Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Geese on a rainy morning on Pinnacle Foods Inc. wet prairie west of WPWP

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE view of rainy morning on Pinnacle Foods' wet prairie April 24, 2010.

Photo below shows where water from east (yellow), west and north join to form Soup Branch and flow along south edge of WPWP to South Duncan Avenue and then to the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River. The turbid water flows off a four-year-old truck-parking lot on Pinnacle Foods Inc.'s east side. The problem seems to a pile of limestone gravel that erodes each time rain falls.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Birdsfoot violet at WPWP: Viola pedata

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of tiny purple/blue wildflower

Birdsfoot Violet Latin: Viola Pedata

 on World Peace Wetland Prairie on April 20, 2010.


Thursday, April 22, 2010

KNWA captures essence of Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie

Please double-click link to view video from KNWA Web site: KNWA covers earth day at World Peace Wetland Prairie This year's celebration of Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie wasn't much different from past years. But it did offer more activities that got young people involved with the land. KNWA's report captured the spirit of the event well. Of course, weeding, mulching and planting are not equally essential parts of saving the earth or stopping climate change, but they get the headline that allows people to hear the message and maybe dig deeper online and in libraries to learn the importance of reducing misuse of the earth's resources. And touching soil is something youngsters love inherently if they are encouraged or allowed to touch it. The earlier a child gets involved in caring for creation, the more likely the child is to become an adult who recognizes the importance of wise stewardship of the earth. Thanks to KNWA for covering the event. Weeding has to be done carefully because many valuable native plants are considered "weeds" by traditional gardeners. In fact, many of the most important native plants are referred to as weeds, such as milkweed, the widely celebrated family of plants on whose vegetation the monarch butterfly's caterpillars totally depend for sustenance. Mulching is used in tradtional gardens where only selected plants are chosen to survive. The mulch supresses the rest, native and invasive, without discriminating. Without mulch there are surprises every growing season as new plants pop up. The nature gardener has to selectively remove the nonnative invaders but welcome and nurture the natives that appear for the first time. Planting actually should be rare in a nature garden. Such places as WPWP are chosen for protection because of the native base of seeds and roots in the healthly, rich, organic soil.
Please click on image to ENLARGE for closer view of sample photos from WPWP.
PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type. For more about World Peace Wetland Prairie please see www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/ www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/   
PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type.
MANY REASONS TO PROTECT LAND SUCH AS WORLD PEACE WETLAND AND PINNACLE PRAIRIE FOREVER:
World Peace Wetland Prairie is the riparian zone of a small stream that historically was fed by seep springs and rainwater from three directions when the first westward immigrants settled Fayetteville, Arkansas. World Peace Wetland Prairie has the deepest layer of dark, rich soil in its subwatershed because leaves and other vegetative matter accumulated as the flowing water slowed and soaked into the absorbent soil and enriched that soil. Pinnacle Foods Inc.'s mounded wet prairie to the west is the main source of clean water flowing to World Peace Wetland Prairie at this time. Before the railroad was built, water flowed off Rochier Hill to the northwest and from the prairie and savannah to the north of WPWP that has been replaced by fill dirt and paving for apartments. Water from the east and north slopes of the high land where Pinnacle Foods Inc. now sits flowed to WPWP along with all the water from the high ground near 15th Street, which moved north to WPWP before flowing east to the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River. Such remnants of prairie help keep the water where it falls and recharge the groundwater. Like the many similar remnants of such prairie in our diverse geographical area, WPWP and Pinnacle Prairie are the surface manifestation of a significant bedrock fault. Such sunken wetland is a characteristic feature that appears above geological faults worldwide. The Karst map of Washington County Arkansas shows the WPWP watershed in red, meaning that it is a critical groundwater recharge area. Preserving such depressional wetland in our city is the least expensive way to reduce downstream flooding and siltation of our water supply. Hundreds of native plants grow. Many birds and other wildlife prosper on healthy wetland vegetation. And prairie vegetation sequesters carbon dioxide and cleans the ground water.


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Mullins Creek clean up on Earth Day, from 2 to 4 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2010

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at S. Garland AvenueMullins Creek is the name of the tributary of the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River that originates at Cleveland Street on the east side of Razorback Road and drains much of the western portion of the University of Arkansas campus. It merges with College Branch, which originates on Markham Hill west of Razorback Road. The two emerge from twin rectangular culverts on the south edge of Leroy Pond Drive just southwest of Bud Walton Arena. When the combined streams pass under Martin King Drive near the stop light at S. Garland and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, they are joined by water flowing from Razorback Road and MLK (formerly 6th St.) and water coming off the north side of Rochier Hill and Indian Trail plus water from south side of the Fayetteville High School campus to form the Town Branch before it flows through a tunnel under the railroad and then through the Town Branch Neighborhood. The worst litter is found downstream, with much of it coming from the strip mall and its fastfood restaurants on the south side of MLK. Cleanup information below interactive aerial map.


