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>> HERE AT THE DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER IN PINE BLUFF YOU
CAN GET UP CLOSE WITH THE NATIVE
LIFE AND THE FISH SPECIES FOUND IN THE WATERS ALL OVER THIS
AREA AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GET
WET. THE 2200-GALLON AQUARIUM IS
LONG OF THE LARGEST IN THE STATE AND
LETS VISITORS SEE THE FISH AS IF
THEY WERE SCUBA DIVING. ARKANSANS ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE
FOUR FREE NATURE CENTERS BUILD BY THE GAME COMMISSION WITH
REVENUE FROM A STATE WIDE SALES TAX THAT WAS PASSED IN 1996.
HERE AT THE DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY
OF THINGS TO OFFER PEOPLE BESIDES
THE MAIN BUILDING WHICH HAS THE INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS AND TOUCHY
FEELY THINGS ALONG WITH THE LIVE
ANIMALS AND OUTSIDE WE HAVE OTHER LIVE ANIMALS AND BALD
EAGLE, AMERICAN ALLIGATOR. WE HAVE A TRAIL SYSTEM ON THE
PROPERTY SO PEOPLE CAN GET CLOSER TO NATURE. WE HAVE TWO
TRAIL SYSTEMS AND ONE WE REFER TO AS THE APPROVED TRAIL AND
ADA COMPLIANT AND ASPHALT AND BOARD
WALKS AND THAT STUFF. IF YOU WANT TO GET CLOSER NATURE WE
HAVE THE PRIMITIVE TRAIL SYSTEM AND A PATH IN THE WOODS SO IF
YOU WANT TO GET CLOSER TO THE SNAKES AND ALLIGATOR AND THE
POISON IVY AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF IT'S ALL OUT
THERE. >> A POPULAR TRIAL WITH MOST
VISITORS IS THE DISCOVERY LOOP TRAIL AND GOES OUT TO THE NEAR
BY WETLAND AREA PAVILION AREA ON
BLACK DOG LAKE. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AT THE
DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER IS THE GOOD OLD AMERICAN ALLIGATOR.
>> WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT ALLIGATORS IN THIS AREA.
WE DO HAVE THEM UP AND DOWN THE ARKANSAS RIVER DO YOU AND THE
WET LAND AREAS. WE HAVE TWO SMALL ALLIGATORS INSIDE WHICH
ARE ATTRACTIVE TO THE KIDS AND THEY LIKE TO SEE THEM UP CLOSE.
WE USE THEM IN PROGRAMS BUT THE
BIG BOY OUTSIDE GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION. HE'S 9 FEET LONG.
NOT FULL GROWN YET. WE FEED HIM
IN THE ALLIGATOR EXHIBIT EVERY SATURDAY AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE
HIM MORE ACTIVE THAT'S A GOOD TIME TO SEE HIM GET FED. HE
DOESN'T DO A WHOLE LOT. HE LIKES TO SWIM IN HIS POND, LAYS
IN THE SUN. HE HAS A ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE I GUESS YOU
WOULD CALL A ROOMMATE AND THE TURTLE IS ABOUT 125-POUND SO WE
HAD HOLD HIS OWN WITH THEIGATER AND POSSIBLE EXHIBIT HERE AND
WE WILL GET MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE ALLIGATOR THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
>> AND A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SEE BALD EAGLE OR TWO HERE.
>> YEAH. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ABOUT BALD EAGLES. IF
THEY SEEN THEM IN THE WILD THEY'RE AT A DISTANCE. WE'RE
LUCKY TO HAVE TWO YEAR AND THAT CAN YOU SEE UP CLOSE IN PERSON.
