers Association is committed to defending and promoting the safe and ethical harvest of furbearing mammals and to the preservation and enhancement of their habitats. Fifty-one state trapping affiliates make up the core of the national organization representing thousands of fur harvesters from every portion of the country. The National Trappers Association and its members continue to research and encourage the development and usage of the most effective and humane trapping techniques available. Furbearers, like other managed wildlife species, thrive and are far more diverse today then 100 years ago. The reintroduction of the river otter throughout America’s river systems is just one example of the successful partnership between trappers and wildlife managers. The National Trappers Association continues to defend our American Heritage and the sound management of all wildlife for the future enjoyment and use by all sportsmen of North America.

Arkansas Wildlife Federation 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205 Telephone: (501) 224-9200

“Your voice for hunting, fishing and conservation since 1936” Arkansas Out-Of-Doors Advertising Agreement Arkansas Out-Of-Doors is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation established in 1936, a non-profit, hunting, fishing, and conservation organization dedicated to promoting the wise stewardship of our natural resources. It is a newsprint tabloid publication that is published 6 times per year for the following issues: Jan.-Feb., March-April, MayJune, July-Aug., Sept.-Oct., Nov.-Dec. The publication contains information about hunting, fishing and other outdoor-oriented activities. It also contains articles about conservation. It is mailed near the end of the first month of each issue date to approximately 4500 AWF members and it has an estimated readership of 13,500 to 17,500 people each issue. Those who read this publication enjoy the great outdoor, and they are interested in conservation. Circle the issue in which the ad is to run: January – February issue, reserve space by Jan. 1. Cameraready art due Jan. 5. Mailing date near the end of January. March – April issue, reserve space by March 1,

Size

Centerfold Full pg 1/2 pg Horizontal 1/2 pg Vertical 1/3 pg Horizontal 1/3 pg Vertical 1/4 pg 1/8 pg

Dimensions

1-2 ads

3-5 ads (5% off)

6 ads (10%off)

-$400 $225 $225 $165 $165 $145 $35

-$380 $215 $215 $156.75 $156.75 $137.75 $33.25

-$360 $205 $205 $148.50 $148.50 $130.50 $31.50

Color Include One spot color, additional Four color, additional

$$50 $100

$47.50 $95

$45 $90

Charges for covers: Inside front, additional Inside back, additional Back cover, additional

$75 $50 $100

$71.25 $47.50 $95

$67.50 $45 $90

(all sizes listed as Width x Height)

21.5"x11" 10.5"x11" 10.5"x5.5" 5.1875"x11" 10.5"x3.625" 3.5"x11" 5.1875"x5.5" 5.1875"x2.75"

Camera-ready due by March 5. Mailing date near the end of March. May-June issue, reserve space by May 1. Camera-ready art due by May 5. Mailing date near the end of May. July-August issue, reserve space by July 1. Camera-ready art due by July 5. Mailing date near the end of July. September-October issue, reserve space by Sept. 1, Camera-ready are due by Sept. 5. Mailing date near the end of September. November-December issue, reserve space by Nov. 1. Camera-ready art due by November 5. Mailing date near the end of November. Advertising layout and space: Advertising may send a slick or a black and white copy of a previous ad, a negative for black and white ads, a color key and four-color separations for color ads, or ads may be sent on a disk on CD (PDF, JPEG or EPS) to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. We utilize 90-line screen, right reading, emulsion down. The AWF can assist in making the ad for the client. Depending on amount of time to layout ad, there may be additional fees for this.

Name of business �� Mailing address �� Ad confirmed by (print and signature) �� Telephone_________________________________Fax ��

16 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012

AWF ANNUAL GOVERNOR'S ACHIEVEMENTS AWARDS PROGRAM for 2012 The following awards are open for nomination:

HAROLD ALEXANDER CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD The highest conservation achievement award presented by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation is given in memory of Harold Alexander - one of the foremost authorities and experts in Arkansas on conservation activities. ___________________________________________________ CAROL GRIFFEE CONSERVATION COMMUNICATOR of the YEAR AWARD Any environmental conservation organization understands the importance of publicity and media support to educate the general public about important issues regarding the environment. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation selects annually an individual or organization that has provided outstanding media news articles or programs that keep the general public informed of environmental issues and needs that impact The Natural State. ___________________________________________________ Dr. JOHN L. GRAY FORESTRY CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD In June 2007, Arkansas lost a giant in the forestry field with the death of Dr. John L. Gray. Dr. Gray served on the Arkansas Wildlife Federation Board of Directors for many years and chaired the Forestry Committee. At the July 2007 AWF Board meeting, the Forestry of the Year Award was renamed in memory of Dr. Gray. ___________________________________________________ Water Conservationist of the Year Award

