The Arkansas Audubon Society is continuing its series of fall adult natural history workshops again this year with four workshops planned for the weekend of October 2-3 at Ferncliff Camp west of Little Rock.  We added a 4th workshop on Arkansas Butterflies (which is already full, waiting list only) and are repeating the other three workshops- Birding Basics, Native Tree Identification plus Edible Trees & Plants - from last fall with the same great instructors.  We have space for 4 people in Birding Basics, 3 in Native Tree Identification and 9 in Edible Trees and Plants.  The Arkansas Butterflies workshop is full with a waiting list.

If you are interested, please look over the information below.  Want to join this enjoyable learning experience?  If so, please send me an e-mail so I can reserve a place for you in your preferred workshop and then send a completed registration form that can be found at the link below.  Registration is limited to about 12 people per workshop.  Once I confirm you as part of that workshop group, go to the Arkansas Audubon Society web site:

http://www.arbirds.org/

Look for the Adult Nature Workshops info, right hand column of the home page.  Download and print a registration form, fill it out and mail the completed form along with a check for either the $50 deposit or full payment as directed on the registration form.

Please share this workshop information with anyone you know who is interested in any of these adult natural history subjects.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Barry Haas

P.S.  The workshop flyer below is also available for download at the link provided above.

P.P.S.  Please forward this info to anyone you know who may be interested in attending one of the adult natural history workshops.

Join us for an exciting learning opportunity for adults of all ages at beautiful Ferncliff Conference Center in western Pulaski County. Save the weekend: October 2nd & 3rd.

Adult Natural History Workshops
Arkansas Butterflies,    Native Tree ID,    Birding Basics,    Edible Trees & Plants
presented by the Arkansas Audubon Society (a nonprofit organization)
October 2 & 3, 2010

Each fall the Arkansas Audubon Society offers adult natural history workshops designed to enhance understanding and appreciation of Arkansas’ rich and fascinating plant and animal communities. Classes are taught by knowledgeable, enthusiastic educators.

***WORKSHOP FULL; WAITING LIST ONLY***
ARKANSAS BUTTERFLIES
***WORKSHOP FULL; WAITING LIST ONLY***
Instructors: Cheryl Lavers and Norman Lavers
The Greeks believed that butterflies were the souls of the dead on their way to the next world. Today their beauty, fragility and magical transformation still capture our imaginations. In this workshop we will look at the various stages in their lives, at their defense systems, mimicry, cryptic coloration etc. We will learn the skills required to identify them (around 130 species can be seen regularly in Arkansas), and go out in the field and practice these skills. We will also discuss how to create the right habitat to attract butterflies to our homes.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: EDIBLE TREES & PLANTS
Instructor: Tamara Walkingstick, Extension Specialist – Forestry, UA Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service
Many of our grandparents and parents used wild plants. We all know about sassafras tea and the glorious taste of wild blackberries, but we have forgotten how extensively wild plants can be used as food. In this workshop, you will not only learn to identify a few edible species of Arkansas native and non-native vegetation: you’ll also learn how to prepare a few tasty dishes. For example, acorns make great flour that you can incorporate into scones and biscuits. The course covers concepts of conservation, history, culture, and plant identification- while you’re learning to walk on the wild side.

BIRDING BASICS
Instructor: Dr. Dan Scheiman, Bird Conservation Director, Audubon Arkansas
Birds are visible, colorful, vocal, and found just about everywhere. It’s no wonder birdwatching is the second most popular outdoor hobby in the U.S. next to gardening. While it is easy to watch birds, it takes a little more effort to identify them. This class is an introduction to birds and birdwatching. Through fieldwork and classroom study, you will get a feel for the tools and skills needed to identify and more fully understand our feathered friends.

NATIVE TREE IDENTIFICATION
Instructor: Eric Sundell, Professor of Biology, Emeritus, University of Arkansas- Monticello
With the help of a user-friendly key, we will identify more than 50 species of native trees and shrubs from the rich woods of the Ferncliff Conference Center. You’ll meet basswood and pawpaw, admire the chambered pith of black walnut, and taste the medicinal inner bark of slippery elm. And you will learn how to identify all of the other kinds of trees that grow elsewhere in the state. If you and Confucius agree that getting the right name is the first step to wisdom and appreciation, this workshop is for you.

WORKSHOP HOURS
Each two-day workshop begins on Saturday, October 2 at 10 a.m. with orientation in the Brown Center meeting room at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center (http://www.ferncliff.org). The workshops end on Sunday, October 3 no later than 4 p.m.

WORKSHOP COST
There are two options for attending the workshop: stay over Saturday night or commute.

--Option 1: $ 170
Overnighters will occupy climate controlled rooms, each with two double beds and private bath. Rooms are smoke-free, television-free, and telephone-free. Linens are included.  Let us know if you have a roommate in mind.

--Option 2: $ 130
Commuters head home Saturday night after the evening program and rejoin their groups at breakfast Sunday morning.

REGISTRATION
For more information and for registration forms, e-mail Eric Sundell at esundell42@gmail.com or call 870-723-1089. Or you can download a registration form from our website: http://www.arbirds.org  Your completed registration form should be sent with either a $50 deposit or full tuition- both refundable before September 1st- made payable to Arkansas Audubon Society, to:

Arkansas Audubon Society
c/o Barry Haas
804 Konrad Court
Little Rock, AR 72223-9201
Note: the balance of the tuition will be payable in advance at the same address.

MEALS
Four meals are included in the workshop fee: Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch. Warning! Ferncliff’s kitchen offers hearty, delicious meals, including vegetarian fare and homemade desserts, served cafeteria-style. It is possible to leave the workshop on Sunday both smarter and heavier. 

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS INCLUDED
Class instructors offer take-home educational materials, handouts or books, for example, Liz and Bill Fulton’s tree identification key for the Tree ID Workshop –a $30 value that is included in the registration fee. We recommend that participants bring along a notebook and personal copies of appropriate field guides.

CANCELLATIONS
Your $50 deposit or full tuition is refundable until September 1st. After September 1st, a refund will be sent only if someone can be registered in your place. If you must cancel, please let us know as early as possible.

PERSONAL VEHICLES
Plenty of parking is available at Ferncliff.

ACCESSIBILITY
Please contact the Ferncliff administration office at 501-821-3063 for specific information concerning accommodations for handicap accessibility. All four of the workshops will take place both in the classroom and outdoors and will require moderate walking to various sites around a rustic campus. All ages and fitness levels have attended classes in the past with no problems reported.

WHAT TO BRING
Wear comfortable shoes and appropriate, casual clothing. A hat, insect repellant and a flashlight are recommended. For participants in the tree ID workshop, a portable stool can be helpful.

HOW TO GET THERE
For directions to Ferncliff Camp (located just west of Little Rock) and more information about the facilities, you can go to: http://www.ferncliff.org