Deirdre Susanne Shepherd photo with her father, Aubrey James Shepherd, on brief video Volunteer highlight segment on Fayetteville Government Channel 216 on Cox Cable and ATT U-verse 99 in Northwest Arkansas: Please click on headline below to go to You Tube for full-screen view option

Please click on headline below to go to full-screen view on You Tube and see the result of the failed Aspen Ridge project in south Fayetteville, Arkansas

Fayetteville mayor, Lioneld Jordan, shares vision of future for Fayetteville to continue as most watershed-friendly community in Northwest Arkansas

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Please volunteer for War Eagle Creek cleanup Oct. 6, 2012

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 Please contact me if you need more information about volunteering for this event, or just show up and we will put you to work!

News             For Immediate Release   Information Contact: Natalie Casey Withrow Springs State Park Interpreter             479-559-2593 natalie.casey@arkansas.gov

 

Withrow Springs State Park Organizing War Eagle Creek Cleanup for October 6

Volunteers Needed to Help Keep War Eagle Creek Beautiful

 

Huntsville, AR (Aug. 31) – Volunteers are needed to participate in War Eagle Creek Cleanup on Saturday October 6, 2012. Hosted by Withrow Springs State Park with the support of Beaver Watershed Alliance, the cleanup is being held in conjunction with the Great Arkansas Cleanup (GAC), the annual fall statewide litter pickup campaign promoted by Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB), a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc. and a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. The Beaver Watershed Alliance was formed in 2010 to establish programming to maintain high quality drinking water in Beaver Lake and improve water quality on the Beaver Lake Watershed.  The Alliance represents a diverse stakeholder group from conservation, education, water utilities, technical and science, business, and local government groups working together for the cause of clean water.

 

“Litter continues to be a problem in our area,” says Park Interpreter Natalie Casey of Withrow Springs State Park, local coordinator of this year’s cleanup. “It is illegal to litter. It can negatively affect our community’s potential to attract business, industry and tourism. It has a devastating effect on our water supply. It ruins the natural beauty of the byways, waterways and forests. We need to clean up litter and keep it off our roadsides and out of our waterways.”

 

Beaver Watershed Alliance and Withrow Springs State Park invite you to be a steward of an important part of our Ozarks heritage by participating in the War Eagle Creek Cleanup at Withrow Springs State Park. “War Eagle Creek gives life to our community as a home for wildlife, a place for recreation, a connection to nature, and a source of drinking water from Beaver Lake” reminds Park Interpreter Natalie Casey. “Learn about the importance of this waterway, witness its beauty, and improve the quality of our environment as we spend the afternoon cleaning up War Eagle Creek.” Arrive by 1 p.m. to participate in 4.6 mi. cleanup float (water level permitting); arrive between 3-4 pm for shorter section floats and other site assignments. Cleanup will take place until approximately 6 p.m., followed by a free cookout, information about stewardship and citizen science programs, and prize giveaways. At dusk, join us for "Bridge to War Eagle," a production of award-winning film makers Larry Foley and Dale Carpenter that documents the natural, historic, and cultural importance of War Eagle Creek. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets.

 

Everyone in the area is encouraged to participate in this year’s litter-pickup effort. Civic and service organizations, church and youth groups, school groups and clubs, scouts, individuals, families, neighborhoods, and businesses can put together cleanup teams and pitch in. If your team is able to help with this event, please contact Withrow Springs State Park for special assignments or instructions.

 

 

“Litter is everyone’s responsibility,” Casey says. “Although we aren’t all litterers, we do all live in this community together and must work together to keep it clean and green. We do this as a point of community pride, to maintain our outstanding quality of life and to improve our economic health.”

 

This year’s local cleanup is sponsored by Withrow Springs State Park, Madison County Solid Waste and Recycling Center, Beaver Watershed Alliance, Audubon Arkansas, Beaver Water District.

