ReFashion Bash is back!€¦ · Council & Youth Poster Con-test Winners Announced Crystal Bridges...

Recycle Saline is

hos ng its third an-

nual Re-Fashion

Bash Saturday, April

22, at the Benton Event Center.

Re-Fashion Bash is an upbeat re-

cycling fashion show highligh ng

Saline County students on the

runway. They will walk the run-

way on this honorable and mem-

orable night showing off their

fashion in hopes of winning top

prize money. There are three

age categories, Kindergarten thru

4th grade, 5th-8th grade, 9th-

12th grade and there will be first

($500), second ($250), and third

($100) place prizes awarded to

the top designers. Tickets can be

purchased at the door for $10.00.

All the money raised from Re-

Fashion Bash goes to the YEA!

Team (Youth Environmental Am-

bassadors) program sponsored

by Recycle Saline.

There are 25 YEA! Team pro-

grams, one in each Saline County

school. The mission of the YEA!

Team program is to provide

awareness and educa on about

recycling in our schools and

county. YEA! Team members vol-

unteer many hours in the

Con nued on Page 3

Dear AEEA Members,

I am pleased to share that we

have already received many

wonderful proposals for the

“2017 Dine & Discover Series” –

so many that we may need to

expand our ini al goal of offering

3 events. If you aren’t familiar

with AEEA’s new event series

yet, we are looking for unique

programs, projects, and experi-

ences that focus on environmen-

tal educa on as a tool for engag-

ing and uni ng communi es

across the natural state. The

goal for these events is to create

a space where knowledge is

abundant, new rela onships are

formed, and professional net-

works expanded, while also serv-

ing as a fundraiser for our organ-

iza on.

AEEA is also gearing up for the

2018 Environmental Educa on

Expo, and we will be having our

Con nued on Page 3

AEEA President’s letter In This Issue

AEEA President’s letter

Recycle Saline’s ReFashion Bash

Ozark Natural Science Center– Learning from Spring

Keep Arkansas Beautiful: National Youth Advisory Council & Youth Poster Con-test Winners Announced

Crystal Bridges Museum Garden Party

E-Waste Recycling Event in Camden & East Camden

THE NATURAL STATE NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2017

Arkansas Environmental Education Association

ReFashion Bash is back!

Ka e Harmon, Caleb Harmon, and

Catherine Nolte won 1st place in

the 9-12th grade category in 2016.

Spring is a great me to be out ex-ploring your favorite natural area. Those favorite places may be a local, state or na onal park. It could also be a favorite stream, river, lake or fishing hole. It might even be your own backyard. Wherever it is, learn-ing more about it can deepen your knowledge and apprecia on for the natural world.

Next me you’re spending me in one of these places take with you a field guide or two. Pocket field guides to birds, trees, or wildflowers are a good place to start. The camera in your phone or a small digital cam-era enables you to share your discov-eries with others. Photos of flowers, trees, insects, and birds (if you are a lucky or good photographer) give you increased opportunity for iden fica-

on. Taking the me to bring along a blank journal or note book along with some pencils slows down the pace of your explora on. Nature journaling offers a place to record observa ons, ques ons, and sketches of forays into your special outdoor place.

Spending me in the outdoors con-nects you to sights, smells, sounds and rhythms of the natural world. The me wondering and exploring your special place may be a tonic to rejuvenate and inspire. Whether you realize or not, as you explore, ob-serve, ques on, journal, photograph, or sketch you are learning. When you share the experiences of your expedi-ons you become a teacher. Spend-

ing me in nature enables this oppor-tunity for life-long learning.

For many, Ozark Natural Science Cen-

ter is a special natural area. Life-long learning may begin here as elemen-tary age students engage in their first explora ons of the amazing ecosys-tem of the Ozarks. For adults Ozark Natural Science Center offers a place to con nue that connec on and edu-ca on through adult Field School courses. This spring ONSC is offering a variety of courses to choose from including Birds, Bugs and Blooms for those interested in Ozark natural his-tory. If your interest leans more to hands-on work try out stone tool making and fire star ng with the Fire & Flint workshop. Increase your na-ture journaling skills with one of two workshops lead by na onally ac-claimed ar st and author Susan Mor-rison.

Spending time in nature

enables this opportunity

for life-long learning.

