[AR] April 2011 - Vol 1, No 2    April 22 is Earth Day, and we owe it to the Earth to say thanks, even in the smallest ways.  Here’s a few Earth Day happening hitting NWA.
    Please join me on April 17 at the World Peace Wetland Prairie, for its annual Earth Day celebration at 1121 South Duncan Avenue in Fayetteville.  The land around it includes a wetland prairie and savanna, with rich soil and a mixture of hundreds of native plants typical of many similar areas being cleared for development in NWA.  Activities include ridding the prairie of the invasive, non-native Japanese Honeysuckle, bird watching, bird and plant tours and identification, and live music by local artists all day long.  Bring a lawn chair, picnic and your green thumb.  Some snacks, treats and tables will be provided.  Sponsored by the Audubon Society, The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology and countless others, this wetland has been preserved because it is a critical groundwater recharging site and it is helpful in preserving and filtering the water which feeds our Beaver Lake watershed.  The native plants which grow there are crucial to the survival of local wildlife, such as the Monarch Butterfly who’s caterpillars feed on the native Milkweed, pictured here. I truly hope to see you all out on this day, giving back to our local ecosystem and taking the time to recognize and appreciate all the beautiful, native wildlife that exists right here inside the city limits. For more information, please visit www.worldpeacewetlandprairie.com. 
    Other events to celebrate Earth Day are a campus wide celebration at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville on April 22, which includes a local, green vendors fair to educate people on the products available by local and national retailers. The fair is located in the courtyard mall area between the student union and the library. Mayor Lioneld Jordan will give an address at 11:40 a.m., regarding Earth Day and how we can all contribute, followed by other local politicians.  At 2 p.m. there will be a cleanup of Mullins Creek, or “College Branch,” which runs through campus from Leroy Pond Avenue to MLK Blvd.  Student volunteers can actually gain a volunteer credit by participating in this event!  For more info contact Angela Oxford, the director of the Volunteer Action Center, at (479) 575-5255. 
    Also check out the dedication and grand opening of the food waste to compost program at the U of A campus agricultural farm on April 20 and the local Farmer’s Market celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, April 23.  You’ll find us there, so stop by our booth and learn about how The Current takes steps to be environmentally friendly and take home a free magazine.  Please remember, it is essential that if we continue to keep taking from our mother Earth, every now and then we try to take some time to give something back.
For additional info on local Earth Day events, contact your local chambers of commerce and civic officials.