Wild beauty
“Arkansas has so much to offer that people don’t know about,” Julie says. “I talk to people all the time — they see the beauty of the area, they come here and go, ‘Wow!’ ” On average, Bull Shoals-White River
State Park receives 250,000 visitors an- nually from all 50 states and about 30 dif- ferent countries. From the breathtaking, sweeping views of the bluffs to the smallest wildflowers, the 732-acre park showcases the variety of beauty found in the Ozarks. Just outside the James A. Gaston Visi-
tor Center are two ADA-accessible paved trails, one which winds around a butterfly garden maintained by the Marion County Master Gardeners. A monarch waystation provides milkweeds, sources of nectar and shelter for monarch butterflies. The verdant space includes plenty of nectar sources for butterflies, including butterfly bush, purple coneflower, blanket flower, pincushion flower, lantana and blazing star. It also has host plants for caterpillars, including fennel and parsley, pipevine and the paw-paw tree. The other paved trail by the visitor cen-
ter is a half-mile Heritage and Habitat Trail, where visitors can learn about how the land looked before the dam was con- structed and view wildlife under a pergola, which faces a grassy field adjoining the forest.
In 2009, Julie was instrumental in cre- ating the North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists group. The group takes care of a wildflower garden, maintains trails, par- ticipates in stream team and handles arti- facts in the visitor’s center. They recently cleared out cedar trees in the forest to pro- mote growth of deciduous trees and wild- flowers, and planted some rare Ozark Chinquapin tree seedlings at the visitor center and wildflower garden. The group also does volunteer work for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.
Lovett talks about her 11 years at the park.
To visit Bull Shoals-White River State Park 153 Dam Overlook Lane, Bull Shoals (870) 445-3629
www.arkansasstateparks.com
For a calendar of events, select Bull Shoals-White River State Park, choose “events” and “view all events”
LIVING WELL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 33
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