Halloween delight

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Shortakes recorded Monday, October 24, and Thursday Oct. 27, 2011, to broadcast on Fayetteville Public Television 218 on Cox Cable and AT&T Uverse next week: Preview now

Honeyvine milkweed pods green now but will mature and open to display their mature seeds in coming weeks, so please let them mature before picking

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE views of Cynanchum laeve seed pods.
For scientific description, please see Missouri link.

Monarch caterpillars often eat milkweed seed pods when foliage has already been eaten or when leaves are wilting

Milkweed aphids compete with monarch caterpillars and might have destroyed this pod had I not gently mashed and removed them

Honeyvine milkweed pod turns reddish brown as seeds approach maturity. Caterpillar may have eaten part of this one. The pod will split along the deep line soon. Leaves in photo are those of plant the milkweed vine has climbed. Vine dies back after frost and new vine rises from roots in spring.

A few green leaves of the Honeyvine milkweed still green on October 28, 2011, but may not be green after tonight's frost. After pods mature and are collected for seed, vines may be cut down in winter. They do not damage fences or shrubs or trees or trellises they climb. The clumps of tiny white flowers offer nectar to many species of butterflies, bees and flower flies in summer and foliage feeds monarch caterpillars.

Council of Neighborhoods elected officers at 6 p.m. meeting. Please don't fail to attend and run for office next year for the coming year or nominate somehow or just vote yes or no on the three suggested by the nominating committee

Richard Russell new president of Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods. Don Connor, chairman for the past two years, is now vice chairman. Stan Lancaster reelected as secretary/treasurer.

Blue and snow geese working over the lights of Fayetteville at 11 p.m. Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What a wonderful pre-coldfront night in Northwest Arkansas.

Tiny white native wild orchids show up big on October 26, 2011

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE and identify exact species if you can!

One huge old tree to remain near sale-barn property corner but second one slated for destruction along with many old trees in the wetland floodplain along the Tanglewood Branch riparian zone

Please click on image to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for even better view of trees near Fayetteville National Cemetery main gate.
For more photos, please see Tanglewood Branch set on Flickr and Fayetteville National Cemetery set on Flickr. Some pages from the current plan for Campus Crest student apartments appear at the bottom of the second Flickr page on the National Cemetery. Try this link. Page 2

Adella Gray announces candidacy for seat in Arkansas House of Representatives

Short video to run Oct. 24-28, 2011, on Cox 218 in Fayetteville AR and on AT&T Uverse 99 in Northwest Arkansas cities

Fayetteville National Cemetery continues to expand to South Hill Avenue thanks to RNCIC, but one-source stories never tell the rest of the story: Housing for low-income people destroyed and watershed of Beaver Lake damaged while developers plan to build huge student-apartment complex along the eastern edge of the National Cemetery

Flickr set of National Cemetery photos includes many pages of Campus Crest plan for student apartments on sale-barn property and demolition of houses on S. Hill Avenue.

More information and photos at National Cemetery Neighbors and Friends.

 Story from KNWA Fox 24 Website:

Cemetary to Expand Again

Wednesday, October 19 2011

The Fayetteville National Cemetery is one step closer to another expansion after the demolition of a house Wednesday.
The house was the last to go in a strip of four lots on Hill St. purchased by the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation.
"When we buy a lot, we have to clear it," says RNCIC President Ron Butler. "There can be no buildings left on it, all the cement work has to come out, and all the utilities have to come out of the ground."
The corporation then gives the land to Veteran's Affairs, so they can conduct a site survey before excavating and installing burial vaults. Butler says the process takes time before the site is usable.
"You're looking at probably four to five years right here from where we're standing," he says.
The new addition is next to the last expansion, which added close to 1,300 vaults, but Butler says the RNCIC isn't done working.
"These folks average better than one funeral a day," he says. "It doesn't take long to get it filled up."
It does take time to raise the funds to purchase more property, though. The organization is a non-profit, run by volunteers, and Butler says he could use some help.
"We're getting old," Butler says. "We need younger people, every organization does."
He says anyone interested can become a member, or donate through their website.

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE view and for easier reading.

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for easier reading.

Migrating birds fleeing the cold front fill trees in our yard and on World Peace Wetland Prairie at dusk

First true cold front of fall brings snow and blue geese over Fayetteville just as light rain finally begins to fall after hours of thunder and lightning went north, south, east and west of south Fayetteville: Canada geese have been bunching up and flying around Fayetteville's remnant prairies and ponds for more than a month

Male box turtle now prowling World Peace Wetland Prairie in search of a mate

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Three-toed box turtles

Larry Lowman, former owner of Ridgecrest Nursery in Wynne, Arkansas, addresses Flower, Garden and Nature Society at 10 a.m. on native success stories by a southern nurseryman at NTI in Springdale while Celebration of Trees continues at Fayetteville downtown square

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for even easier reading.
 More photos from tree-giveaway during Fayetteville's Celebration of Trees at Flickr.
 Permanent link to photos from Fayetteville downtown square and town center.