REX HANCOCK WILDLIFE CONSERVATION of the YEAR AWARD Rex Hancock was one of Arkansas’s premier wildlife conservationists who worked tirelessly on behalf of wildlife and wildlife habitats in the White River and Grand Prairie region of Eastern Arkansas. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation has named this special award in memory of Dr. Rex Hancock for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in Arkansas. ___________________________________________________ AWF PRESIDENT'S AWARD The President’s Award is presented to an AWF volunteer or Board Member in recognition of their contribution, achievements or service to the Federation. It is intended to recognize those persons who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and contributed value to the Federation and its conservation mission. ___________________________________________________ Corporate Conservationist of the Year Award ___________________________________________________ Student Conservationist of the YEAR AWARD ___________________________________________________ Conservationist Organization of the Year Award ___________________________________________________ AGFC Wildlife / Conservation of the Year Award ___________________________________________________ Conservation EDUCATOR of the Year Award

The following awards will also be presented at this years program, but nominations must be submitted through the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award

Boating Education Instructor of the Year Award

The following information is required to nominate an individual for the awards listed above. Please fill out the form in it’s entirity, and submit to the address below, along with a detailed description of why your nominee should receive their award, and any other necessary articles supporting your nominee. NAME OF NOMINEE: �� AWARD: �� NOMINEE'S ADDRESS: ��

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PHONE:__________________________________________________________ EMAIL: ��

NOMINATED BY: ��

ADDRESS: ��

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PHONE:__________________________________________________________ EMAIL: �� All nominations must be mailed to AWF by June 15, 2012 to be considered. AWF, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, Ar. 72205, 501-224-9200

Please nominate someone you know, or pass this on to anyone you feel may nominate someone.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012- 17

Project WET and W.O.W. Workshops By Ethan Nahté

ADEQ (Arkansas Dept. of Environmental Quality) puts on many FREE Project WET and W.O.W., the Wonders of Wetlands workshops for formal and non-formal educators of K -12. Participants earn 6 approved PD hours, if they attend the full workshop, at a FREE fun, interactive wetland themed workshop! This is a basic workshop -no field work but there will be outside activities, weather permitting so dress appropriately. The workshops consist of communicating, interactive games and hands-on projects that show how easy it is to utilize these fun activities to teach students the many ways to help protect waterways and watersheds. Don’t worry if you think you may have trouble remembering the activities. There are two very thick project books with lots of activities, Project WET and WOW! The Wonder of Wetlands that will be used throughout the day and are yours to keep once the course is finished. Five of the events listed below are specific and have a special focus, so the course will be different than the normal workshops: The June 21 event in Paragould & the July 16 event in Texarkana(***) will include a guided tour of a wastewater treatment facility and include a guest speaker on the drug take back programs (Over 80% of tested waterways in the U.S. show traces of common medications); The July 31 event in Walnut Ridge (###) focuses on bringing reading alive and utilizing juvenile fiction books in relation to activities in workshops. Participants will also learn to make a collection of imaginative books that their students can create, a unique way for students to produce their own original writings. All of these events book quickly. Some are located at locations where food during the lunch break is readily available. Some locations will require you to make your own lunch plans. Please check when you register for the event. Registration varies by location, information listed below each event address as to whom to contact.

Dates & Locations:

June 12 *** 8:30 AM - 4 PM Noland Wastewater Treatment Facility 1400 N. Fox Hunter Road Fayetteville, AR **Also includes an additional tour of Biosolids Management Site ** Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us June 14 9 AM - 3 PM DeQueen/Mena Educational Cooperative Gillham, AR Register through ESC works #161412 at http://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/ June 19 9 AM - 4 PM Lake Ouachita State Park Mountain Pine, AR Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us June 21 *** 8:30 AM – 4 PM Paragould Light, Water & Cable 1901 Jones Road Paragould, AR Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us June 25 *** 8:30 AM- 3:30 PM University of Arkansas Extension Service 1770 Myers Street Batesville, AR Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us June 28 9 AM - 4 PM Devil’s Den State Park West Fork, AR Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us June 29 8:30 AM - 4 PM Westside Waste Water Treatment Plant 15 S. Broyles Street Fayetteville, AR *** Includes a 1 hour tour of Woolsey Wet Prairie*** Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us

