Center’s spotlight: Ecology of Ozarks

Virtual displays part of features

SPRINGDALE — The J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale will highlight the ecology and landscape of the Ozarks when it opens Dec. 11.

Schelly Corby, the director of the center, said members of the Game and Fish Commission hope to share the ecology of the Ozarks with 100,000 people each year.

“But that’s not covid numbers,” she said.

Corby stepped off the bank and into an interactive creek that runs through the main building of the Hunt nature center. The white froth of water rippled around her feet in the virtual display.

Cameras hang from the ceiling and react to visitors’ actions, Colby pointed out.

“It’s funny to watch the adults because they’ll just kind of stick their toe out there, wondering if they can really step on it,” she said.

The natural meets the technical in the 2,700-square-foot exhibit hall. The center’s technology allows visitors to virtually experience hunting, fishing and wading in that Ozark creek.

Would-be hunters will use laser guns to hunt wild boar, turkey, quail or deer — “Whatever it is you like to hunt,” Corby said.

A fishing pole hanging over a fence lets visitors try their luck at the proverbial fishing hole. Grabbing the rod and reel will give the visitor the feel of catching a fish and setting the hook.

“Or how it feels if the fish

gets off and swims away,” Corby said.

One exhibit re-creates a nest of quail, which thrived in the area when prairie grass was plentiful. Quail figures are available to pick up and examine. Corby explained that the quail were 3D printed.

“Can you imagine living your entire life without ever seeing the sun?” asks a sign in a re-created karst limestone cave. The cave tells the story of the endangered blind cave fish, found only in Northwest Arkansas. The soundtrack includes the sound of dripping water, which would form stalactites and stalagmites.

A sculpture stretches across the ceiling of the exhibit hall depicting the four seasons. The activities sit below the appropriate seasons, the hunting simulation in the fall, the fishing in the summer.

The prairie-style construction with native stone accents seems to ramble across the site — in a good way. The land for the center was donated by the city of Springdale.

“When I’ve got something to think about, something I need to figure out, I come out here and walk through the ravines and things,” Corby said Thursday. “I usually get it figured out.”

The center’s classroom can seat about 200 people. A prep kitchen sits right off the classroom for events with catered meals. Just beyond the classrooms’ projector screens, floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the woodlands of the area, brightly colored for fall.

Officials expect construction of the trails to begin after the first of the year and the trails to be completed by summer, said Brad Baldwin, Springdale director of engineering and public works.

The mission statement of the Game and Fish Commission says the organization’s role is to conserve and enhance Arkansas’ fish and wildlife and their habitats.