ONE UNFORTUNATELY HAS A GUNSHOT
WOUND AND HAS A WING APTATED. IT'S A SAD STORY BUT IT'S AN
EDUCATIONAL STORY AND PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT DOES HAPPEN
AROUND HERE OCCASIONALLY AND WE GET TO TEACH THEM ABOUT BALD
EAGLES AND YOU CAN SEE THE TWO AND OUT AT THE RIGHT TIME AND
PAYING ATTENTION SOMETIMES WE SEE THEM CIRCLING AROUND THE
BUILDING. >> AND IF YOU SHOULD HAPPEN TO
COME HERE DURING INCH CLEMENT WEATHER NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE
THERE ARE PLENTY OF IN DOOR EXHIBITS INCLUDING A HANDS ON
LABORATORY. >> BESIDES THE EXHIBITS THAT
ARE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME WE HAVE
A LABORATORY AND WHEN IT'S NOT
USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WE
HAVE GROUPS THAT COME IN AND DO FISH AND FROG DISSECTIONS AND
LEAF DISSECTIONS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT AND WHEN IT'S NOT IN USE IT'S SET UP FOR THE GENERAL
PUBLIC. IT CHANGES FROM TIME TO
TIME AND TOUCHY FEELY STUFF AND SKULLS AND A NEAT PLACE TO GET
IN THAT LABORATORY SETTING AND MAYBE TO TOUCH THINGS AND SEE
THINGS CLOSER THAN YOU WOULD OUT
IN THE WOODS. >> SO PAY A VISIT FOR YOURSELF
TO THE DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER IN PINE BLUFF AND MAKE
LIKE A DEER OR A ALLIGATOR OR A TURTLE OR A EAGLE OR A CATFISH
OR WELL, YOU GET THE IDEA.
>> BUILT UPON THE VISION OF VERNA GARVAN WHO DONATED THE
PRODUCT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AND GARVAN WOODLAND
GARDENS IS INTERNATIONALLY RENOWND AND ONE OF THE TOP FIVE
IN THE NATION AND YOU WILL SEE WHY. GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS
IS INDEED WHAT THE NAME SAYS, NOT
JUST A BO TAN CAL GARDEN BUT A WOODLAND GARDEN AND
IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH HAS MILES OF THE SHORELINE.
>> ONE THING WE'RE WORKING ON IS
REALLY WORKING CLASS IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AND WE'RE
TRYING REALLY HARD TO SHOW FOLKS
HOW YOU DO THINGS RIGHT, AND ONE
OF OUR BIG THINGS OUT HERE IS TO
BE SENSITIVE TO THE SITE AND MAKE SURE WHAT YOU BUILD IS
APPROPRIATE FOR THE LOCATION SO WE WORK REALLY HARD TO SHOW
THAT YOU CAN HAVE A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN
WITHOUT DESTROYING ALL THE BEAUTY IN NATURE.
>> I LIKED THE FLOWERS. >> LOTS OF FLOWERS HUH? TELL
US WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FIRST
THINGS HAVE BEEN? THE TRAINS? THE PEACOCKS? WATERFALLS?
>> THE WATERFALLS. >> WHAT ABOUT THE FISH?
>> I LIKE THE FISH. WE HAVE LIKE -- I SAW SOME GOLD FISH
AND WE HAVE GOLD FISH SO I REALLY
LIKE THEM. >> I KNOW. THEY'RE LIKE GIANT
GOLD FISH, AREN'T THEY? >> YEAH.
>> WHAT ELSE? IS THERE A FAVORITE FLOWER THAT YOU HAVE
SEEN? YOU LIKE THEM ALL LIKE I DO?
>> I LIKE THEM ALL. >> THERE YOU GO.
A GOOD REASON TO BRING CHILDREN TO GARVAN GARDENS AND THE
CHILDRENS' GARDEN AND ADVENTURE IT IS AND KIDS CAN EXPLORE WITH
A CAVE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND
FOR A GENERATION THAT IS SEDENTARY WITH THE MEDIA
DIVERSION AND WATERFALLS ARE SOMETHING YOU CAN ENJOY HERE AT
GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS. THERE'S ALSO A MODEL TRAIN
GARDEN. AND PEACOCKS WHICH FOR THE MOST
PART LIVE IN RAIN FORESTS BUT CAN BE ENJOYED HERE IN THE
TREES. GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS IN FACT
CAN BE ENJOYED YEAR ROUND. >> OF COURSE EVERYBODY THINKS
ABOUT GARDENS IN THE SPRINGTIME.
IT'S CERTAINLY A PRETTY TIME HERE AND THE SPRINGTIME FLOWERS
LIKE DAFFODILS, TU LIPS AND HAVE
THOUSANDS OF FLOWERS OUT HERE. WE PLANTED 125,000 TU LIPS AND
ESTIMATE THAT JUST AN ESTIMATE BECAUSE THEY'RE MULTIPLYING FOR
YEARS AND WE HAVE A QUARTER OF MILLION DAFFODILS OUT HERE AND
THAT'S THE SHOW IN THE SPRING AND THERE ARE PANSIES AND A LOT
OF STUFF THAT YOU WILL SEE OUT HERE DURING THE SPRINGTIME.
