Jan. 21, 2022
Wonders of Waterfowl workshop offers 4-H members hands-on learning
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Wonders of Waterfowl Workshop to be hosted on Feb. 12 by Five Oaks Agriculture, Research and Education Center
- Hands-on workshop for 4-H members will focus on duck habitation, identification and more
- Workshop is first of its kind
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LITTLE ROCK — Among the Natural State’s abundant wildlife, ducks are a source of significant passion and interest for Arkansans and visitors alike. For Arkansas 4-H members, a new opportunity to study the species in their habitat will be offered at the Wonders of Waterfowl Workshop.
The workshop, hosted by the Five Oaks Agriculture, Research and Education Center in partnership with Arkansas 4-H and the University of Arkansas at Monticello, will take place on Saturday, Feb. 12 in Dewitt, the heart of Arkansas duck land. The outdoor workshop for junior and senior 4-H members will focus on duck identification, wing identification, habitat and food, mallard migration and GIS technology, and duck banding.
Becky McPeake, extension wildlife specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the workshop at Five Oaks Duck Lodge will be the first of its kind.
“This is the first time that Arkansas 4-H has conducted a workshop focused on a species at a particular site where those animals are managed intensively,” McPeake said. “We have gone to wildlife management areas where the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has conducted management practices, and we have visited locations where other species, such as quail and deer, have been managed by a state agency. But this is the first time we’ve ever had a workshop in partnership with a private entity that is focused on waterfowl.”
The workshop is limited to 50 seats, which McPeake said they want to prioritize filling with youth participants and a limited number of adult chaperones. The registration cost is $20, which covers lunch and a t-shirt. Participation is open to 4-H members only. While the first enrollment deadline of Jan. 15 has passed, McPeake encouraged those who are interested in the workshop to join 4-H by visiting 4h.uada.edu/join/, as 4-H members must enroll at the start of each year. The workshop registration will remain open until all seats are filled, or until the final enrollment deadline on Feb. 1.
McPeake said the workshop will prioritize hands-on learning, with five groups of 10 participants rotating through different stations.
“For the technology stations, there will be a TV screen where the participants can see where the ducks have traveled,” McPeake said. “For the wildlife identification station, they’re going to have actual wings and things that the kids can look at, touch, and feel, so it’s a multi-sensory experience opportunity for them. Rather than having somebody stand up and lecture to them, our thought is that since they’re going to be in smaller groups, they’ll be able to get up close, and touch, and feel.”
COVID precautions, including hand sanitizer and masks, will be in place for the outdoor workshop.
At one station, McPeake said they hope to have waders available so youth can get in the water and identify types of invertebrates and plants found in the soil and mudflats to “see what opportunities there are for the ducks to get some feed.” If ducks are caught on the day of the workshop, there will also be an opportunity for participants to assist a wildlife biologist with duck banding.
“That’s contingent upon them being able to catch ducks that morning,” McPeake said. “Wildlife can be hit or miss, so that’s why we don’t have a guarantee for it, but there will be some activity for the kids to do regardless of the live ducks, present or not, about banding them.”
McPeake said she hopes the Wonders of Waterfowl workshop with Five Oaks and the University of Arkansas at Monticello will become an annual event. She added that it will also be an opportunity for 4-H members who participate in the Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) to study for the program’s state contest, which focuses on wildlife identification, foods and ecological concepts, and wildlife management practices.
For more information about and to enroll in Arkansas 4-H, visit 4h.uada.edu/ or contact your county extension agent.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
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 offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_