Exploring the Ozarks Outdoors: freshare.net

Golfers know that a good golf ball lie can make the difference between a birdie and a bogey. But can golfers blame the grass for a bad lie?

A recent University of Arkansas study is attempting to answer that question.

Jon Trappe, a University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture program technician, and horticulture professors Aaron Patton, Doug Karcher and Mike Richardson created a study to measure…[more]

In the logging industry, they talk of danger from “widow makers.” Hunters in north Arkansas also need to be aware of possible overhead perils.

A widow maker is a tree that is cut, but hangs up against another tree. For hunters, the danger is hanging limbs, results of last winter’s extensive ice storms.

Rick Chastain, Assistant Chief of Wildlife Management with the Arkansas Game and Fish…[more]

Oklahoma outdoor enthusiasts can attend a 24-hour, fast-paced wildlife watching event next month when Robbers Cave State Park hosts BioBlitz! 2009 in conjunction with the Oklahoma Biological Survey.

Slated for Sept. 18-19, BioBlitz! is a fun and educational event that invites volunteers to participate in a rapid inventory of biological diversity in Oklahoma’s unusual areas. Volunteers will count as many species as possible in 24 hours…[more]

Perfumes and cologne may attract more than the opposite sex, said Dr. Margaret Harris, assistant professor-health for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“If you’re looking to avoid insects this summer, scents are a no-no,” she said. “Make sure not to wear any heavily scented soaps, perfumes, hair care products or lotions because the smells attract the bugs to you.”

While dining al fresco is…[more]

Leading bicyclists and pedestrians through the canopy of a hardwood forest, a new multi-use trail in Bentonville will provide a view of the construction of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and a link to the city trail system. The Crystal Bridges Trail, a 10-foot-wide, hard surface trail, opened Friday, July 17 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be a major…[more]

For children, there’s nothing better than splash time at the lake or pool, but for parents, it should be serious business, according to Shannon Caldwell, 4-H camping coordinator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, more than 3,500 people drown each year in the United States and more than a quarter of those victims were children under 14.

More than 1 million skin cancer cases are diagnosed each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, yet prevention is simple, according to Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“The sun’s UV rays are the strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” she said. “A sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 is important to help protect your skin…[more]

Kids itching for a good time outdoors this summer may get their wish courtesy of Arkansas’ chiggers, ticks and mosquitoes.

To avoid the bites, kids should avoid wooded, brushy and grassy areas when possible, says Dr. Margaret Harris, extension health specialist and assistant professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“If you have to be in these kinds of areas, wear an insect repellent,”…[more]

Now that families have a few weeks of summer under their belts, parents may be wondering how they are going to afford to keep their children occupied for the next several weeks.

The economy is down, unemployment is up and parents are discovering they may have to say no to the many requests for summer activities.

Having to repeatedly say no to requests from children –…[more]

With temperatures nearing triple digits, don’t forget your water, says VeEtta Simmons, Crittenden County extension staff chair with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“Water is one of those important nutrients for maintaining good health that we often forget to drink,” Simmons says.

Water, which makes up to 75 percent of the human body, is essential to human life because body cells and organs require…[more]