THE BEST BIGGEST SHOW THOUGH IS THE
TULEIPS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE DO
WHICH IS MORE COLORFUL THAN THAT
AND THAT WILL TRANSITION INTO SUMMER WITH THESE FLOWERS THAT
WE SEE HERE TODAY AND THE EARLY ONES START IN SPRING, MAYBE THE
FIRST OF MAY, THE EARLY ONES AND
WE WILL HAVE THEM IN BLOOM IN AUGUST WITH THE LATE PG TYPE
AND LOTS OF HYDRANGEAS AND I HAVE
LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY WE HAVE BUT PROBABLY A THOUSAND PLANTS
AT LEAST, BUT OF COURSE THE OTHER THING IN THE SUMMER ARE
THE PLANTS THAT LOVE HEAT AND ROSE OF SHARIN AND IMPATIENCE
AND ONE OF THE SUN COAND A PLANT
AND WE HAVE ALL THE TYPICAL SUMMER THINGS. WE PROBABLY AT
ANY ONE TIME DURING THE SUMMER HAVE AT LEAST 50 DIFFERENT
PLANTS IN BLOOM OUT HERE AND NOT
A LOT OF THOSE
AND ONE OF THE WHEN
PEOPLE COME TO HELENA THEY ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW WHERE WAS
FORT CURTIS LOCATED? WHAT WAS IT LIKE? THEY WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT THE VETERANS UP IN THE HILLS HERE BUT THEY WERE
DIFFICULT TO GET TO AND IN PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL'S OWNERSHIP
SO THE CONCEPT WAS IF WE COULD COME UP WITH THE FORTITSELF, A
REPLICA AND BUILD IT AND IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE CIVIL WAR WAS LIKE AND FORT
CURTIS WAS LIKE, SO THE PLAN WAS
PUT IN PLACE IN AUGUST OF 1993 TO TRY TO COME UP WITH THE
PLANS AND ACTUALLY EXECUTE THOSE
PLANS TO BUILD A FORT.
>> THE FIRST FORTS WERE MODIFIED
VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL FORTS. >> DURING WILL CIVIL WAR EARLY
ON THERE WAS MASONRY
FORTS AND THEY WOULD FALL LIKE A
STACK OF CARDS AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS PRETTY TYPICAL OF THE
FORTS. NOW, WHAT IS INTERESTING
THE TYPE OF GUNS. THESE COME OFF OF SHIPS AND FIRE
TREMENDOUS ROUNDS. THEY FIRE ALSO
EXPLODING ROUNDS SO YOU GET AN IDEA OF ABOUT WHAT A
FORTINSTALLATION WAS LIKE LOOKING HERE AT FORT CURTIS.
>> AND IN ALL THERE WOULD BE QUITE A FEW GUNS HERE.
>> RIGHT. AT LEAST SIX GUNS THAT WERE IN PLACE, AND ALSO
THE SUPPORTIVE BATTERIES -- THEY
WOULD HAVE ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO MAKE FOUR GUNS, BUT MUCH
SMALLER GUNS AND WOULD SUPPORT THE MAJOR INSTALLATION, THE
MAJOR WORK ITSELF. HELENA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TOURIST
DESTINATION. THERE ARE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT KNOW
ABOUT IT JUST LIKE GETTY BURG AND VICKS
BERG AND THAT CAMPAIGN AND ANYONE WILL KNOW ALSO ABOUT
HELENA AND IT BRINGS INTO FOCUS THE INVOLVEMENT OF NOT ONLY
WHITE AND BLACK TROOPS. FROM FEBRUARY OF 1864 THROUGH THE
END OF THE WAR HELENA -- SORRY,
FORT CURTIS AND THE BATTERIES WERE
MANNED BY BLACK TROOPS. >> WHAT DID YOU LEARN THAT YOU
DIDN'T LEARN ABOUT AT SCHOOL? >> I DIDN'T KNOW THAT CANNONS
CAN MAKE SO MUCH NOISE AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS
THE HEAD OF THE WAR. >> THEY ALSO WORE THE BLUE
UNIFORMS. >> IT'S NEAT BECAUSE WE GET TO
LEARN WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CIVIL
WAR AND WHAT IS GOING ON FROM NOW TO THEN.
