Volunteers Keep Our Green Infrastructure… Green!
On IRWP’s approximately 30 acres, there are a total of three rain gardens, one green wall, 375 square feet of permeable pavement, five native gardens, and over 30 newly planted trees. Not only does this native vegetation and green infrastructure improve the natural environment by enhancing habitat and mitigating nonpoint source pollutants, these practices are also an important educational tool and uphold our mission as an organization.
Native vegetation is celebrated for it’s hardiness and low maintenance. However, young plants are particularly vulnerable to dry and hot conditions. To keep our beloved plants vibrant and healthy, IRWP relies on the unwavering support of our volunteers and the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists (NWAMN).
Through the support of the NWAMN nursery, IRWP has been able to restore the rain garden and vegetated wall at the Learning Center and Sanctuary with condition-appropriate plants. NWAMN has also supplied IRWP with a plethora of young plants for the new rain garden recently installed adjacent to the pavilion.
In addition to plants, volunteers donated 54 hours of their time to assist in the construction of the new garden. During this time, volunteers helped dig, till, amend and replace the soil, mulch, plant, and water. Without our volunteers support, IRWP would not be able to maintain our impact throughout the watershed.
We are grateful for Rose Gergerich, Pat Dexter, Judy Anderson, Merrin Locke, Chaz Knapp, and others who have worked to improve demonstration projects and trails, enhancing the learning experience for thousands of visitors each year to the IRWP Learning and Sanctuary in Cave Springs. These demonstration sites are open to the public throughout the year.
While these demonstrations are a valuable way to teach others the importance of watershed stewardship, equally important are our outreach and education programs. We are grateful for NWAMN’s support of IRWP’s youth education field trips that over the past year have enabled more than 1,000 students to learn about native vegetation, water quality, and caring for Northwest Arkansas’ trees, native plants, and other natural resources. Care Butler, Jerilyn Henson, Curtis Leister, Neil Pumford, and other volunteers and Master Naturalists have each selflessly contributed their time and energy to educating the next generation of young naturalist stewards.
IRWP would also like to thank the 200+ volunteers who have dedicated many hours in helping us remove litter from our waterways and riparian areas. With your help, this year we have more than 242.5 bags of trash and recyclables (so far) from our streams, rivers, and lakes.
Thank you, volunteers! You make a difference.
