March 2011
E - Newsletter
In this Issue:
Upcoming Events:
March 24-25. Wilderness First Aid Training at ONSC.
March 24. ONSC Corps Meeting. 6pm at Bariola's in Rogers.
April 2. Bentonville Half Marathon. Four ONSC employees are stepping up to the challenge and running the half marathon. Join us and wear your ONSC T-shirt!
April 16. Call of the Wild
Get your ticket today!
Earn Money For ONSC!
Search the internet using GoodSearch
A free way to earn money for ONSC. Download the Goodsearch toolbar and everytime you search the internet ONSC receives money. Click on the link
On a public computer?
Go to the GoodSearch homepage, enter in ONSC as your cause and search away!
Connect with ONSC Online:
ONSC Website
Get your friends to "like" ONSC on Facebook.
Read a guest blog from Stephanie Burroughs of Cargill "Why a corporate giant cares deeply about ONSC".
Join the ONSC group on LinkedIn
"Like" the ONSC Corps to keep up with volunteer opportunities to support ONSC.
Do you have a compost bin?
Check out this list of 75 items you can add to your compost. Here are some items they mention: dryer lint, moldy cheese, melted ice cream, plain cooked rice. To find out more click here.
Is there someone you know that would be interested in ONSC?
Forward this E-Newsletter!
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On site update
Fifth grade students from Barker Elementary in Bentonville are exploring a huge icicle in the Bear Hollow Natural Area.
The beginning of February was a challenge for most of Northwest Arkansas due to the record-breaking snowfall received. Many school programs were forced to reschedule due to weather conditions, making for a busy schedule from now until the end of the school year.
Now that March is upon us, spring is in the air. Teacher Naturalists are excited about sharing the "First of Spring" birds, flowers, butterflies and more with excited and energetic program participants. Here are some First of Spring species recently found on the trail at ONSC: Eastern Phoebe, Spring Beauty and Hepatica flowers, Spicebush leaf and Serviceberry buds, and Pine Warblers. This is a great time of year to get outside and explore the Ozarks, so gather up your family this weekend and go hiking but do not forget to pack a "green picnic"!
The weather is getting warmer and the rivers are filling up and ONSC is planning and getting excited for Summer Camps! We had a great summer last year and have some new camps this year. Read the recap and view 2010 summer pictures here. Register and find out more information about 2011 summer camps at www.onsc.us or call 479.789.2754.
Mounds, Oklahoma eigth grade students enjoyed many activities during their three day two night program especially rappelling!
ONSC Corps Update
We had a great first meeting of 2011 for the ONSC Corps February 24th at Bariola's in Rogers. We are excited about 2011 and hope you will join us on some of our ventures to spread the mission of ONSC (Enhancing the understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the Ozark natural environment).
ONSC Corps 2011 initiatives:
1. ONSC Terracycle Brigade. TerraCycle (www.terracycle.net) provides free waste collection programs for hard to recycle materials. They then turn the waste into affordable green products such as recycled park benches and upcycled backpacks. For each approved piece of non-recyclable waste that is collected through the TerraCycle brigade program ONSC earns money. ONSC ally Paul Wilson of Intrust Bank started collecting Terracycle waste and made ONSC the beneficiary over a year ago. To read more about Paul's involvement follow the ONSC blog.
Click here for the ONSC Terracycle Brigade flyer that lists all the items we are currently collecting. All you have to do is start collecting the items you have around your house and office!
Read more about ONSC TerraCycle Brigade below in this E-Newsletter.
2. Geocaching Event. April 23rd. Lake Fayetteville. In collaboration with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP) and Lewis and Clark. IRWP is hosting a Watershed Festival on that day and it is also Earth Day! It should be a fun day with lots going on so a great day to volunteer. We will need volunteers to help set up the geocaching race on the day before the event as well as hands on deck the day of. Email corps@onsc.us if you would like to volunteer.
To read the entire recap of the February meeting click here.
Attend the next ONSC Corps meeting
Thursday, March 31
6pm at Bariola's in Rogers.
Stay connected and "like" the ONSC Corps Facebook page.
Percolating for ONSC
Airship coffee serves up artisan coffee paired with the Northwest Arkansas Community College Culinary Program hand made chocolates.
After many rescheduled dates due to record snowfalls there was a great tournout for our exclusive tasting of artisan coffees and handmade chocolates to benefit the Ozark Natural Science Center!
Airship Coffee offered a slow bar of organic, fair trade coffees from Guatemala and Kenya. The NorthWest Arkansas Community College Culinary Program in partnership with Ghirardelli served handmade chocolates that paired with each coffee. Attendees received tasting cards and a 3 by 3 tasting experience to complement, contrast and bridge flavors. While people mingled and snacked on chocolates, The Hobknobbers played their old time folk and blue grass music for everyone to enjoy.