>> A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN GETTING IT ALL FROM A TEXTBOOK?
>> YES IT IS. >> AND THE THING THAT WAS
INTERESTING TO ME THAT WAS -- >> TODAY I LEARNED LIKE THE
WOMEN -- THEY HAD TO WEAR DRESS -- A FIVE LAYER DRESS AND THE
MEN HAD TO WEAR A WOOL SUIT AND I BET THEY WAS HOT BUT THEY
SAID IT WAS EVERY LITTLE BREATH FEEL
GOOD. >> RONNIE NICKELS AND A FORMER
DIRECTOR AND LIVING IN WASHINGTON DC AREA HAS A DREAM
OF BUILDING -- >> BACK THEN THERE WAS A LOT
THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH AND THE SLAVES HAD TO COME HERE TO GET
THEIR FREEDOM. >> I HAVE LEARNED ALL ABOUT THE
CIVIL WAR AT SCHOOL. THEY TEACH
US SO THAT'S IT. >> I HAVE READ A FIRE REE
GOSPEL AND ROWS WILL STEEL AND DEAL
WITH MY CONTENTORS AND GRACE SHALL DEAL AND THE HERO BORN OF
WOMAN CRUSH THE SERPENT WITH HIS
HEEL SINCE GOD IS MARCHING ON. >> GLORY, GLORY HALLELUIAH.
GLORY, GLORY HALLELUIAH. GLORY,
GLORY HALLELUIAH, HIS TROOP IS MARCHING ON.
[APPLAUSE] >> THE LITTLE BLAKELY TRAIL
SYSTEM IS SEVERAL TRAILS AND LOCATED ON A PENINSULA NOT FAR
FROM LAKE OUACHITA STATE PARK AND AVAILABLE FOR MOUNTAIN
BIKING AND HIKING SO LET'S GIVE IT A WHIRL.
FROM LAKE OUACHITA STATE PARK TAKE HIGHWAY 227 PASSED END OF
THE PAYMENT TO THE FOREST ROAD 200 ABOUT THREE AND A HALF
MILES TO THE TRIAL HEAD. THE TOTAL
LENGTH WITH THE LOOPS COMBINE SIDE ABOUT 18 MILES OR SO.
THE DIFFICULT OF THE TRAIL SZ IS
RATED MODERATE TO STRENUOUS AND ALLOW FOUR TO 10 HOURS PER LOOP
IF YOU'RE HIKING. IF YOU'RE A BEGINNING TO
INTERMEDIATE MOUNTAIN BIKER SOME
OF THE AREAS ALONG THE TRAIL CAN
BE QUITE INTIMIDATING AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER
ESPECIALLY OVER THE NARROW FOOT BRIDGES SO
IF YOU'RE IN DOUBT OR THE LEAST BIT HESITANT IT'S PROBABLY BEST
TO LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN BIKE BEHIND AND JUST STICK TO THE
HIKING. WHICHEVER WAY YOU CHOOSE TO
TACKLE THE LOOPS YOU WILL EXPERIENCE SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF
LAKE OUACHITA STATE PARK AND OF COURSE CARRYING
PLENTY OF WATER IS A MUST BECAUSE OF THE HUMANITY AND
HEAT. I MIGHT ALSO ADD UNDER THE
FIRST FOOT BRIDGE THERE IS A REALLY
NICE CREEK WHERE YOU CAN TIME TO
RELAX AND LET THE SOUND OF THE WATER DO ITS SOOTHING WONDERS
AND AS VIDEOGRAPHER ADMICHAD HOLIDAY TOOK THE
LIBERTY OF DOING. >> SO GRAB YOUR HIKING SHOES OR
MOUNTAIN BIKE AND BLAZE ALONG ON
THE LITTLE BLAKELY TRAIL SYSTEM IN THE NATIONAL FOREST AND WITH
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS OR OTHERS
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
AND WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON
ANOTHER EXCITING VENTURE ON "EXPLORING ARKANSAS".