View Larger Map




You will be able to park in Lot 56, which is immediately south of The Gardens on Razorback Road, after 1PM on Earth Day, without a parking permit, and without fear of being ticketed.  Thanks to UA Transit and Parking for helping us with this bit of logistics.

Nick

From: Nicholas Ray Brown
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 1:37 PM
To: Nick Brown
Subject: Mullins Creek clean up

To all –

                UA will hold its annual clean up of Mullins Creek on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22 from 2:00 until 4:00 PM.  We’ll meet at the main pavilion in The Gardens on Razorback Road at 2:00 PM.  We’ll provide latex and leather gloves, trash bags, and free foodafter the cleanup.  We’ll organize teams that will start at Leroy Pond Rd (across the street from Bud Walton Arena) and will go as far downstream toward 15th Street as we can.   If some of you come willing and able to wade, we’ll be able to do a complete job.  We’ll have a safety officer on hand to remind you of how to stay safe.

Tyson Foods and Chartwells have combined to provide hot dogs and chicken sandwiches for our volunteers.  Big thanks to these two companies for being good neighbors to UA and to Mullins Creek.

The stream cleanup is an opportunity to walk the walk of environmental stewardship.  Hope you can join us!

Respectfully,

Nick Brown

Nicholas R. Brown PhD
Director for campus sustainability
479.575.3591 ofc
479.879.0555 cell
UA_Logo_Horizontal.JPG

Wetland management and restoration training available through Rutgers University extension service

www.cpe.rutgers.edu/programs/wetlands.html

Friday, April 16, 2010

Please click on image to ENLARGE for closer view of sample photos from WPWP.
PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type. For more about World Peace Wetland Prairie please see www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/ www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/
PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Importance of places like WPWP: Geography and geology of Northwest Arkansas must be considered before any more developments are proposed for Northwest Arkansas

World Peace Wetland Prairie is the riparian zone of a small stream that historically was fed by seep springs and rainwater from three directions when the first westward immigrants settled Fayetteville, Arkansas. World Peace Wetland Prairie has the deepest layer of dark, rich soil in its subwatershed because leaves and other vegetative matter accumulated as the flowing water slowed and soaked into the absorbent soil and enriched that soil. Pinnacle Foods Inc.'s mounded wet prairie to the west is the main source of clean water flowing to World Peace Wetland Prairie at this time. Before the railroad was built, water flowed off Rochier Hill to the northwest and from the prairie and savannah to the north of WPWP that has been replaced by fill dirt and paving for apartments. Water from the east and north slopes of the high land where Pinnacle Foods Inc. now sits flowed to WPWP along with all the water from the high ground near 15th Street, which moved north to WPWP before flowing east to the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River. Such remnants of prairie help keep the water where it falls and recharge the groundwater. Like the many similar remnants of such prairie in our diverse geographical area, WPWP and Pinnacle Prairie are the surface manifestation of a significant bedrock fault. Such sunken wetland is a characteristic feature that appears above geological faults worldwide. The Karst map of Washington County Arkansas shows the WPWP watershed in red, meaning that it is a critical groundwater recharge area. Preserving such depressional wetland in our city is the least expensive way to reduce downstream flooding and siltation of our water supply. Hundreds of native plants grow. Many birds and other wildlife prosper on healthy wetland vegetation. And prairie vegetation sequesters carbon dioxide and cleans the ground water.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Aerial map for World Peace Wetland Prairie and Town Branch Neighborhood


View Larger Map

Caring for Creation sets third-annual conference for April 16-18, 2010; all participants invited to come to World Peace Wetland Prairie for Earth Day celebration after Sunday lunch


