HOBBS HAPPENINGS

Conservation area to offer two summer camps

Summer camp is a very special place where kids come together to have fun, gain self-confidence, and learn new skills. Within a safe and structured setting, children develop a sense of independence as they try new adventures away from home where they are left to problem solve and make decisions on their own. Best of all, children create memories that last a lifetime while at camp.

Hobbs State Park Conservation Area offers summer camps for two different age groups this year.

Nature Explorers Summer Day Camp: Wings & Creeping Things - Birds, Bats, Bees & Company

June 14-17, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Ages 6-8 years old. 12 max. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $40 fee required (includes daily snack and camp shirt). Contact Hobbs State Park at 479-789-5000 for reservations.

This pollinator-themed camp will include lots of hands-on exploration and fun-packed learning. Each day will include a discovery hike, craft, naturebased games, hands-on science activities, an interpretive program, and plenty of

time to make friends and memories. Some of the fun will include building a mason bee hotel to take home, hummingbird counts, birding adventures, scavenger hunts, water games! Participants can earn their AR State Park Explorer Badge.

Nature Explorers Summer Day Camp: H2O Exploration

July 19-22, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Ages 9-12 years old. 12 max. Pre-registration and pre-payment of $60 fee required (includes daily snack, camp shirt and snorkel). Must bring a lunch. Contact Hobbs State Park at 479-789-5000 for reservations.

This water-themed camp will include lots of hands-on exploration and fun-packed learning. Each day will include a discovery hike, a water activity, nature-based games, craft, an interpretive program, and plenty of time to make friends and memories. Some of the fun will include “kicking” for special creatures found in the streams, and a field trip to test the water quality and be community scientists. The last day will include a boat-trip where we’ll swim, snorkel, fish, and explore an island in Beaver Lake. Participants can earn their AR State Park Explorer Badge.

Primitive skills workshops

Four, free outdoor primitive skills workshops will be offered at Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area.

What are primitive skills? Primitive skills are ways to appropriately use materials found in nature to solve problems and provide life supporting needs. They are survival techniques passed down through generations, including shelter building, animal tracking, fire building, and others.

You ask yourself, “Why would I need to learn primitive skills”? With the increased frequency of natural disasters and generally more unpredictable weather, knowledge of primitive skills could make your life much more tolerable until conditions improve if you had to “live off the grid” for a while.

Eric Fuselier, an environmental scientist, will be your instructor. From a young age, Eric enjoyed learning and practicing primitive skills in the woods with his friends. As an adult, Eric has continued to learn and practice these skills while spending extended lengths of time in the Ozark wilderness as an avid hiker and backpacker. Extending the idea of self-sustainment even further, Eric and his family eventually built their own cabin they now call home.

In 2015, he founded “Ozark Primitive Skills” to help others enhance their experiences in nature by giving them the knowledge and skills they need to confidently explore the Ozark wilderness with reverence for the natural world. Fuselier has taught primitive skills workshops at the Ozark Natural Science Center, the Arkansas Living History Association, and the Bois D’Arc Primitive Skills Gathering in Missouri.

Primitive Skills Workshop No. 2 – Making Rope and Cordage (Limit of 15 – registration necessary)

Saturday, July 9: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Knowing how to create the cordage you need from natural or found materials can prove invaluable. In this workshop you will learn how to make rope/ cordage from plant fibers, which plant species in the Ozarks supply the best fibers, and the uses for rope and cordage when travelling through the wilderness.

Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center. Participants should bring a sack lunch.

Primitive Skills Workshop No. 3 – Friction Fire (Ages 12 and up – requires the use of a knife; bring your own knife. Limit of 15 – registration necessary)

Saturday, Oct. 1: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Knowing how to start a fire is one of the most important primitive skills you should know. For cooking, warmth, and lighting, a fire is essential. This workshop will focus on friction fire using a bow and drill. Participants will learn how to make and use their own bow and drill. Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center. Participants should bring a sack lunch.

Primitive Skills Workshop No. 4 – Animal Tracking (Ages 8 and up)

Saturday, Dec. 3: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

In order to successfully hunt animals for food, or to help identify any potential predators in your area that could put your family in danger, you need to be able to identify animal tracks.

Participants will learn about animal ecology and the tracks and signs left behind by the species that call Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area their home. Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center. Participants should bring a sack lunch.

All workshops are free. To register for the Rope/ Cordage and Friction Fire workshops, call: 479-7895000