 

About the Great Arkansas Cleanup

The statewide kickoff date for the 2012 GAC is Sept. 8. Events are being organized across the state during September and October as part of the annual fall litter-pickup campaign. Last year, the GAC included 207 events across the state. More than 10,500 volunteers picked up almost 1 million pounds of litter and cleaned up nearly 800 miles of roadway, more than 200 parks and public areas, and 659 miles of shoreline. The volunteer-driven effort provided the state and participating communities a cost-saving value of more than $850,000.

 

The Great Arkansas Cleanup grew out of an effort that began more than 40 years ago as the Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Cleanup. In 1985, U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers guided legislation requiring an annual pickup event during the weekend after Labor Day on all federal lands. This law, the Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Act, honors the founder of the event. Mr. Garner continues his advocacy for a clean and litter-free environment as a member of the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Foundation board of directors. The first statewide GAC was organized in 1989.

 

The GAC is sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and Keep America Beautiful Inc. Sponsors help provide needed cleanup supplies to GAC participants.

 

About Keep Arkansas Beautiful

As a certified state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., Keep Arkansas Beautiful works to inspire and educate individuals to reduce litter, recycle and keep Arkansas beautiful. It operates as a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and is overseen by a nine-member commission appointed by the governor. KAB is funded by 1 percent of the eighth-cent conservation tax and, by utilizing volunteers, returns to the state a cost benefit of $6.02 in community service for each program dollar spent. For more information about KAB, call toll-free 888-742-8701, visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com or stay connected at Facebook.com/KeepArkansasBeautiful or YouTube.com/DontLitterAR.

Secchi Day coming up August 18, 2012

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Water Education Center open house noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, 2012

You Are Invited

Open House for Water Education Center

Join us from noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday, June 27^th

301 N. Primrose Road, Lowell, Ark.

Take a guided tour of the Water Education Center!

Light Refreshments (hot dogs & chips) will be served.

Short Program at 12:30 p.m.

The Center includes:

* Scale Drinking Water Plant Model

* Interactive Kiosks exploring History of Water, Water Treatment, and Watersheds

* Wall Size Watershed Map

* Scavenger hunt and Beaver Lake Watershed Passport and Stickers for Children

* LID (Low Impact Development) Walking Tour

* LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building information

In March of 2011, Beaver Water District was awarded a three-year grant of $229,250 from The Walton Family Foundation to enhance and accelerate the creation of a comprehensive Water Education Center. The Water Education Center is designed to educate both children and adults about the value of drinking water and stewardship of the watershed as a natural resource. The Water Education Center’s instructional opportunities go hand-in-hand with the District’s K-12 programs for the schools. For more information, visit www.bwdh2o.org.  Beaver Water District supplies drinking water to more than 300,000 people and industries in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and surrounding areas, or one in 10 Arkansans.

Amy Wilson, Director of Public Affairs

Beaver Water District

301 N. Primrose Road, Lowell, AR  72745

479-756-3651/awilson@bwdh2o.org

www.bwdh2o.org

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water."

W.H. Auden 

Fall Festival at Hobbs State Park and Conservation Area needs a fiddler to welcome people to the event

The Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area Fall Festival will be celebrated from 1:00 p.m. to

4:00 p.m. on Sunday October 7th.  We will have activities planned at the visitor center as well as at Historic Van Winkle Hollow.

I need some help in finding a volunteer musician who will play their instrument (guitar, banjo, harmonica…It doesn’t matter) as well as greet the public as they enter Van Winkle Hollow to experience the activities there.

Can anyone suggest to me someone who I might contact for this enjoyable job?

