2009 FIELD TRIPS & OTHER EVENTS

SATURDAY, MARCH 21st – POSSUM TROT (NEWTON COUNTY). NOTE: THIS HIKE IS NOW TENTATIVE PENDING A REPORT ON THE EXTENT OF ICE DAMAGE IN THE AREA. This area will be scouted prior to the hike and a decision made about whether or not to go. Call or email Burnetta at 479-582-0317 or burhint@sbcglobal.net for details.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4th – ARRINGTON CREEK/BUFFALO RIVER. NOTE: THIS HIKE IS NOW TENTATIVE PENDING A REPORT ON THE EXTENT OF ICE DAMAGE IN THE AREA. Join U of A Herbarium Botanist Brent Baker for a hike into the magnificent “Arrington Creek Canyon” on the Buffalo National River near Boxley. This area will be scouted prior to the hike and a decision made about whether or not to go. Call Brent at 479.970.9143 or email him at btb2001@hotmail.com for details.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4th - 3^rd ANNUAL CALHOUN COMMUNITY GARDEN SHOW. Harvey C. Couch School in Calhoun, Arkansas (5 miles east of Magnolia). Theme is “Where History & Gardening Come Together & Touch For a Day”. 9am-5pm. Crafts, Plants, Wildflower Seeds, Columbia County Master Gardener's Plant Sale, plus Bluegrass, Gospel, & Country Music, and more. For more info call 870.234.9491 or www.magnoliachamber.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 6th – “Native Plants and Rare Habitats of Arkansas: What Gardeners Should Know”. A slide show and lecture by Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission Botanist Theo Witsell. 7:00 pm. at the Thompson Library in west Little Rock (38 Rahling Circle). Call 501.821.3097 or visit www.cals.org for direction or more information.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11th – PARKVIEW MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL NATIVE WOODLAND GARDEN WORKDAY. Parkview High School in Little Rock. See item on page 3 for more information.

FRIDAY, MAY 1st—SUNDAY, MAY 3rd – SPRING ANPS MEETING. See details on page 12 of this issue.

MAY (exact date to be determined) – DRIPPING SPRINGS AND/OR GULPHA GORGE (HOT SPRINGS). Susie Teague is working on obtaining permission to return to the fantastic Dripping Springs area owned by the Hot Springs Water Department. There was a great fall hike there two years ago among the moss and fern covered bluffs, seeps, and rich woods. All agreed that the area would be great for a Spring trip! The hike may also visit Gulpha Gorge in Hot Springs National Park. Call Susie for more current information at 501.262.9695 or email her at cedarcreekns@sbcglobal.net.

SATURDAY, MAY 9th—WOOLSEY PRAIRIE (FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.). Join ecologist Bruce Shackleford and botanists Theo Witsell and Burnetta Hinterthuer to explore this cutting-edge wet prairie and marsh restoration project. Woolsey Prairie, owned by the City of Fayetteville, is a mitigation site for wetland impacts made during the construction of their new wastewater treatment plant. The site was a former wet prairie that was later grazed and planted to fescue. However, much of the site was never plowed and is now being restored. Just three years after restoration began there are more than 350 plant species on the site including several rare species! The birding is incredible. Meet at 9:30 am at the Woolsey Prairie Parking area on Broyles Road in Fayetteville. For directions or more info contact Burnetta Hinterthuer at 479-582-0317 or burhint@sbcglobal.net.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27th—HOBBS STATE PARK CONSERVATION AREA VISITOR CENTER GRAND OPENING. Hobbs is Arkansas’s largest state park with more than 12,000 acres on the south shore of Beaver Lake near Rogers. Join them for the grand opening of their new visitor center and hike some of their many wildflower-rich trails. Contact the park at 479.789.2380 or email hobbs@arkansas.com for more info.

SATURDAY, MAY 16th – KING’S RIVER SANCTUARY. Steve Smith and Zee Reader have invited us once again to botanize and bird on the Sanctuary land they are establishing just East of Eureka Springs, off Hwy. 62. Meet Steve at the Blue Bird Lodge (just off Hwy. 62 west of the King’s River bridge crossing) parking lot at 10:00 a.m. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy along the banks of the Kings’ River.

FRIDAY, MAY 29th-SUNDAY, MAY 31st – JOINT MISSOURI/ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY MEETING & FIELD TRIPS (SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI). Join our hosts from MoNPS to explore their beautiful prairies and see the very rare Mead’s milkweed in flower. See details on page 13.

SATURDAY, JUNE 6th – FIELD TRIP TO WOOLLY HOLLOW STATE PARK. Join expert botanist Eric Sundell and expert mycologist (fungi guy) Jay Justice for a look at the plants and fungi of Woolly Hollow State Park near Greenbrier. Meet at the park pavilion at 10:00 am. Bring a lunch. For more info call Jay at 501.682.0907 or Eric at 870.723.1089.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27th – CARROLL COUNTY. Linda Ellis will lead us to search for the introduced species Scabiosa atropurpurea that she spotted last year (see article on page 4). Please email Linda at lindasellis@hughes.net if you plan to attend. We will drive Highway 103 between Rudd and Rule, and, if there is enough time, we will also visit Saunders Heights in search of the very rare earleaf gerardia that was found there a few years ago, after having not been seen in northwest Arkansas since the late 1800’s. Meet Linda at 10:00 am at the McDonald’s parking lot in Berryville, AR, just off Hwy. 62.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3th & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th – ARKANSAS AUDUBON ADULT NATURAL HISTORY WORKSHOPS. Three two-day workshops are being offered this year: 1) Edible Trees & Plants (Tamara Walkingstick), 2) Birding Basics (Dan Scheiman), and 3) Native Tree Identification (Eric Sundell). All workshops will be taught at the Ferncliff Camp, west of Little Rock. Cost for each workshop is either $170 (for those staying overnight) or $130 (for commuters). Four meals are included. Space is limited. For more information and for registration forms, email Eric Sundell at esundell42@gmail.com or call 870-723-1089. Or you can download a registration form from our website, www.arbirds.org.

OCTOBER 16-18 - FALL ANPS MEETING. WINTHROP ROCKERFELLER INSTITUTE ON PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN. Yes, this is probably the earliest in the year that the fall meeting date has ever been set! More details will follow in the Fall issue of Claytonia.

FIELD TRIPS NEEDED—As always, we need people to lead field trips to interesting areas. We know you have sites you want to take people to. Please contact the editor if you are willing to lead a trip in your area.