July 10 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM South Central Service Cooperative Annex on Maul Road El Dorado, AR Register through ESC works #164581 http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/

July 12 9 AM - 4 PM Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center Fort Smith, AR Register through kgingle@agfc.state.ar.us Include name, school name, e-mail and phone July 16 *** 9 AM – 4 PM Texas High School Math and Science Center Texarkana, AR Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us July 31 ### 9 AM – 4 PM Lawrence County Library

115 West Walnut Street Walnut Ridge, AR Register through Barbara Miller, 501.683.5407 or millerb@adeq.state.ar.us August 2, 2012 8:30 AM– 3:30 PM Harding University American Studies Room 107 Searcy, AR Register through ESC works #162738 Please direct all questions and correspondence regarding these workshops directly to Barbara Miller at millerb@adeq.state.ar.us or 501.683.5407.

18 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • January/February 2012

March/April 2012 ISSN0884-9145 POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Officers and Board of Directors October, 2011 to September, 2012

Arkansas Out-of-Doors

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS WILDLIFE FEDERATION Arkansas Out-of-Doors is published 6 times per year by Arkansas Wildlife Federation, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205. Third Class postage paid at Russellville, AR and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Arkansas Out-ofDoors, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd. Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205, or call 501-224-9200. This is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Printed matter includes hunting and fishing news, sporting information, articles on pertinent legislation, with special emphasis on environment and pollution problems. All Arkansas Wildlife Federation members are entitled to receive one copy of each issue of AOOD for one year. Permission is granted to reprint any news article or item printed in Arkansas Out-Of-Doors with credit, please. Executive Director �� Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief �� Wayne Shewmake Layout/Design ��Chris Zimmerman ZimCreative Views and opinions, unless specifically stated, do not necessarily represent the positions of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Deadline Information: Unless other arrangements are made with the editor, copy for club news, features, columns and advertising must be in the Arkansas Wildlife Federation office by the close of business (noon) on the 20th of the month preceding publication. Thank you for your cooperation.

Executive Committee President: Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle 1st Vice President: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff 2nd Vice President: Jerry Crowe, Dardanelle Treasurer: Gary W. Bush, Marion Secretary: Lucien Gillham, Sherwood Executive Director: Ethan Nahté

Arkansas Chapter of American Fisheries

Board of Directors At Large Dr. John T. Ahrens, Mountain Home Charles W. Logan, M.D., Little Rock Lola Perritt, Little Rock Odies Wilson III, Little Rock Jimmie Wood, Dardanelle Gayne Schmidt, Augusta Bobby Hacker, Little Rock Mike Armstrong, Little Rock Chrystola Tullos, Rison

Creative Ideas President: Sharon Hacker - Little Rock, AR

Regional Directors District 1: --vacant- District 2: Patti Dell-Duchene, Augusta District 2 Alternate: Angela Rhodes, Augusta District 3: Jeff Belk, Fayetteville District 4: Trey Clark, Nashville District 5: Mary Lou Lane, Dardanelle NWF Region: David Carruth, Clarendon NWF Special Projects: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff NWF Regional Representative: Geralyn Hoey, Austin, TX

University of the Ozarks - Clarksville Jamie L. Hedges, Director of Outdoor & Evironmental Experiences

President Emeritus and First Lady Emeritus: Bob and Rae Apple, Dardanelle National Wildlife Federation Delegates: Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT Ralph Oldegard, Mt. Home Larry Hedrick, Hot Springs Charles McLemore Jr., Bryant Affiliate Clubs: ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society Tyler Sanders, President - Russellville, AR

Arkansas Trappers Association Gary Helms, President - Texarkana, AR Cane Creek Hometowner’s Association Jessica Thompson, Sec./Treasurer – Scranton, AR

Greene County Wildlife Club Rick Woolridge, President - Paragould Little River Bottoms Chapter, Arkansas Wildlife Federation Vickers Fuqua, President Mike Young, Secretary & Treasurer