Steve Chyrchel, Interpreter

Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area

479-789-50006

Steve.chyrchel@arkansas.gov

Steve Chyrchel, Interpretive Naturalist 
Hobbs State Park - Conservation Area
20201 E. Hwy 12
Rogers, Arkansas 72756                                 
Phone:  479-789-5006
Fax:       479-789-2151
steve.chyrchel@arkansas.gov

To learn more about the park and scheduled events
http://www.friendsofhobbs.com/new/index.php

http://www.arkansasstateparks.com

This electronic message transmission contains information from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and is confidential or privileged.  The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity named above.  If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited.  If you have received this electric transmission in error, please notify us by telephone immediately.  (479-789-5000)

May 19, 2012, cleanup day at West Fork of the White River in Northwest Arkansas

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Association for Beaver Lake Environment invites everyone to attend Tuesday, May 17, 2012, meeting in Rogers to hear Susan Young's presentation on the White River before Beaver Lake's dam was constructed

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Susan Young (left) and Shiloh Museum director Allyn Lord after an earlier presentation

May 19, 2012, West Fork Cleanup Day

Help Clean Up West Fork of the White River on morning of Saturday, May 19, 2012

News Release

For information call Nicole Hardiman at 422-1014

Volunteers needed for West Fork Watershed Cleanup on May 19^th

For immediate release – April 24, 2012

The 7th annual West Fork Watershed Cleanup will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Riverside Park, located off state Hwy. 170 in quaint downtown West Fork. Volunteers will check in from 8-9:30 a.m. at the park, then fan out to stations along the river and clean up targeted areas. Volunteers are then invited to enjoy a burrito buffet beginning at 11 a.m.

Volunteers are needed and may pre-register by calling 479-422-1014 or 479-225-1611. Volunteers also may show up that day and register on-site.  Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cleanup participants will be supplied with trash bags, maps to cleanup locations, gloves, and reusable water bottles filled with chilled tap water. All volunteers will be required to sign up and complete liability forms. Sites on the cleanup list include Riverside Park, Baptist Ford, Dye Creek Road, Woolsey Bridge, Brentwood Mountain Road, and the Winslow Ballpark.

“The West Fork of the White River flows into Beaver Lake,” said Nicole Hardiman, who works for the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, one of the event sponsors. “Beaver Lake is our drinking water, so we gather annually to clean up the West Fork and build awareness about our precious water resources.”

Mayor Frances Hime has been volunteering for the cleanup for several years, and she’s proud to be there once again.

“When we clean up the West Fork River and its watershed, we are protecting our source of safe drinking water and caretaking wildlife habitat,” Hime said. “We love rallying the troops to help with this task. We want everyone to come out and enjoy beautiful Riverside Park in West Fork and help us with the cleanup.”

As in years past, the event is being coordinated by the West Fork Watershed Alliance. Sponsors and partners also include Arkansas Stream Team, Arkansas Canoe Club, Arvest Bank, Beaver Water District, City of West Fork, Keep Arkansas Beautiful, Pack Rat Outdoor Center, Tyson Foods, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Washington County Environmental Affairs, the Watershed Conservation Resource Center, Audubon Arkansas, Beaver Watershed Alliance, Ozark Natural Foods, Sam’s Club, and West Fork Cafe. A flyer about the event may be downloaded from the Beaver Water District’s website at www.bwdh2o.org.

Dan Millican talks about impaired urban streams in Arkansas

Preview sample of short takes to run Sunday through Friday, Feb. 12-17, 2012. You too can do a short take each week FREE at Fayetteville Public Television. Shows run on the Internet site of YOUR-MEDIA and on both Cox Cable 218 and AT&T Uverse 99 several times each week.

Dan Millican removes litter from shoreline of a stretch of the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River

Women who have worked to protect water quality in northwest Arkansas discuss decades of activism

Short takes on Cox 218 and AT&T channel 99 something for today through the weekend

Park board hears comments on value of preserving soil and native plants on proposed construction site on Rochier Hill west of Pinnacle Prairie and World Peace Wetland Prairie

December 20, 2011, meeting of Fayetteville AR city council draws comment on several important local issues on a 3-hour, 37-minute video