[audubon-news] FW: AUDUBON ARKANSAS TO ESTABLISH LITTLE ROCK NATURE CENTER
- From: "BIANCHI, John" <JBIANCHI@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <audubon-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 15:50:31 -0500
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> Contact: Linda Vanderveer
> lvanderveer@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:lvanderveer@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> 212-979-3197
>
> AUDUBON ARKANSAS TO ESTABLISH LITTLE ROCK NATURE CENTER
> IN HEART OF 2,000 ACRES OF URBAN PARKLAND
>
> Audubon Center on Granite Mountain Will Offer Much-Needed Programs For Youth
>
> Little Rock, AR, March 14, 2003 -Audubon Arkansas moved forward today with
> plans to create the City> '> s first urban nature center. The organization
> signed a lease with the Little Rock Housing Authority for the former Booker
> Homes Site - 68 acres in the community of Granite Mountain adjacent to Gillam
> Park - where it will create an Audubon nature center. Construction for the
> Audubon Center is estimated to begin in 2005.
>
> Today> '> s historic lease signing was attended by National Audubon> '> s
> President John Flicker, Little Rock Vice Mayor Willie Hinton, the Little Rock
> Housing Authority> '> s Director Lee Jones, as well as Board Chairman Wooten
> Epes, and Audubon Arkansas> '> s State Director, Ken Smith. The lease will
> cost Audubon Arkansas $1 per year; the size and total cost of the Center have
> not been determined pending community and Audubon surveys and studies.
>
> "> At Audubon we believe that the future is in the hands of our children,> ">
> said John Flicker, president, National Audubon Society. > "> More kids than
> ever are living in urban communities, where it can be challenging to make a
> special connection with nature. That> '> s why we> '> re working to
> establish a network of Audubon Centers across the country. And it's why
> we're focusing on urban areas like Little Rock where we have the opportunity
> to open new eyes to nature, and reach a new generation of conservation
> leaders.> ">
>
> "> The City of Little Rock will benefit immensely from the creation of an
> Audubon Center,> "> said Little Rock Vice Mayor Willie Hinton. > "> We are
> honored to have one of the nation> '> s oldest and most respected
> conservation organizations partner with our schools, and provide our students
> with an exciting opportunity to learn about the amazing natural world found
> right here in the city. Together we will create an outstanding facility that
> will serve as a community resource for children and adults from all corners
> of the city.> ">
>
> "> We couldn> '> t think of a better use for this property than the creation
> of a nature center,> "> said Wooten Epes, board chairman of the Little Rock
> Housing Authority. > "> The site offers a breathtaking view of the City, and
> will improve accessibility to two wonderful but little used city parks -
> Gillam Park and Fourche Creek. We are delighted to partner with Audubon on
> this ambitious undertaking.> ">
>
> The establishment of the Little Rock Audubon Center will help fill the City>
> '> s overwhelming need for youth-oriented programming. With a K-12
> enrollment of more than 25,000 students, Little Rock has the largest public
> school district in the state. The Audubon Center> '> s programs will
> directly support the Little Rock School District> '> s strategic plan, which
> focuses on providing a network of community-based education and support
> resources for urban youth. The core of the strategic plan is a strong
> partnership between area schools and community organizations, such as
> Audubon.
>
> The Little Rock Audubon Center will be the first Audubon Center in the state,
> and will serve as a model for other urban nature centers. More than 50
> schools are located within a 15-minute drive of the Audubon Center site, and
> thousands of students will have the opportunity to experience hands-on,
> nature-based education with the Center> '> s teachers, naturalists, and
> volunteers. Programs will focus on bringing visitors out into nature, using
> two adjacent city parks - Fourche Creek and Gillam Park - as outdoor
> classrooms.
>
> "> By using local parks to teach children and families about the wonders of
> nature, we can help people make a direct connecti> on with the outdoors.
> When nature is right in your backyard, or in the case of the Granite Mountain
> community, right across the street, you understand it better. When you
> understand it, it becomes your nature, your park,> "> said Ken Smith, state
> director, Audubon Arkansas.
>
> "One of the most important goals of the Granite Mountain Neighborhood
> Improvement Association is to consistently pursue educational and social
> activities that will enhance our neighborhood,> "> said Frank J. Boyle,
> president of the Association. > "> I am very proud and supportive of Audubon
> Arkansas for their efforts to provide a nature center in the Gillam Park
> area.> ">
>
> The Little Rock Audubon Center will use the actual nature center building as
> a portal to the outdoors, drawing visitors to the site and then directing
> them to a system of nature trails that wind through adjacent parkland. At
> roughly 350 acres, Gillam Park has some of Central Arkansas> '> s best
> examples of old growth White Oak stands, bottomland wetlands, and upland
> glades. Audubon will use all of the Gillam Park property for its Audubon
> Center education programs.
>
> Fourche Creek, spanning roughly 1,700 acres, is part of perhaps the most
> important urban watershed in the state. With its variety of bottomland
> hardwoods, swamps, and marshes, the area serves as a vital water filtration
> system for Central Arkansas. Last fall Audubon Arkansas embarked on a
> long-term restoration project of Fourche Creek and its watershed, and formed
> a partnership with three Little Rock schools to help students get involved in
> this hands-on conservation experience.
>
> Students at the pilot schools - J.A. Fair Environmental Sciences Magnet High
> School, Mablevale Environmental Sciences Magnet Middle School, and Otter
> Creek Elementary - participate in stream restoration projects and engage in
> activities like water quality studies, wildlife inventory, native plant
> restoration, and in the future, trail development. Ultimately it is hoped
> that many more schools in the Little Rock School District will work on the
> Fourche Creek restoration project through programs at the Audubon Center.
>
> Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat
> that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers
> and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of
> areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all
> ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.
>
>
> # # #
>
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