Tag Archives: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Family Fun Saturday today with Dr. Mamie Parker & Ark. Game & Fish Commission at Mosaic Templars

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gI_125689_Parker_MamieJoin Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission for a wild-life inspired Family Fun Saturday featuring Dr. Mamie Parker – Arkansas native and former Assistant Director of Fisheries and Habitat Conservation at the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Prior to this position, she made history when appointed the first African American as the FWS Regional Director of the 13 Northeastern states.

Schedule of Events
10 a.m. – Noon
Meet a panel of extraordinary women with outstanding STEM careers for a morning of exploration, exposure and hands-on fun involving careers in the environmental and natural science fields.

Noon – 1 p.m.
Lunch

1 – 2:30 p.m.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will have a mini wildlife exhibition with alligators, turtles and more in MTCC’s “backyard.”

Lunch will be provided. Family Fun Saturday is free and open to the public. For more information contact Hollie Sanders (Hollie.Sanders@agfc.ar.gov ) or Elvon Reed (elvon@arkansasheritage.org).

June 27 Architeaser: Stephens Game & Fish Nature Center

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IMG_6042Last week featured a pair of friezes from the original Arkansas Game & Fish Commission building on the State Capitol grounds.  Today’s Architeaser is the Game & Fish Commission’s Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in downtown Little Rock.

The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center opened December 17, 2008. The 16,232 square foot building on 3.4 acres in Little Rock, overlooks the Arkansas River and is within the Julius Breckling Riverfront Park.

The Center is located at park level which is, at that point, approximately one story below the President Clinton Avenue street level.  The photo depicts the walkway and the stairs which lead down to the Center’s exhibit space. The sharp angles of the stairs and rooflines are reminiscent of cabins and lodges which are often found in nature.  Just like with this building, such facilities in the wild often are built to span ravines or to take advantage of unique landscapes.  The exposed beams are associated with the Arts and Crafts movement which espoused an appreciation of nature and natural surroundings in architecture.

The center focuses on the wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities that our state’s fish and wildlife resources provide. Exhibits highlight the role of fish and wildlife management and many of the projects conducted throughout the history of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The location along the Arkansas River allows many watchable wildlife activities within an urban area. Basking water turtles, butterflies and migrating pelicans are common sights. A portion of the Arkansas River Trail crosses the site, offering more options for exploration. The grounds of the center include beds of native plants found throughout the state, while the main building includes an exhibit hall, aquariums, gift shop, theater and special educational programs.

June 20 Architeaser: Old Game & Fish Building

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Today’s architeaser features two friezes from the old Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Building behind (to the west) of the Arkansas State Capitol.

Originally built to house the Game and Fish Commission offices, the building has been subsumed by the One Capitol Mall complex (aka Big Mac). The Game and Fish Commission offices are now out in west Little Rock near I-430.

One frieze depicts a woman feeding a deer, a family of deer, and a bow hunter. The other frieze depicts a modern fisherman with rod and reel and an 19th century boy sitting along a river bank with a cane pole.
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Books and Hooks – CALS and Game & Fish partner on Fishing Clinic

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One fish, two fish, yellow fish, learn to fish.

The John Gould Fletcher Library and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AG&FC) will hold a two-part Beginner’s Fishing Clinic on Thursday, May 17, at 6 p.m. at the Fletcher Library, and Saturday, May 19, at 9 a.m. at MacArthur Park pond for children ages 15 years and under.

At the clinic’s first session, an AG&FC biologist will teach participants about gear, bait, rigging, fish handling, and AG&FC pond locations. The first forty children who attend the clinic’s first session will receive a coupon for a free fishing rod and reel, which can be redeemed at the May 19 session. At the clinic’s second session, participants will be able to fish in MacArthur Park pond and receive advice from an AG&FC biologist on fish handling.

To receive the rod and reel, participants must attend both sessions of the clinic.

The John Gould Fletcher Library is located at 823 North Buchanan Street is one of 12 branches operated by the Central Arkansas Library System. All events are free and open to the public. For more information on the fishing event, call Fletcher Library at 663-5457 or visit www.cals.org.

How Much Ground, Would a Groundhog Hog, If a Groundhog Could Hog Ground?

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We talk about Groundhogs once a year. But how much do we know about them?

Today (Groundhog Day) and Saturday (Groundhog Day +2), the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is offering a program on Groundhogs as part of the Arkansas Wildlife Series.  It will take place at the Witt Stephens Jr. Nature Center in downtown Little Rock at 11am both days.  There is no fee to participate.

Arkansas Wildlife Series: It’s a woodchuck, it’s a whistle pig—it’s a GROUNDHOG! Groundhogs make lousy weatherman but they do play a vital role in nature. Discover more about this true hibernator and take a stroll to his downtown burrow! Celebrate Groundhog month by discovering natural signs of weather forecasting.

As the AG&FC notes, the groundhog makes a lousy weatherman, but it does play a vital role in nature. Celebrate Groundhog Day by learning weather forecasting through natural signs

Arts & Humanities Month: Clark Wetlands and Stephens Nature Center

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Little Rock’s newest cultural destination opened last Friday.  The William E. “Bill” Clark Presidential Park Wetlands is an immersive urban wetland (which sounds like an oxymoron).  On the banks of the Arkansas River, the Bill Clark Wetlands allows visitors to meander through nature as well as witness the natural restorative process of water purification.  Nestled between two bridges, it is a serene break from the hustle and bustle that surrounds it.  It is named in memory of Bill Clark, who was a builder of physical structures as well as character and good causes.  A statue of Mr. Clark in hunting attire is placed on the edge of the wetlands.  In this statue he is not only looking for birds on a hunt but also at one his projects, the Clinton Library.

To the west of the Clark wetlands is another relatively new cultural institution which celebrates nature: the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, which is a project of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  Opened in December 2008 and named in honor of a former G&FC commissioner, this nature center highlights the many outdoor recreational opportunities provided by Arkansas’ fish and wildlife resources provide. There are several interactive exhibits, aquariums, a theatre and educational programs.  The Stephens Nature Center is open from 8:30 to 4:30 on Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sundays.   Admission is free; the Center is funded through the 1/8 cent Conservation sales tax.

This month the Nature Center is offering the following programs:

Saturday, October 8 at 2pm

  • Li’l Wild Ones: Nature Stories and Activities

Saturday, October 15 from 10am to 3pm

  • Wildlife Photography