It was a great night for ONSC and no better place to host it than Compton Gardens, re-modeled home of Dr. Neil Compton, founder of the Ozark Society and long time supporter of ONSC.
Thank you to everyone who made it out and we will see you all at Call of the Wild!
Spring Break Wilderness First Aid Training Class
March 24-25, 2011
Ozark Natural Science Center
Course taught by Ozark Safety and Rescue Educators
ONSC Teacher Naturalists completing a mock rescue during a Wilderness First Responder course.
Wilderness First Aid is a 16 hour course that immerses the participant in the quickly developing world of wilderness medicine. This class will prepare you to take quick and decisive action when your outdoor adventures don't go as planned and "9-1-1" is hours away. Time will be split between interactive classroom sessions and hands-on field scenarios to develop backcountry medical care skills quickly. Focus will be on patient assessment, stabilization, and emergency treatment of everything from hypothermia to snake bites as well as when evacuation is needed and how to go about it. No time is wasted; when you complete the class you will be ready to respond to unexpected situations with a calm and orderly approach.
Course provides certification through the Emergency Care and Safety Institute and meets protocols and standards set forth by the Wilderness Medical Society pertaining to backcountry care. Certification meets U.S. Forest Service regulations.
To register call ONSC at 479.789.2754 or email info@onsc.us. Tuition includes all course materials plus meals and lodging at the Ozark Natural Science Center. $200 for ONSC member and $225 nonmember. Click here to view the flyer. Space is limited so register today!
Call of the Wild is next month!
April 16, 2011
John Q Hammons Convention Center in Rogers.
6pm
The Call of the Wild planning committee is working towards bringing a bit of the ONSC experience to the casual gala in town at the John Q Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. The event will leave you encouraged and empowered by the unique education our students in Northwest Arkanasas are receiving. There are only a handful of residential environmental education centers in the U.S. and we have one in our own backyards!
The evening's festivities will include dinner, live and silent auctions, mingling with knowledgeable ONSC staff, refreshments, and entertainment from 3-Penny Acre!
To join the Call of the Wild planning committee, become a sponsor, or donate a silent/live auction item or get your ticket today contact events@onsc.us.
Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged
June 10-12, 2011.
Ozark Natural Science Center
Arkansas Women Bloggers and the Ozark Natural Science Center will host the first statewide women bloggers mini-conference on June 10 – 12, 2011. Dubbed Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged, the event will be a networking retreat and blogging conference all rolled into one.
Arkansas Women Bloggers, launched in 2010, features more than 300 women bloggers throughout the state on its blog directory, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged mini-conference at the Ozark Natural Science Center offers an affordable and accessible option for attendees to unplug for the weekend, network with other Arkansas women bloggers, pick up tips, develop new skills and gain inspiration.
Guest speakers and panelists will offer sessions on topics such as personal branding, photography, PR tactics, blog/life balance and honing message and identity. While internet access will be available, a “step away from the screen” theme paired with the idyllic setting and face to face connections will aim to fuel and refresh attendees.
The cost per person to attend the weekend is $199 and includes two nights of lodging in ONSC's rustic lodges, all meals, speakers and activities. A limited number of attendee scholarships will be available via the Arkansas Women Bloggers website. Space is limited, so registration is encouraged early (and no later than May 31).
For additional information, contact Arkansas Women Bloggers founders Stephanie Buckley or Fawn Rechkemmer at arkansasbloggers@gmail.com or ONSC Executive Director Beth Stephens (479.633.7619 or beth@onsc.us).
View the flyer and register today!
Staff Pick
ONSC TerraCycle Brigade
Sonja Rodden
ONSC Administrative Assistant
When ONSC Corps began working with TerraCycle, I took one of the flyer's home for my family to reference in our household. I am amazed at how many of these products that my family uses on a regular basis! In just a couple of weeks, we have collected several cheese and potato chip packages, as well as several old cell phones and several empty ink cartridges.
While one household alone may not make a huge impact, just think how BIG this could be if half the people reading this newsletter worked with us on the TerraCycle brigade!! Not only can you participate in this at home, but why not challenge classmates at your school, at your workplace or gym to join the brigade? Over time, we would reduce our footprint and earn money to help defray program costs for students to experience ONSC.
Take home the flyer with you and start collecting for ONSC!
Collect items and bring them to one of the drop off sites (such as the Center for Nonprofits ONSC satellite office) or to the next Corps meeting or contact corps@onsc.us and we will come and pick them up!
Thank you to the following businesses for their cooperation and collecting for the ONSC TerraCycle Brigade:
Gusano's Pizza in Bella Vista
Fix-It Wireless in Bentonville
Subway in Eureka Springs
An ONSC TerraCycle Brigade box at a local Subway in Eureka Springs to collect Frito-Lay Chip bags.
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