Grants fund pollinator garden, quail range

TEXARKANA — The Miller County Conservation District, in partnership with the Natural Resource Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, has been awarded two grants for implementing natural habitat areas in Miller County.

A $10,000 pollinator garden grant will be used to create and maintain a pollinator garden near Gateway Farmer’s Market in downtown Texarkana, said Conservation District Board Chair Nedra Turney. The Conservation District will be working on the project with Miller County Red Dirt Master Gardeners, University of Arkansas Extension Service and the city of Texarkana, Turney said.

Turney announced the grants Wednesday near the Farmer’s Market.

Others from the Conservation District attended along with Miller County Red Dirt Master Gardeners, Miller County Judge Cathy Harrison and other officials.

The garden will include plants that attract pollinators and provide educational opportunities to learn about pollinators.

“When finished, the pollinator garden will be a beautiful backdrop for photography or nature demonstrations, or just a place to find a moment of peace with nature,” Turney said. “It’s going to be delightful.”

The Smith Park Quail Habitat Grant of $12,000 will be used to provide improvements to Smith Park. The park is located about 15 miles south of Texarkana, near the Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area.

Miller County and the Miller County Conservation District are working together on the improvements, Turney said. The funds will be used to thin underbrush and timber and allow native grasses and wildflowers to flourish and provide food and cover for quail and other wildlife. The open fields will be converted to wildflower areas, which will support several species of bees and and butterflies.