Please come to Earth Day Celebration at World Peace Wetland Prairie immediately after lunch on Sunday, April 18, and attend as much of the Caring for Creation convention as you can. It was a wonderful program last year and may be even better this week. For information about WPWP Earth Day, please visit the following site: Earth Day at World Peace
Please double-click images to ENLARGE to view closeups of the details of three different fruit trees on bloom on World Peace Wetland Prairie on April 10, 2010. CARING FOR CREATION SCHEDULE 
Thursday, April 15 
4:00 - 7:00 pm 
Early registration & check-in 
5:30 Dinner 
Friday, April 16 
7:30 Breakfast 
8:15 am -3:30 pm 
Registration & check-in 
Early Bird Opportunities 
12:00 Lunch 
3:00 - 4:00 pm Plenary 
Rev. Pat Watkins 
5:30 Dinner 
7:00 pm - Keynote Speaker 
Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham 
The Regeneration Project 
Saturday, April 17 
7:30 Breakfast 
8:45 am Opening  
9:00 am Workshops I 
10:30 am - Plenary  
 Dr. Jay McDaniel &  
Youth Panel 
12:00 Lunch 
1:15 Workshops II 
2:45 Workshops III 
5:30 Dinner 
7:00 pm - Plenary 
John Hill, General Board of 
Church and Society 
Sunday, April 18 
7:30 Breakfast 
9:00 am Round Table: 
”The Urgency of Now” 
Dr. Mark Davies 
10:30 am Closing Worship 
12:00 Lunch & Goodbyes 
CARING FOR CREATION CONFERENCE 
April 15-18, 2010 
Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center 
Fayetteville, Arkansas 
Deut. 10:14: "To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the 
earth and everything in it."  
Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center  
150 NW Skyline Drive     Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 
www.mountsequoyah.org       programs@mountsequoyah.org 
Keynote Address 
Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham 
President & Founder, The Regeneration Project 
The Reverend Canon Sally Grover Bingham, a priest and Canon for the 
Environment in the Diocese of California has been active in the environ- 
mental community for twenty-five years. She is also founder and president 
of The Regeneration Project, which is focused on its Interfaith Power and 
Light (IPL) campaign, a religious response to global warming. The IPL 
campaign includes a national network of over 10,000 congregations with 
affiliated programs in 29 states.   
Workshop Topics 
Alternative & Renewable Energy Solutions 
Biblical Basis for Creation Care 
Creating Your Green Team: A Model for Action 
Creation Care in Children’s Ministry 
Creation in Worship 
Food Insecurity 
Growing Your Church with Youth Green Engagement 
Partnering with Community (city, local & state officials) 
Practice of Political Advocacy 
Stream Teams: 70,000 Strong 
Sustainability Ethics: Discovering the Holiness of Place 
For more details go to www.mountsequoyah.org or call 800-760-8126. 
John Hill 
General Board of Church & 
Society of the United  
Methodist Church 
Rev. Pat Watkins 
Executive Director of  
Caretakers of God’s  
Creation 
Dr. Jay McDaniel 
Professor of Religion 
Department Chair 
Director, Steel Center for 
the Study of Religion & 
Philosophy  
Hendrix College 
Plenary Speakers 


Friday, April 9, 2010

Poster with items you will likely not see on April 18 during Earth Day celebration at World Peace Wetland Prairie but see later during the growing season: Please come between 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18, to see the land beginning to green up and come back later for nature's big show

Please click on image to ENLARGE for closer view of sample photos from WPWP.

PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type.

For more about World Peace Wetland Prairie please see
www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/
www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/


PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type.

World Peace Wetland Prairie is the riparian zone of a small stream that historically was fed by seep springs and rainwater from three directions when the first westward immigrants settled Fayetteville, Arkansas. World Peace Wetland Prairie has the deepest layer of dark, rich soil in its subwatershed because leaves and other vegetative matter accumulated as the flowing water slowed and soaked into the absorbent soil and enriched that soil. Pinnacle Foods Inc.'s mounded wet prairie to the west is the main source of clean water flowing to World Peace Wetland Prairie at this time. Before the railroad was built, water flowed off Rochier Hill to the northwest and from the prairie and savannah to the north of WPWP that has been replaced by fill dirt and paving for apartments. Water from the east and north slopes of the high land where Pinnacle Foods Inc. now sits flowed to WPWP along with all the water from the high ground near 15th Street, which moved north to WPWP before flowing east to the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River. Such remnants of prairie help keep the water where it falls and recharge the groundwater. Like the many similar remnants of such prairie in our diverse geographical area, WPWP and Pinnacle Prairie are the surface manifestation of a significant bedrock fault. Such sunken wetland is a characteristic feature that appears above geological faults worldwide. The Karst map of Washington County Arkansas shows the WPWP watershed in red, meaning that it is a critical groundwater recharge area. Preserving such depressional wetland in our city is the least expensive way to reduce downstream flooding and siltation of our water supply. Hundreds of native plants grow. Many birds and other wildlife prosper on healthy wetland vegetation. And prairie vegetation sequesters carbon dioxide and cleans the ground water.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

If you don't recognize this as a tulip, check with Cindi Cope about how many varieties of tulips she has distributed in Fayetteville this year

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of tulip provided by Fayetteville, Arkansas, America in Bloom for public places.




Thursday, April 1, 2010

Old Website details some of the documentation of native vegetation found at that time on the land

Please click on images to view various categories on 2003 Web site detailing background of land that is now known as World Peace Wetland Prairie in south Fayetteville, Arkansas.


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Click on thumbnail to see captioned images and more of albums.
Neighborhood Habitat in Jeopardy
Views of wetland near Town Branch
Fayetteville, Arkansas
 VIEW PHOTOS AND PLANS OF AREA SLATED FOR DEVELOPMENT 
 Residents of mobile-home park evicted
>STORY
 
Habitat slated for development
Views of 9/03
walk along
Town Branch

Town Branch
Stream clinic
10/03

Grasses found along Town Branch 
10/03 

Views of wetland
June 2003

Views of wetland
March 2003
Snow - wetland prairieViews of snow on wetland
December 2003
Grass species on wetland in autumn
Plant views present in summer
More plant views
 
   
 Views of Town Branch May 1973 Views of "Old Rochier Hill" circa 1917, 1930s