Interpretive Panels Go Up at Big Creek Natural Area

First posted on 02-25-2010

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission staff recently loaded up shovels, post-hole diggers and headed for Big Creek Natural Area in Cleburne County. The agencies were working together to install interpretive signs on the area.

Kirsten Bartlow, Watchable Wildlife Coordinator for the AGFC, has been working with ANHC staff to design a series of large interpretive panels and smaller plant tags for the trails at this 1,507-acre natural area located within the 14,000-acre Jim Kress Wildlife Management Area.

Big Creek Natural Area includes five miles along the course of Big Creek, a major tributary of the Little Red River, and bluffs towering as high as 200 feet above the stream. Two primitive trails on the site – the ¾ mile Big Creek Loop that follows a steep path down to the river and the longer 1¾ mile Overlook Trail that winds along the edge of the creek bluffs – provide excellent opportunities for wildlife watching.

Wildlife viewing is an increasingly popular pastime that can be enjoyed in any season, by any age group. Unlike some activities, special equipment is not required. Wildlife watchers need to come equipped only with a sense of appreciation for the state’s living resources and the knowledge of where to look for them. Bartlow says the goal of the AGFC’s Watchable Wildlife program is “…to enhance, elevate and promote wildlife viewing and nature appreciation for the benefit of society, while building community awareness, understanding and support for the conservation of the wildlife and habitats upon which these activities depend.”

The new interpretive panels that were installed include maps of both trails, information about the plants, animals and ecology of the area, and tips to make the most out of your wildlife-watching and hiking experience. Fifteen additional, smaller signs have been installed along the trails to specifically identify native trees and shrubs. For more information about Big Creek Natural Area, including driving directions and downloadable maps, visit Natural Areas.

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