Lori Yazwinski shares Environmental Action Committee's advice with Fayetteville City Council

Water quality meeting with ADEQ officials in Fayetteville AR 13 Nov. 2012. Please click on headline below to go to full-screen version on You Tube

Arkansas canoeists set fall wetland paddling tour, thanks to Debbie Doss on Facebook

Debbie Doss

11 hours ago · 

• Fall Wetland Touring Schedule 2012
  Hello swampers!! It has been a couple of seasons since we have had a schedule of wetland touring trips. I am looking forward to reconnecting with old paddling companions and meeting new ones. These trips are open to all comers and all skill levels who wish to get outdoors in some beautiful places, see wildlife and ancient trees.
  The following list of trips is subject to change due to weather or water levels. A week before each trip occurs I will post a brief description of the trip with meeting times, locations and any other directions. Post general comments or questions on this thread. Post specific questions or comments about the next upcoming trip on that trip thread as it is posted.
  
  Oct. 6 Saturday-Polk Bayou Cleanup Float in Batesville
  Oct.13 Saturday-Maddox Bay-North Unit of White River Refuge
  Oct. 21 Sunday-Rex Hancock Black Swamp-Cache River Refuge
  Oct.27 Sat./Sun.-H Lake Camp and Moonlight Float South Unit White River Refuge
  Nov. 3 Saturday –Bayou Deview –Combined Ozark Society ACC float
  Nov.10 Sat./Sun.-Felsenthal- Float and camp-Felsenthal Refuge
  Nov.17-Grassy Lake –Bell Slough WMA
  Jan.1 2013-Little Maumelle-Happy New Year Red Hot Cider Float

  Something I posted after reading the announcement above caused by the combination of things I experienced electronically on the same day:
  Aubrey James Shepherd I grew up spending summers on Bistineau and Caddo lakes and other similar sunken cypress swamps in Louisiana created by the 1812 earthquakes and was pleased to see video from Caddo Lake on the nature moment at end of 8:30-9:30 Sunday morning show on CBS Sept 30, 2012. I recognized the scene and said "I grew up there" before the announcer named the place. Lauren saw the tears in my eyes. My painful, bittersweet thought was 'I'll never get to go there again.' Except for their lack of Spanish moss on the trees, the Arkansas swamps are about the same as the Louisiana swamps. I said nothing but knew she realized exactly what I was thinking and feeling at that moment.

War Eagle Creek cleanup Oct. 6, 2012. Please volunteer to help

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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.

Buffalo River superintendent talks about Elk in national river watershed and his early years in the park

Video to run Sept. 16-21, 2012, on public television in Fayetteville AR

Aubrey James Shepherd narrates his slideshow for public TV

Help clean up Lee Creek on this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012

Please click on image to ENLARGE to read details.

Wonderful watershed protection conference coming up in October 2012 in D.C. area

Quality Field Trips During the Watershed and Stormwater Conference Dear Aubrey, During the upcoming Watershed and Stormwater Conference,  you can participate in any of the field trips we have organized on October 10th.  You can register for the conference and join as a member all at once! This will save you $200 off registration for either the whole event or just the educational conference. Registration ends September 14th, don't let time run out!   Field Trip Highlights     Three are educational outings and all are filling up fast. Space on the bus is limited so sign up soon: Anne Arundel County Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance, Washington, D.C. Innovative Stormwater Practices and Programs, and Watershed 263 Ultra Urban Retrofitting.   Then there are three fun outings:   Art and Baltimore Hon Tour, Fort McHenry and the Baltimore National Aquarium. Our favorite for uniqueness is the Art and Balimore Hon Tour!    If you have already registered and wish to sign up for the AWSPs happy hour and/or field trips, please do it soon  You will need to login using your email address and Registrant ID provided to you on your registration confirmation.    Sincerely, The Center for Watershed Protection Team  Public Sector Special Rates  Public sector and nonprofit employees enjoy early bird pricing through Sept 14. Save $100 off non-member registration rates:  $695 for conference and gala ( $100 savings) $595 for the conference only ($100 savings) Contact Lisa to get this special rate. lfm@cwp.org   Save $100 More as a Member of AWSPs! You can save time and become a member while registering for the Watershed and Stormwater Conference!  Just chose New Members- Join and Register to start the experience of being an AWSPs member!

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Video to run Aug. 12-17 2012 on public television Cox Cable 218 and ATT uverse 99 plus

Watershed issues always mentioned in Fayetteville city-council meetings

Rain-garden academy for educators

Wildflowers need more rain to reach mid-summer glory

Comparing healthy prairie and prairies slated for development in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Official Wildlife Habitat Community: Fayetteville AR

Only one person asks Fayetteville AR planning commission to stick to original intent and wording of the city's streamside-protection ordinance

Please click on image to ENLARGE for easy reading.

Sign on Mud Creek trail

Links of interest to natural-resource conservationsts, particularly in Northwest Arkansas

My Flickr account as it appeared at noon April 25, 2012. Everything posted appears there first but gets bumped down several times a week as I post new material, which means easy way to find is in the  sets.
My sets of photos on Flickr direct permalink. Scroll down to bottom of page to go to second and third pages of sets.
My google blog list and profile
My You Tube channel.
Lauren & my 2009-07 archival Web site seldom updated now.

And, of course, we have several facebook outlets. I usually update my 'status' more than once a day as I add things to Flickr, You Tube or a blog. Gets a few more friends to look at those sources.

Beaver Lake watershed continues to suffer as Fayetteville rushes ahead to approve urban infill

Several watershed-related items were on the agenda for the April 3, 2012, meeting of Fayetteville AR City Council

Jack White on You Tube telling details of his wife's health damage from natural-gas fracking

Sierra Club’s March Member Event will be on March 28, 6:00-7:45 pm, at the Fayetteville Public Library, in the Walker Room.  Our speaker will be Jack White who will talk about fracking and his personal experiences with fracking, involving his wife’s health and the homestead where he planned to spend his golden years.

The Free Weekly blog account of the Mary and Jack White's horror story of life near a tracking site.

For a preview of White's likely comments at FPL see this YOU TUBE video from October 24, 2011.