ONSC – Learning from Spring



first planning mee ng at 10 AM on May

31st. In order to make the next Expo a

successful event, we need assistance

from our membership. We understand

that everyone is extremely busy, so

whatever amount of me, ideas, or con-

nec ons you can provide is much ap-

preciated. Send us an email to let us

know if you would like to par cipate in

the mee ngs by conference call or in

person: [email protected].

As always, we are incredibly grateful for

the support of our members and I look

forward to hearing from you!

Respec ully,

Leah Saffian AEEA Board of Directors President

community working on li er pick-ups,

beau fica on projects, and recycling

educa on in Saline County. As part of

the YEA! Team program, senior YEA!

Team members are eligible for a

$1,500 scholarship and are awarded

the night of the show.

When: April 22, 2017

Where: Benton Event Center

17322 I‐30

Benton, AR 72019

Time: Doors Open at 5:00pm/Show

starts at 6:00pm

Tickets: $10 at the Door

Come out and support our students as

they showcase unique recycling fash-

ions on the big stage! If you have

ques ons about the event visit:

www.recyclesaline.org

or call Recycle Saline at 501-776-2533

and we look forward to seeing you

there!!

ReFashion (continued from Page 1)

AEEA President’s letter (continued from Page 1)

Send your ideas to

[email protected] before

April 22nd with the following informa on:

Name

Organiza on/School

Contact Informa on (email address and phone number)

Proposal Title and 50 to 150-word abstract

Desired region (specify Central, Eastern, or Northwestern Arkansas)

Dine and Discover

Join AEEA today!

Keep America Beau ful is now ac-

cep ng applica ons for the 2017-2018

Na onal Youth Advisory Council. This

is an opportunity for 10 high school

students (15-18 years old) from di-

verse backgrounds to par cipate in a

service-learning and leadership devel-

opment program. Members will act as

ambassadors and leaders for youth

service in their community.

Thanks to the generous support of the

Wrigley Company Founda on, the Na-

onal Youth Advisory Council creates

a framework for youth engagement.

Council Members will a end the 2018

Keep America Beau ful Na onal Con-

ference.

To learn more about the 2016-2017

Na onal Youth Advisory Council and

apply for the 2017-2018 Council,

please click here.

Applica ons accepted through

May 5, 2017 at 5:00 pm HST.

Applica ons must be submi ed

online at : h ps://

www.surveymonkey.com/r/YAC1718

Na onal Youth Advisory Council

Applica on Is Open !

2017 Poster Contest Winners announced: le , Kalina Garza (K‐2nd grade); and right Teagan Gabbard (3rd‐5th grade)

ARKANSAS YOUTH POSTER WINNERS ANNOUNCED


Six pieces of student artwork conveying messages about keeping Arkansas clean and green have been chosen as

winners in the Great American Cleanup™ in Arkansas Youth Poster Contest promoted by the Keep Arkansas

Beau ful Commission (KAB). The Youth Poster Contest is part of the 2017 Great American Cleanup in Arkansas

campaign, the spring statewide community cleanup effort promoted annually by KAB, a cer fied state affiliate of

Keep America Beau ful.

As a cer fied state affiliate of Keep America Beau ful Inc., KAB inspires and educates individuals to reduce li er,

recycle and keep Arkansas beau ful. KAB is funded through its 1 percent por on of the eighth-cent Conserva on

Tax and, by mobilizing volunteers, returns to the state a cost benefit of more than $6 in community service for

each program dollar spent. For more informa on, visit www.KeepArkansasBeu ful.com

The “nature” of the Ozarks is an indelible part of our cul-

ture in Northwest Arkansas. So much so that even our art

museums celebrate the beauty and majesty of the natural

environment that surrounds us. To tell the truth, Crystal

Bridges Museum has always been an ins tu on built to

celebrate art, architecture and nature equally. One of the

biggest events of the year for the museum and its 100 plus

acres of Ozark trails and gardens is The Garden Party. This

celebra on of Spring and all things outside is set for Sat-

urday, May 13th this year.

The Garden Party is part fes val, educa onal conference,

and bazaar all in one and stretches throughout the trails

and grounds of the museum. Seven musical acts will be set

in different beau ful loca ons along the trails to serenade

guests throughout the day. Guests will have various art

making ac vi es to choose from, such as pain ng fairy

houses, building wind chimes, or designing you own bead-

ed bubble wand. Local high school art classes show off

their collec ve skills in crea ng large-scale chalk art on one

of the concrete trails. Guests will have the chance to learn

about and purchase na ve plants of the Ozarks at our

Plant Sale. This year, five vendors will be bringing dozens

of species of plants from perennials to woody shrubs.

