OPPORTUNITIES: Audubon makes plans for adults and kids

Halberg campers in 2013. (Democrat-Gazette file photo)
Halberg campers in 2013. (Democrat-Gazette file photo)

The Arkansas Audubon Society will hold its spring convention May 3-5 atop Petit Jean Mountain.

The weekend program includes field trips; board meetings; receptions and dinners; a tribute to the life of the late Doug James, a society founder who died in December; two sessions on garden design for birds; and research talks by students.

Native plants expert Benjamin Vogt, author of A New Garden Ethic, will speak on how gardeners can best attract and sustain birds.

Registration costs $35 ($25 for society members); meals are extra; but it is possible to register for some sessions separately. There is a $5 early bird discount until April 13. The agenda and more details are at arbirds.org, or contact Samantha Scheiman at (501) 580-4982 or samantha.scheiman@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, registration is open for the society's annual Halberg Ecology Camp for fifth- and sixth-graders. As many as 50 boys and girls attend as first-time, junior campers. They sleep on cots in cabins with fans but without air conditioning, and they are supervised by two co-directors, a full-time nurse, an activities director and 14 instructors (including several with doctorates) who are college and high school natural-science teachers. Tuition costs $350.

The camp meets in two sessions in June at Camp Clearfork, a U.S. Forest Service campground on U.S. 270 between Hot Springs and Mount Ida. The first session is June 9-14 and the second is June 16-21. The program is for well behaved students whose schoolteachers will attest they have a genuine interest in natural science.

Second-year students come by invitation only, and their tuition costs $375. Scholarships are available for families with financial need.

For details, see the website or call (870) 510-0540.

Please send tips on active recreation to

cstorey@arkansasonline.com

Style on 03/18/2019

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