Village Creek State Park offering full slate of programs this weekend

Village Creek State Park has several programs planned for this weekend to for park visitors and area residents to learn more about the outdoors.

The programs, which are all free and about 30 minutes long, will be held at the park’s amphitheater, and participants are asked to observe Covid-19 safety guidelines. Park officials said space at the programs may be limited due to social distancing requirements.

At 9 a.m., Saturday, May 15, the first of the weekend’s programs will be held, focusing on spiders. During the program, “Aliens Among Us: Spiders,” park interpreters will explain why spiders are so different from people that sometimes they seem almost alien. Join the park interpreter to learn more about these weird creatures and how being different helps them survive.

From 10:30 to 11 a.m., park interpreters will host a “Slithering Snakes” program.

“Many park visitors think snakes are scary or creepy,” said park officials in a press release. “Join a park interpreter to learn about these fascinating animals and why they are not that scary after all.”

“What Bee Would You Be?” will be the first afternoon program on Saturday, held from 1:30 to 2 p.m.

“Are you an introvert? Maybe you're an extrovert? Perhaps you're a little of both,” said park interpreters, adding that during the program they will explain how bees have these same type of social identities.

At 3 p.m., the program will be “Seeds on the Move.”

“Ever wonder how trees are able to grow in different places?” park interpreters asked, encouraging visitors to join them to learn the many ways tree seeds are moved throughout the park.

Programs on Sunday begin at 9 a.m., with “Hunters of the Night Sky.”

“The owls of Arkansas have unique and special adaptations for hunting prey at night. Join us to learn what they are and what kinds of owls live in Village Creek State Park,” said park officials.

“Moles, Can You Dig It?” will be held from 10:30 to 11 a.m., on Sunday.

“What do we know about the mole? What good does their digging habits do for the park?” asked park interpreters. “Join us to discover the the answers about the eastern mole's ecological role in the park.

Two programs are planned for Sunday afternoon to complete the weekend schedule.

From 1:30 to 2 p.m., park interpreters will present the program, “What’s for Dinner?

Owls are mysterious creatures flying in the night, but what is on their menu? Park interpreter will shed a little light on the mystery and discover what makes up an owl’s meal.

“Critter Real Estate” will be the program from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

“People often have a wish list of things they look for when they are buying a house, and it turns out that critters have their own wish lists, too,” said park officials, who will discuss what animals are looking for when choosing to live in the park.