Longtime park-department employees out before dawn preparing to give trees to Fayetteville residents

Fayetteville residents happy to get native plants for their yards

Celebration of Trees Event

The City of Fayetteville and the Urban Forestry Advisory Board will be hosting the annual Celebration of Trees October 15, 2011. Trees to be given away this year include Pin Oak, Swamp White Oak, Willow Oak, Bald Cypress, White Dogwood and two shrubs including Arrowwood Viburnum and Oakleaf Hydrandea. The giveaway will begin at 7:00 am on the Town Center Plaza. You must show proof of City of Fayetteville residency to pick up your plants.
This event continues a twelve year tradition of providing citizens with plants that beautify the landscape and provide community benefits such as air pollution reduction, stormwater peak flow reductions, reduced soil erosion, oxygen production, increased property values as well as psychological benefits such as reducing crime, aiding hospital patients with quicker recovery rates and increasing children’s attention span.
2011 Celebration of Trees
Bald Cypress Tree Fact Sheet  Hydrangea and Viburnum Shrub Fact Sheet  Pin Oak Tree Fact Sheet 

Swamp White Oak Tree Fact Sheet  White Flowering Dogwood Tree Fact Sheet  Willow Oak Tree Fact Sheet

Brief video recorded October 10 & 13, 2011, to run October 17-21 on public-access television in Fayetteville AR

When will the Arkansas HIghway Commission clamp down on the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to stop the mowing of important native wildflowers in highway right of ways?

Please see many more of today's photos of mindless mowing of Northwest Arkansas highway edges at the bottom of my AHTD set on Flickr.
 Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for even closer view.

If you have a gardening friend who calls late-blooming asters 'weeds' just point out a few species that were depending on them for sustenance on October 12, 2011, at World Peace Wetland Prairie in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Checkered white Pontia protodice

Monarch butterfly on late-blooming asters

Please identify this caterpillar

Please click on individual images to enlarge. Click on enlargements for even closer view.

Buckeye butterfly on late-blooming asters

Buckeye butterfly on late-blooming asters

Junonia coenia (Buckeye) on late-blooming asters

Pontia protodice White-checkered butterfly

Please vote EARLY on Monday to renew Fayetteville's 1-percent sales tax BEFORE heading to University of Arkansas for a full-day observance of Indigenous People's Day 2011

Indigenous People of the Americas Day Observance 2011 Planned

Will focus on the “Trail of Tears” in Northwest Arkansas

The University of Arkansas will offer a special program of events recognizing Indigenous Native Americans on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, as part of Indigenous People’s Day, an alternative to national Columbus Day celebrations.
A documentary on Native American history will be shown at 10 a.m. in room 503 in the Arkansas Student Union. This screening is free and open to the public.
From 1-2 p.m. students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to present readings of historical and contemporary writings by native authors in the Connections Lounge at the Union. This will be followed by a procession from the Union to the “Trail of Tears” marker in the park near the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Garland Avenue.
The marker commemorates the location where a thousand Cherokees camped during their journey to Indian Territory in 1839, over the “Trail of Tears.”
At 2:30 p.m. there will be a ceremony in which members of Heritage Partners will speak about the historic routes through Northwest Arkansas which are part of the “Trail of Tears.” State Senator Sue Madison and Mayor Lioneld Jordan will present proclamations on behalf of the State of Arkansas and the City of Fayetteville commemorating this event.
The University of Arkansas Indigenous People of the Americas observance is sponsored by the Honors Film Association; the Native American Student Association; the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology; the Honors College; the Multicultural Center; the Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association; Heritage Trail Partners; and the Department of Communication.
For more information about this observance contact Frank Scheide at 575-5961 (fscheide@uark.edu).

Keywords: Diversity & Multiculturalism Entertainment & Cultural Events Events

Contacts:

Frank Scheide, professor
Communications Department
479-575-5961, fscheide@uark.edu

Please don't miss this important Sunday afternoon opportunity to meet and hear the inspiring message of Robert Swan, famed polar explorer

	Sunday, October 9 · 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Location	1st Security Auditorium, Willard J Walker Hall, University of Arkansas
Created By	Michele Halsell
For	Sierra Club, Ozark Headwaters Group (Arkansas Chapter)
More Info	Robert Swan, Order of the British Empire, is the first person to walk to both the north and south poles. He will speak about his first hand experiences with climate change. Reception to follow.

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Monarch butterflies leaving chrysalises and flying to Mexico this week

Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods hears explanation of need to protect city services by voting for renewal of Fayetteville AR 1-percent sales tax on October 11, 2011

City Hall October 6, 2011: Public Comment on Community Block Grant Program at 5:30 p.m. was canceled for lack of public participation, but Partners for Better Housing met at 6 p.m.

Please click on individual images of partners's meeting and of agenda to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for easier reading.

Sulphur butterflies abundant on early fall native yellow wildflowers such as gumplant

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