April 21, 2021
Coleman Creek clean-up, rain garden demos, woodland walk planned for Extension’s Earth Day festivities
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast facts:
- Earth day is April 22
- Volunteers needed for Coleman Creek clean-up, 3:30-5 p.m.
- Rain garden demos and Educational Landscape Trail tours at 1:30 p.m.
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(Newsrooms, with additional file art of previous Coleman Creek cleanup at https://flic.kr/s/aHsk647VGq)
LITTLE ROCK – The Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will celebrate Earth Day with “green” events that promote sustainability efforts and conservation of resources.
Extension volunteers will partner with UA Little Rock to clean up Coleman Creek, a tributary of Fourche Creek, which flows into the Arkansas River, the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.
The creek flows next to the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters in Little Rock and the UA Little Rock campus. The clean-up is part of a Little Rock citywide effort sponsored by Keep Arkansas Beautiful, the Arkansas Natural Resources Division and Environmental Protection Agency.
Want to join the effort?
Volunteers can join the clean-up effort beginning at 3:30 p.m. at either of two start locations: the Cooperative Extension Service state office parking lot, 2301 S. University Ave., or at the UA Little Rock parking deck bridge by Lot 12.
Get directions to the Little Rock State Office
“Our spring clean-up event was canceled last year due to COVID-19, but we were able to clean the creek in the fall following CDC safety guidelines,” said John Pennington, extension water quality educator for the Division of Agriculture. “We will be following the same guidelines this time around and are pleased to be able to continue working together on our campuses to keep our natural resources in a healthy condition.”
At the most recent clean-up in 2020, volunteers removed more than 750 pounds of improperly discarded trash and debris from a mile-long stretch of the creek.
Pennington will also provide tours of extension’s demonstration rain garden and nearby Educational Landscape Trail at 1:30 p.m.
A rain garden is a landscaped depression that collects rain from a roof, driveway or street and filters the water as it allows it to soak into the ground. They can be a cost-effective — and beautiful — way to reduce runoff from developed areas, Pennington said.
Extension’s rain garden demonstration site is located near the pedestrian bridge that connects the parking lots between Extension and UA Little Rock’s Jack Stephens parking lot. Attendees will learn about rain gardens, including their applications and benefits for water quality, communities and pollinators and how to establish their own rain gardens.
The Educational Landscape Trail is a one-third-mile loop that showcases more than 100 species of native flora and fauna including trees, shrubs, vines and flowering shrubs that are native to, or well-suited for, Arkansas.
Earlier in the day, UA Little Rock will also host tours of its Campus Garden, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The garden is located on Fair Park Boulevard near the campus.
Need more information?
Contact John Pennington at jpennington@uada.edu or 870-329-7009.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AR_Extension.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact John Pennington at 870-329-7009 as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media contact:
Tracy Courage
Director, Communications Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
tcourage@uada.edu