Fruit trees in bloom; volunteers at work on WPWP

Please enlarge image to see plum in blossom near northeast corner of World Peace Wetland Prairie.























PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE photo of Curt Richardson's stone work at World Peace Wetland Prairie and Lauren Hawkins soil preparation for Earth Day planting on April 20.

Year-round virtual tour of World Peace Wetland Prairie available on Flickr.com

Please click on links and sample the several categories of photos from WPWP. Watch for the slide-show option or use the magnifying tool to enlarge two to four times for closeup stills.

Virtual tour of World Peace Wetland Prairie in all seasons of the year

Earth Day Celebration at World Peace Wetland Prairie Set for Sunday afternoon April 20, 2008

Please click on image to enlarge butterfly on pear blossom on March 21, 2008, on World Peace Wetland Prairie.


The Fourth Earth Day Celebration since the Founding of World Peace Wetland Prairie, a city-owned nature park and natural rain garden in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is planned for Sunday afternoon, April 20, 2008.
Nature walks led by local biologists and nature enthusiasts highlighting Arkansas native plants and describing the value of wetland and its function in an urban environment. The 2007 Earth Day nature walks were marred by a late freeze that destroyed the flowers on many trees and native plants that bloomed prematurely after an unusually warm February. A colder February in 2008 slowed the initial growth and the number and varieties of flowers to be seen on Earth Day 2008 may well be much greater.
Information from founding organizations and area environmental groups will be offered as well as an opportunity to participate in the removal of Japanese honeysuckle, fescue and other non-native invasive species. Musicians are invited to perform with acoustic instruments and environmentally friendly songs are welcome.
Bird-watchers are encouraged to come at dawn or stay until dark.
The theme for 2008 is "Keep the Water Where it Falls, Maintain the Habitat."

1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday April 20, 2008
For a slide show of a virtual year-round tour of World Peace Wetland Prairie, please see

Virtual tour of World Peace Wetland Prairie in all seasons of the year
http://www.worldpeacewetlandprairie.com

CANCELED: Watershed organizations to relate success stories at Upper White River Basin conference

March 27, 2008, update: Event canceled for lack of sufficient early registration to cover cost.
NOT TOO LATE. Rooms and conference seats remain available as of March 18, 2008.
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

Collection of photos of World Peace Wetland Prairie in Fayetteville, Arkansas

For access to all the sets of World Peace Wetland Prairie, please click on the following link:

Collection of photos of World Peace Wetland Prairie

Lonicera sempervirens new growth on World Peace Wetland Prairie on March 15, 2008

PLEASE CLICK on images to see new leaves on native honeysuckle or trumpet honeysuckle on March 15, 2008.

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7968LONICERA SEMPERVIRENS

White Wild Indigo such as found naturally at World Peace Wetland Prairie is one indicator of sustainability

Please click on images to enlarge.




White Wild Indigo indicates sustainability

6250white false indigo
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9892Baptisia leucantha
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Town Branch Neighborhood Aspen Ridge/Hill Place meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday March 11, 2008

Please share this information and invite your friends to come see and discuss the revised plans of the developers of the former Aspen Ridge site at the S. Hill Church of Christ at the intersection of South Hill Avenue, W. Eleventh Street where S Hill Ave. becomes South Ellis Avenue and curves southeastward.
The plan is displayed with north at the top in the upper photo. The railroad runs SW to NE on the plan with Hill Avenue at right.
The lower photo is turned with west to the north to allow readers to click and enlarge to read the words on the plan.
For more information, call or email or see some of the blogs and Web sites linked below.
Aubrey James Shepherd
P.O. Box 3159
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72702
aubreyshepherd@hotmail.com
479-444-6072
http://www.aubunique.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02
http://aubreyshepherd.blogspot.com
http://www.aubunique.com/blog
http://carboncapstaskforce.blogspot.com
http://coolearthnow-aubunique.blogspot.com
http://fayettevillecitygovernment.blogspot.com
http://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com
http://northwestarkansasenvironmentcentral.blogspot.com
http://redoakpark.blogspot.com
http://severancetax.blogspot.com
http://townbranchneighborhood.blogspot.com
http://worldpeacewetlandprairie.blogspot.com
http://www.worldpeacewetlandprairie.com

Developers give short notice of their plan to meet with Town Branch Neighborhood, City Council members. Neighbors surprised.

Presumptious developers tell neighbors about neighborhood meeting?"

Fran Alexander and Karen McSpadden

Please click on image to enlarge.

Well-known environmental activist and Northwest Arkansas Times columnist Fran Alexander has contributed to the creation and development of World Peace Wetland Prairie by speaking in favor of it in city meetings in 2004 and 2005 and recently donated $5,000 through the Friends of Fayetteville to the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology, which administers the fund originally set up for Neighborwoods for the benefit of reforestation of the World Peace Wetland Prairie and other areas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Karen McSpadden coordinates the Green Drinks program that brings developers and politicians and environmental conservationists together at meetings each first Wednesday of the month. McSpadden has been a frequent visitor at World Peace Wetland Prairie and a valuable volunteer at the city nature park.

Snowy day on World Peace Wetland Prairie

OMNI Center receives Environmental Organization of the Year title from Arkansas Sierra Club partly for its donation of $25,000 for WPWP

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Top Photo:
Professor James Richard Bennett founded the organization with its wide-ranging but inseparable goals. Dick Bennett's philosophy includes the belief that neither peace nor justice can be achieved without protecting and enhancing the earth's environment and natural resources and protecting habitat for all living things.
On Feb. 16, 2008, the Arkansas Chapter and Ozark Highlands Group of the Sierra Club named the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology as Sierra's Arkansas environmental organization of the year.







Lower Photo:
Kelly Mulholland (left), Lauren Hawkins (center) and Mr. and Mrs. Steve Skattebo share a moment to discuss WPWP. Mulholland has been the leader of OMNI's environmental efforts for several years. Hawkins and Steve Skattebo are leaders in the hands-on effort to remove Japanese honeysuckle from WPWP, one root at a time!
Mulholland was the leader of the OMNI delegation that advocated the formation of the Governor's Commission on Global Warming. He remains a member of the Carbon Caps Task Force, OMNI's committee working to support the efforts of the commission.