Another great aspect of the Garden Party is the educa on-

al opportunity that it provides. Each year the museum in-

vites a number of environmental educa on and nature

advocacy groups to set up booths in order to share their

passion, work or awareness with the thousands of nature

lovers that grace the party. Groups, such as the Botanical

Gardens of the Ozarks, the Arkansas Heritage Commission,

and the Ozark Natural Science Center have all mingled,

educated and entertained in the past. This year the muse-

um will also host a special guest Brie Arthur, author of the

book Foodscaping: Building the Edible Landscape, who will

give a demonstra on at the landscape beds of the Frank

Lloyd Wright house on the Grounds.

Of course no such celebra on would be complete without

some delicious food and beverages to partake in through-

out the a ernoon. Crystal Bridges’ own food truck will

have some simple but crea ve culinary crea ons for sale.

Several other well-known local food trucks will also be

there to supplement anyone’s foodie needs.

All in all, this year’s Crystal Bridges Garden Party should be

a diverse, deligh ul event that promises to give guests

something new and worthwhile at every turn.


2017 Crystal Bridges Museum Garden Party

photograph by Mark Henning

photograph by Mark Henning


E-Waste Recycling Event:

Camden & East Camden

Electronic waste, commonly called E-

Waste, is the fastest growing compo-

nent of solid waste in the United

States and most other industrialized

na ons. Electronics have been cited as

a leading source of mercury in munici-

pal, i.e. household, waste. Electronic

waste includes items like televisions,

computers, VCRs, wireless devices,

rechargeable ba eries, cell phones,

etc. Electronics may contain toxic met-

als such as lead, mercury and cadmi-

um. The largest source of cadmium in

municipal waste is rechargeable nickel

-cadmium (NiCad) ba eries. Electron-

ics are very helpful, convenient and

part of our everyday life but when im-

properly disposed can result in con-

tamina on to our land and earth. Re-

cycling of E-Waste is the sustainable

approach to managing it; the toxic

metals are removed and recycled

along with the metal components.

Thirty-eight (38) E-Waste drop-off lo-

ca ons are currently registered in Ar-

kansas but there are none located in

Ouachita or Calhoun Coun es. The

closest drop-off loca on for Camden

and surrounding area residents is

Goodwill in El Dorado.

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970,

mobilized 20 million Americans from

all walks of life. Their ac ons led to the

crea on of the U.S. Environmental Pro‐

tec on Agency and the passage of the

Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endan‐

gered Species Acts. Today, over

one billion people in 192 countries

par cipate in Earth Day ac vi es,

making it the largest civic ob‐

servance in the world.

UNICOR is a partner of Federal

Prison Industries (FPI). One of the

key missions of FPI to employ and

provide job skills training to the

greatest prac cable number of

inmates confined within the Feder‐

al Bureau of Prisons. UNICOR has

a facility located in Texarkana that

accepts and recycles electronics.

Service Project Overview

The Leadership Camden com‐

mi ee proposed the Waste collec‐

on event for Camden area resi‐

dents on Earth Day 2017, Saturday,

April 22nd. Electronics collected during

the Earth Day event will be transport‐

ed to UNICOR in Texarkana for elec‐

tronics recycling.

The event will be promoted through

social media, posters, The Camden

News, and local radio sta ons as a

public service announcement. The pro‐

mo on will also serve as a vehicle to

educate our community on the prob‐

lems associated with improper E‐

Waste disposal.

Benefits to Community

This event will provide Camden and

surrounding areas an opportunity to

safely dispose of their unusable elec-

tronic devices. It is an cipated that

several tons of electronics will be col-

lected and properly disposed. As a re-

sult of the event, Camden’s land and

water will be protected from toxic

metal contamina on associated with

electronics disposal., while helping

educate the community about the po-

ten al environmental hazards associ-

ated with consumer electronics when

improperly disposed.

The project will serve as a model for

future electronic recycling endeavors,

filling a need not currently being met

in the Camden community.

Special thanks to the Leadership Cam‐

den project and J’Ne Chilcote for sub‐

mi ng this ar cle.

ReFashion Bash is back!€¦ · Council & Youth Poster Con-test Winners Announced Crystal Bridges...

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