Trail day

TRI-LAKES AREA — “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

- Also Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949

I went to an outdoor party the other day. It wasn’t a Hallowe’en party, although people were dressed up in pioneer clothes, ruffled aprons, sun bonnets, overalls and bandannas. Fiddles played as square dancers promenaded in the pine needles. Hikers whooped and hollered on woodland trails.

It was Trail Day at the South Fork Nature Center in Choctaw - a true milestone celebration. The first “mile” of trails had been completed by experienced trailblazer Ken Eastin of Eastin Outdoors, and two new large “stones” had been inscribed by sculptor Ryan Mays of Vermont with the nature center’s name and logo. The stones were strategically placed to help people find their way.

The crowd sipped hot coffee and sassafras tea as they arrived. Bill Thurman of Little Rock played his small folk harp, his improvisations echoing among the tall pines like an outdoor cathedral (see www.billthurmanmusic. com). Later, state fiddle champion and guitarist Tim Trawick, David and Donna Peterson and Ricky Russell, all of Conway, Kay Verboon of Clinton and Thurman mixed it up, providing toe-tapping hammered dulcimer, guitar and fiddle music.

Docents led folks on the shalecovered trails winding among the colorful autumn leaves, past wetlands and along bluffs overlooking Greers Ferry Lake.

Don Culwell, retired University of Central Arkansas botany professor, entertained a group of hikers.

“You know how you can tell a dogwood tree?” he asked. “By its bark.”

We laughed. It’s true; dogwoods do have a distinctive crosshatched bark.

Fall mushrooms bloomed everywhere: red, white, yellow, blue, orange ... a rainbow on the ground. My husband, Bob, helped an excited boy gather a collection, perhaps his first exposure to these natural wonders.

Kids on the trail have fun; they scurry everywhere, climb trees and run to get to the next bend in the path. Adults are satisfied just to look and study things. There’s something about walking in the woods that brings a meditative state.

After hiking, we enjoyed visiting with many fascinating pioneer exhibitors.

Gerald Dollar and Rick Cossey of Damascus brought chickens; it was fun to hear the roosters crow. Shirley Pratt of Greenbrier spread out all sorts of native plants on tables, explaining their historical use for medicines and foods.

Joyce Burns of Clinton demonstrated chair-caning, which she teaches along with her regular art classes in downtown Clinton.

Jim Solomon, a Clinton entomologist, brought insect specimens and samples of wood that had been damaged by various borers. Author of a book about those insects, he said with modest humor, “It’s a boring subject.”

Taxidermist and teacher Bob Verboon of Clinton displayed many different skulls, includinga wild boar with big tusks.

Sonny Chidister of Lost Creek Apiary and apprentice Leslie Thompson of Scotland brought native honey and beeswax products. Chidister keeps more than 100 hives.

Woodcarvers Ron Morrow and Bob Johnson of Fairfield Bay whittled away, displaying beautiful artistic sculptures and walking sticks.

And of course there was pioneer food: deer chili, squirrel stew, burgers, Dutch oven peach cobblers and other desserts. Businesses donated food and personnel to help, including First Service Bank, First Security Bank, Regions Bank, Wal-Mart and Thriftway. Those who ate gave donations to help with the next projects, a pavilion and an amphitheater. People enjoyed sitting on the new picnic tables built by Clinton High School students.

None of this would have happened without generous volunteers and donors. Like Dr. Seuss says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

It began because Victor Gates and Verne Rogers cared. They donated 65 acres in the Gates Rogers Foundation to preserve the beautiful native flora and fauna for others to enjoy after their deaths in 1999 (Rogers) and 2004 (Gates).

Carol Corning was hired as the Foundation’s Executive Director in January 2006. The Board of Trustees, docents and other helpers are volunteers, including retired biologists, entomologists, botanists, scientists, administrators, pilots, teachers, nurses ——— all nature enthusiasts.

Botanists Theo Witsell and Brent Baker documented 582 native plants on the site. These dried plant specimens are cataloged and available for viewing at the Gates Rogers office, 358 Main St. in Clinton.

David Peterson and Don Culwell relocated a 100-year-old log cabin from Banner Mountain and restored it on the property. It had great historical significance, having been the birthplace of Almeda Riddle, who received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts for her contributions to the preservation of Ozark folksong traditions. She traveled coast to coast and shared the stage with such artists as Doc Watson, Pete and Mike Seeger, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and others.

Grants were awarded to pay for contractual work. For three years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annually contributed $6,000 to $8,000. Wal-Mart gave a $1,000 community service grant in 2007. Trails were funded by a$58,571 grant from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, along with a $14,600 foundation match.

Even though it is not fully developed, the Nature Center has already proven to be a tourist attraction and outdoor educational center. People enjoy public access to walking trails and the opportunity to learn about native plants and wildlife. Visitors have included the Little Red River Audubon Society, Master Gardeners, UCA outdoor conservation classes and the North Central Arkansas Artist League.

Local schools especially benefit. Clinton science teacher and docent Krissi Graham brought students to walk the trails and learn more about nature, saying, “Kids today are so involved with technology that they just don’t have the exposure to the outdoors as we did. It’s hard to get them to go outside.”

Culwell agreed. He said he had led a group of Clinton high school students on a trail and then builta campfire afterward to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Amazingly, some had never had these experiences before. One girl didn’t want to eat a hot dog on a stick because she was afraid of getting splinters.

Obviously, there is a need to maintain wild places and get people outside to explore and appreciate nature. Outdoor education is key.

To find the Nature Center, turn east at the intersection of U.S. 65 and Arkansas 330. Drive 3.7 miles and turn north at Klondike Road (at the stone sign), drive about three more miles and turn right at the gate (another stone sign). The gate is open to the public on the third Saturday of each month or by appointment. If the gate is locked, park in the gravel area across from the gate and hike in. Pass two private homes on theleft; look for the log cabin less than a mile down the road.

For more information about the Center, check out the Web site at www.southforknaturecenter. org. To volunteer, donate, obtain more information or schedule a docent-led visit, contact Corning at (501) 745-6444.

Tri-Lakes, Pages 135 on 11/15/2009

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