HOBBS HAPPENINGS

Programs to be offered over spring break

Hobbs State Park is all about education. School programs, weekend public programs, special speakers, and interesting workshops. Now comes spring break. The list of 2018 spring break programs offered at Hobbs State Park March 1725 goes on and on. Listed here are but a few of them:

• Hikes, Flower Power,

• Puffballs in the Sky,

• Leave No Trace,

• Skulls,

• Venomous Snakes of Arkansas,

• Basic Camera Operation for Nature Photography,

• Cavity Nesters,

• The Lorax,

• Art in The Park,

• Tale of The Turtle,

• Get in Touch With The Trees,

• Arkansas Symbols,

• Bike Tour,

• Beneath The Surface,

• Earth Art,

• Decomposers,

• Toadily About Frogs,

• Owls,

• Backpacking 101,

• Slithering Around, and more, including a nighttime Astronomy program.

You can be busy all day, every day of spring break. You name it, and Hobbs State Park will have a program for you.

When: March 17-25

Cost: All programs are free, and the public is invited to all of them.

For information, spring break program questions or directions, call 479-7895000.

‘Two-For’ to be presented at Hobbs

Now here’s a unique way to celebrate St. Patrick Day. Spend a photographic afternoon at Hobbs State Park.

Things will start off with long-time photo journalist and wildlife photographer Mike Wintroath. Mike has been the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission photographer for eight years, and in that time his spectacular wildlife images have filled the pages of the Arkansas Wildlife magazine, calendars, and more. During this special event Mike will present a visual program of his wildlife work, including his underwater photography in Arkansas. He will add stories and insights from his years as a professional photographer.

After Mike’s presentation will be an opportunity to learn how to get the most out of your camera when you photograph Nature. If you are just beginning to shoot photos of Nature and want some great tips, you will want to attend the lecture and photoshoot that follows Mike’s presentation. The program is not for the professional … beginners only please. Don’t be bashful, or self-conscience because you don’t have a 3-foot long lens on your camera. You don’t need it. That’s not what this program is about. It truly is for novices, greenhorns, and rookies.

Also note the time of year of this presentation. We don’t have a lot of wildflowers and other plants with lush foliage to photograph in March. Here’s the point. No matter what time of year it is, there is ALWAYS something wonderful to photograph. That’s what you will learn from Cleeo Wright, Nature Photographer, with the Photographic Society of Northwest Arkansas (PSNWA).

Cleeo will present a lecture in the Hobbs State Park visitor center on Beginning Nature Photography. Afterwards he will help all participants identify photographic “subjects” around the visitor center, and how best to photograph them with the camera that you bring. This will be your program. You ask the specific questions so you will get the specific knowledge that you are seeking as a Nature Pho- tography learner. Don’t pass up this extraordinary opportunity to learn basic Nature Photography from a professional in that field.

Note: Participants need to be familiar with the basic functions of their camera. The lecture will help you understand how to utilize the functions your camera has to offer.

Where: Hobbs State Park visitor center located on Ark. Hwy. 12 just east of the State Hwy. 12/War Eagle Road intersection. When: Saturday, March 17 Time: 2 p.m. — special photographic presentation by Arkansas Game and Fish wildlife photographer Mike Wintroath

Time: 4 p.m. lecture by Cleo Wright, Nature photographer from the Photographic Society of Northwest Arkansas. Outside photo shoot follows the lecture.

Note: The 4 p.m. program is for beginners only.

Cost: Free. The public is invited.

This program is a cooperative effort between the Photographic Society of Northwest Arkansas and Hobbs State Park.

Local bird expert to visit Hobbs State Park

They don’t make openin-the-tree type nests, and they don’t use platforms. They don’t lay their eggs on rock ledges like vultures. They’re “Cavity Nesters.”

Rick Jones, avid birder and bluebird nest box monitor, will offer his experience and advice on the joys and responsibilities of being a successful “landlord” for the cavity-nesting birds in your neighborhood.

As Rick puts it, “Some birds nest in tree cavities formed by decayed wood or that have been excavated by woodpeckers. These “Cavity-Nesters” have adapted their breeding, egg brooding, and fledging schedules to take full advantage of cavity life; however, natural cavities are becoming harder to find as humans alter wooded habitats.”

Jones will answer the questions: What materials and nest box features will attract these birds to my property? Where and how should the nest boxes be placed? How can I increase the odds that multiple broods of nestlings will survive to fledge the nest? What can be done with the boxes during the winter months?

You need a plan. Remember that birds, like humans, search for a nice place to raise their families. Join Rick Jones as he explains how to make the best bird-friendly yard for cavity nesters. When: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18.

Astronomical Society to define vernal equinox

As Earth revolves around the Sun, there are two moments each year when the Sun is exactly above the equator. These moments are called equinoxes. Equinox literally means “equal night,” since the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world during the equinoxes.

The March equinox marks when the Northern Hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun, which means longer, sunnier days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is called the vernal equinox, because it signals the beginning of spring. (Vernal means fresh or new like the spring.)

The vernal equinox is probably the most important astronomical event of the year because it not only marks the first day of spring, but it also marks the beginning of the astronomical year. It’s interesting that you cannot observe it in the night sky because it involves the sun which floods the sky with light and makes it impossible to see what is actually happening.

People have celebrated the vernal equinox for centuries. For ancient cultures, the vernal equinox signaled that their food supplies would soon return. Early Egyptians even built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising sun on the day of the vernal equinox.

How do people celebrate the vernal equinox or the coming of spring today? Holi is a Hindu spring festival when for two straight days people throw colorful powders on each other until everyone looks like human tie-dyes. In Zurich, Switzerland, the residents celebrate spring by burning a giant snowman made of cloth and stuffed with fireworks called the “Böögg.” Maybe one of the most enjoyable ways to celebrate spring is to go south with the college kids for Spring Break. Destination — libation — incarceration — yay spring!

No matter how you celebrate spring, come join the Sugar Creek Astronomical Society at Hobbs State Park and learn more about the vernal equinox.

What to bring if you can:

• Flashlight (covered with a red cloth or red balloon)

• Binoculars and/or telescope (if you have)

• Folding chair — one per person

• Star chart (if you have one) When: March 17

7 p.m. lecture

8 p.m. night sky viewing Cost: Free. Public invited Great for families and scout groups

Sallyann Brown to head fly fishing workshop

Those who wish to learn the basics of fly casting will want to attend the Fly Casting 101 workshop to be held at the Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area visitor center from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 29.

Two hours of instruction will be in the classroom, and two hours will be outside. Participants will learn four basic casts, the six basic types of flies, (lures) how to cast and “play” the flies in the water, how to read water, how to wade, how to purchase and assemble your equipment, how to store your equipment, as well as how to tie the four basic knots used by fly fishers. All equipment will be provided.

The workshop will be taught by Sallyann Brown, past recipient of the “Woman of the Year” and the “Federation of Fly Fishers Educator of the Year” awards from the Federation of Fly Fishers, Inc.

When: noon-4 p.m. Sunday, April 29

Where: The workshop will be held at the Hobbs State Park visitor center Minimum age is 12 years.

Cost: $35 per person + tax.

Reservations and prepayment required.

For questions and to register, call 479-789-5000.