Fresh Fridays: Home Valley Bluff
Out and About
Day/Date: Friday, February 15
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Home Valley Bluff, Nail, AR
Cost: $35.00
Max. Enrollment: 12 Min. Enrollment: 8
Instructor: Mike Adelman, OLLI Member
Mike is an active biker and hiker. He frequently leads hikes for the Ozark Society and OLLI to educate the public on Arkansas.
One of the most impressive views in the Ozarks is from Home Valley Bluff. Looking down into the valley 1100 feet below is like the vista from an airplane. Even more impressive are the massive bluffs themselves, as wide as a highway at the top in places, and much higher than the trees in the forest below. And you will be up close with a curious rock formation, the Tea Tables, a pair of stone cafe tables set atop a pedestal. The bluff hike is flat, but there is a half mile access (uphill on the way back) and several points along the way will be in the woods next to the bluff. We will cover a little more than five miles on this moderately difficult effort. If you are riding with the group, you will need to meet your transport at the gas station in the Fayetteville Sam’s Club parking lot at 8:45 a.m. You will need to bring your lunch and a beverage to picnic on the trail. Cameras are suggested. (Cost includes transportation and gas.)
Fresh Fridays: King’s River Falls & the Glory Hole
Out and About
Day/Date: Friday, February 22
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Kings River Falls & the Glory Hole
Cost: $35.00
Max. Enrollment: 12 Min. Enrollment: 8
Instructor: Mike Adelman, OLLI Member
Mike is an active biker and hiker. He frequently leads hikes for the Ozark Society and OLLI to educate the public on Arkansas.
Past hikers have asked repeatedly for this hike – two waterfalls on the same day, both gems of the Ozarks. Kings River Falls is a wide stone shelf across the Kings River with a ten foot falls into pools often used in warmer weather for swimming. This waterfall was the site of a pioneer grist mill, now gone in floods a hundred years ago. We will glimpse into a nearby cave which offered a hideout to families in the Civil War. This leg of the day is just over a mile in total and is mostly flat.
The Glory Hole is a 35’ waterfall coming through the roof of a grotto cave. From above it looks like a bath tub drain and from the grotto it looks wonderful. The Glory Hole is at the end of a rough forest road with a steep climb back out. Total distance for this portion is about 2 miles and is moderately difficult. If you are riding with the group, you will need to meet your transport at the gas station in the Fayetteville Sam’s Club parking lot at 8:45 a.m. You will need to bring your lunch and a beverage to picnic on the trail. Cameras are suggested. (Cost includes transportation and gas.)
Eagle Watch
Out and About
Day/Date: Thursday, February 21
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Gentry, AR
Cost: $39.00
Max. Enrollment: N/A Min. Enrollment: 10
Instructor: Terry Stanfill, Eagle Watch Coordinator
Terry is currently retired after 35 years working for EAP-Swepco at Flint Creek Power Plant in Gentry. He has worked as a chemist and lab supervisor. Currently, he oversees and coordinates activities at the Eagle Watch/Nature Trail on Swepco Lake in Gentry.
The town of Gentry in Benton County is one of Northwest Arkansas’ unexpected little treasures. Come with us there for a day-long educational adventure. You can look for bald eagles as we hike the Flint Creek Eagle Watch trail. This one-mile, round-trip walk was built in 1999 by SWEPCO Electric employees at the Flint Creek Power Plant and by community partners. The trail leads to a viewing pavilion on SWEPCO Lake where wintering bald eagles are numerous between November and March each year. Your guided hike will also include a discussion of additional area wildlife, native trees and the butterfly garden. After lunch (on your own) at The Wooden Spoon – known locally for its pie – enjoy the afternoon with regional historian Susan Young. Learn the details of Gentry’s illustrious past via classroom discussion and a downtown walk. Meet your transportation at Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center at 8:00 a.m. (Cost includes lunch for instructor & driver, driver pay, transportation, & gas.)
The U.S. Forest Service Series
Lecture Series
Day/Date: Wednesday, March 6 – Monday, April 1
& 8
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: GLBL- Fay
Cost: $41.00
Max. Enrollment: N/A Min. Enrollment: 10
Instructor: Judi Henry, Forest Supervisor for the Ozarks-St. Francis National Forests
William Dunk, Boston Mountain District Ranger, Rob Kopack, Mt. Magazine Deputy District Ranger, Mary Brennan, Zone Archeologist for the Pleasant Hill, Boston Magazine, and Mt Magazine Ranger Districts
Caring for the Land and Serving People with Judi Henry: The U.S. Forest Service, established in 1905, is entrusted with 193 million acres of national forest and grasslands. This Federal agency with a workforce of approximately 30,000 employees is dedicated to the improvement of water resources, development of climate change resiliency, creation of jobs that will sustain communities and restoration and enhancement of landscapes.
Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the mission of the Forest Service— “to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.” In this first of three classes taught by Forest Service resource professionals, you will get an overview of this unique and outstanding natural resource management agency. This class will be on Wednesday, March 6 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Managing Ecosystems with William Dunk & Rob Kopack: Restoring, enhancing, and maintaining the health of our nation’s forests benefits the environment and creates jobs in rural communities. The Ozark-St. Francis National Forests take an integrated ecological approach to multiple use land management that sustains, maintains, and makes landscapes more resilient. In this class you will learn how the agency approaches the management of wildlife, fish, timber, water, range, vegetation, recreation, roads and cultural resources. This class will be on Monday, April 1 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Managing Heritage Resources with Mary Brennan: Protecting significant heritage resources, sharing their values with the American people, and contributing relevant information and perspectives to natural resource management is a key component of managing our national forests. The Ozark-St. Francis National Forests strive to ensure that future generations will have an opportunity to discover the human story etched on the landscapes of our national forests. In this class your will experience the past come alive. Learn how the Forest Service helps connect people to the land in a way that will help us better understand and manage forest ecosystems. This class will be on Monday, April 8 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Cost includes room rental & parking fees, handouts & catering on day 1.)
Geology on the Square
Workshop
Day/Date: Thursday, April 18
Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00 p.m.
Location: GLBL- Fay
Cost: $19.00
Max. Enrollment: N/A Min. Enrollment: 8
Instructor: Chris Moyer, Geology Instructor at NWACC
Chris earned a B.S. in geology from Arkansas Tech University and an M.S. in geology from the University of Arkansas. He has spent 25 years in the oil and gas industry as a domestic and international production and exploration geologist with ExxonMobil.
Have you ever noticed all the rock around the Fayetteville square? There is a stone fountain, there are stone gardens, and a number of the buildings have stone facades. What types of rocks have been used in the construction of the square? Where did they come from? What geologic stories do the rocks tell us?
The square sits on a hill. A panoramic view from the square reveals a cornucopia of geological topography – hills and valleys of various shapes and sizes. Look to the south for a beautiful view of the Boston Mountains. To the east is Mount Sequoyah (which used to be called East Mountain). To the north is Mount Nord (North Mountain to our French brethren). And to the west is the University of Arkansas campus, perched on what was once McIroy’s farm, with more hills beyond. You may have heard of the “Seven Hills” of Fayetteville. Which, of all the hills in the Fayetteville area, make up the “Seven”?
This class will discuss several important geological topics including the different types of rock and the landforms of Northwest Arkansas. Following an introductory session in the classroom, we will step outside and roam the square to observe the various rock types around the square and the landforms that can be seen from the square. (Cost includes instructor compensation, room rental & parking fees.)