Westark Wildlife G. David Matlock, Fort Smith White River Conservancy Gayne Preller Schmidt, Augusta Yell County Wildlife Federation James Manatt, President – Dardanelle Arkansas Wildlife Federation Staff Executive Director - Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief - Wayne Shewmake Contributing Writers – Wayne Shewmake, Johnny Sain, Jr., Gordon Bagby, AGFC, Dr. Robert Morgan, Sarah Chronister, Nao Ueda, Ethan Nahté, Morris Gotschall, Al Wolff, Dan Scheiman, PH.D Contributing Photographers – Wayne Shewmake, Bob Shewmake, Ethan Nahte', Johnny Sain, Jr., Morris Gotshcall, Mike Wintroath, Dr. Robert Morgan. Other photos used by permission of Sarah Chronister Arkansas Wildlife Federation Address: 9108 Rodney Parham Road, Suite 101 Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 Office: 501-224-9200 // Cell: 501-414-2845

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Arkansas Out-of-Doors • March/April 2012 - 19

National Forest online map helps wildflower viewers LITTLE ROCK – The U.S. Forest Service has released an updated online wildflower map with hundreds of locations on national forests for prime wildflower viewing, making it easier than ever to enjoy America’s great outdoors. The wildflower map includes 317 wildflower viewing areas on National Forest System lands and can be referenced by specific states, individual national forests and geographic regions. Seven of the wildflower areas are in Arkansas – Richardson Bottoms, Talimena Scenic Drive and Walnut Creek in the Ouachita National Forest and Lake Wedington Trail, Wedington Small Game Area, Mount Magazine and North Sylamore Creek Trail in the Ozark National Forest. To view the map, go online to http://www. fs.fed.us/wildflowers/viewing/region.php?so rt=forest&arearegion=Southern . “This updated map provides visitors a quick guide to find locations and best viewing times for the spectacular natural beauty of wildflowers on national forests,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “This is one more way folks can experience the bounty of natural surroundings.” For many rural communities, the tourist revenue generated by thousands of wildflower festivals and events held each year helps support local economies. According to recent research, viewing and photographing wildflowers and trees is the fastest growing nature-based outdoor activity. A narrative for each location describes the viewing area’s botanical habitat, the types of wildflowers that can be found by season, and recommendations for the best time of year to visit. Information on safety advisories such as animal habitats, clothing recommendations, insect or plant cautions, and traffic and parking tips are included. Directions to the site, the closest town and contacts for more information are also offered. The map is part of the agency’s Celebrating Wildflowers web site which includes more than 10,000 plant images and information about the aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, and economic values of native plants. Feature sections focus on the role of pollinators, overviews of flower types, and spotlights on rare and interesting plant communities. An “ethnobotany” page highlights how people of particular cultures and regions make use of indigenous plants. Educational activities for kids and resources for teachers also are available.

20 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • March/April 2012

MEMORIAL GIFTS & HONORARIUM Remember Loved Ones "Forever"

You can remember a loved one with a memorial gift or honorarium to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Memorial gifts: If you would like to remember someone who loved wildlife, and the great outdoors of Arkansas, you can make a gift in that person’s name. What a beautiful tribute to their memory. Your memorial gift will continue the work of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and keep a loved one’s spirit alive through wildlife conservation. Honorarium Gift: Are you puzzled what to give friends or family members who “have everything?” Will an ordinary gift just not be enough? Then, consider making a donation to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation in their honor and acknowledge their special day, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whatever they are celebrating. Your gift is a special recognition to this individual or family in support of wildlife conservation programs. Gifts of $ 100 or more will receive wildlife print. All donations will receive a tax deductible receipt. Make a Difference “Forever Memorials or Honorariums” Right Now by Completing this Information Below:

Name of honoree_____________________________________________________________ Name of donor______________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________

City_________________________________State_____________ Zip Code______________ City________________________________ State_____________Zip Code______________

Visa_________ Master Card____________ Credit Card #_____________________________________________________________ Expiration Date______________________________

Memorial______ Honorarium_____________ Amount of Gift $______________________ *The Arkansas Wildlife Federation can accept checks, and Master Charge or VISA Credit Cards *

Designation of Gift_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We now accept MC/Visa/AMEX/Discover

Thank you for supporting wildlife conservation! Send to: AWF, 9108 Rodney Parham Rd., Suite 101, Little Rock, AR 72205; or call 501-224-9200