Pack & Paddle

By Fred Paillet, OS Education Chair      Enjoyment of the Ozark landscape and the activities available here in our region is a common factor uniting Ozark Society members.  Outdoor recreation will always be a strong pull on attracting future members to our ranks. With the Buffalo National River a thriving tourist attraction in NW Arkansas, it is time to consider the ongoing mission of our society and the way to attract a new generation of members dedicated to the protection of that valued resource.  As a relatively recent arrival in the Ozark area my own experience is probably representative of others attracted to opportunities in the Ozark region.  Simple word of mouth reference to the Society from neighbors and colleagues caught my interest, and publicly announced programs and hikes provided a convenient introduction.  Advertised society activities including hikes, lectures and social gatherings were an obvious way for those of us interested in the outdoors to learn about the opportunities available.      Activities such as hikes and floats continue to be a vital part of encouraging appreciation of the value of the Buffalo River and its Ozark surroundings.  Advertisement of those activities must be an important part of [...]

By Lowell Collins, Youth Grants Committee      TrailMix NWA, a community of environmentally-minded folks, and recipients of an Ozark Society Youth Grant award, is hosting a program series entitled: Ozark Society Backyard Habitat Builders, throughout NWA this summer. The program is unique in that it offers an opportunity for parents and children to explore the surprising myriads of native species to be found in their very own backyards, coupled with creating their own customized habitat features in support of butterflies, toads, bees and birds. The grant provides funding for the supplies for five backyard habitat workshops in the series.      On a recent Sunday in July, fifteen families, with children ranging from infants to teenagers, gathered to create puddling trays for butterflies. The leader described the components to be added to each tray as the children excitedly prepared their own “puddler” to take home. Children, as well as parents, chattered about newly observed butterfly activity in their own yards, taking a fresh interest in the plants that attract them. The event was an ideal opportunity to provide an educational connection for families and children to their environment on a brilliant summer morning in the Ozark’s.      [...]

By Jenny and Gary Hackman, Bayou Chapter Ozark Society BCOS      In a powerful display of community spirit and environmental stewardship, Keep Bossier Beautiful (KBB) led its first-ever large-scale water-based cleanup this past Saturday along the scenic shores and inlets of Lake Bistineau.      Partnering with nearly 35 volunteers and several local organizations, KBB launched an ambitious effort to remove debris from the lake’s ecosystem. The event marked a significant milestone for the group, which has traditionally focused on land-based beautification projects. “This is the first water cleanup of this scale for Keep Bossier Beautiful, and we are delighted with the outcome,” said Lynn Bryan, Executive Director of KBB. “The success of today’s event proves just how much can be accomplished when people come together with a shared purpose.”      Volunteers from the Bayou Chapter of the Ozark Society (BCOS) played a central role in the initiative, co-hosting the event alongside KBB.  They were joined by conservation-minded members from Sisters on the Fly, Sister Corps, and community supporters from Advanced Air Conditioning & Heating.      Armed with kayaks, boats, and determination, volunteers scoured the lake’s inlets and shallows for discarded items, retrieving everything from tires [...]

By Beth Keck for Sugar Creek Chapter      In a victory for the environment and our communities, the Bentonville City Council unanimously voted on May 27, 2025, to remove the remnants of the Lake Bella Vista dam and let Little Sugar Creek flow free.      The decision came after more than a decade of advocacy by the Friends of Little Sugar Creek and The Ozark Society Sugar Creek Chapter.  City officials originally planned to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to replace the dam which formed Lake Bella Vista.      Water quality in Lake Bella Vista had been problematic since the creek was dammed in 1925.  The huge 56,000-acre watershed overwhelmed the tiny 22-acre lake which had been off limits for swimming for many years.      As with any advocacy effort, there were many twists and turns. In an early win, using a grassroots grant from Patagonia, the Friends sued the Corps of Engineers and stopped the re-issuance of the permit needed for dam construction.  When the City Council was on the verge of voting for a free-flowing stream in 2018 Cooper Communities, who had given the lake to the city, threatened a lawsuit.  The Friends [...]

By Charlie and Rhoda Transue, Highlands Chapter       The long tradition of the Ozark Society Buffalo River float continued this year with a float during the first week of June.  The float occurred in the midst of an unusually rainy spring that began in the middle of April and had not quite relented when we started our float.  One word would describe this year’s float, and that word was “luck” because the float occurred between river rises and floaters only had to bear two morning showers.      The float began at Carver with the arrival of a varied mix of watercraft that included rafts, canoes, kayaks, and a dory.  The license plates reflected Ozark Society members from the heart of the Ozarks and beyond from Louisiana in the south, Indiana and Iowa in the north, and Texas and Oklahoma in the west.  Once trip leader Stewart Noland arrived on the gravel, the logistics operation began.  The large group of 32 was divided into two groups, and equipment and provisions were divided between them.  Once the watercraft were loaded, the shuttle to Dillard’s ferry at Highway 14 was made on a Wild Bill’s school bus with padded [...]

By Carolyn Shearman, Ozark Society Vice President and Pack & Paddle Editor       At the Central Arkansas Water (CAW) Board meeting on Thursday, August 14th, Bryan Rupar, the Watershed Protection Manager, presented for approval the plan to build an additional 13.5 miles of trail on the south side of Lake Maumelle from the Bufflehead Bay Trail to Pinnacle Mountain State Park.  The plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Commissioners.  When interviewed after the meeting Bryan Rupar stated that he would be asking conservation organizations such as the Ozark Society and Sierra Club to help with the volunteer efforts to complete the connections at each end of the new trail.  The main portion of the trail would be contracted out at a cost of $500,000.      This new section of trail is part of a long-term plan to have trail access completely around the lake.  Currently, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail runs the full length of the north side of Lake Maumelle and portions of trail are present on the south side with the Bufflehead Bay Trail, the Blue Mountain Trail system, and Rattlesnake Ridge trails.      The Pulaski Chapter of the Ozark Society [...]