| Title |
Excerpt |
Author |
Date |
| Cargill Supports Environment with Donation |
As part of its longstanding commitment to support the environment, Cargill has donated $7,000 to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Arkansas Kings River Preserve. Funds from Cargill will be used to sponsor the Riparian Reforestation Program along the Kings River. Reforestation helps protect the river from contaminants that threaten the… |
Guest Contributor |
08/31/10 |
| A Step Toward a New Sunscreen? |
Maybe you worshipped the sun in your youth or weren’t as meticulous as you should have been with sunscreen. If so, take heart: Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio are finding that certain plant substances, when given in combinations, may suppress damage that can cause… |
Guest Contributor |
08/31/10 |
| Wildfire Burns on Mark Twain National Forest near Black, Missouri |
A wildland fire is burning in heavy fuels on National Forest lands on Salem Ranger District, Mark Twain National Forest, approximately 3 miles west of Black, Missouri. Black is approximately 40 miles southeast of Salem, Missouri, and approximately 6 miles west of Johnson Shut-ins State Park. The wildfire, now estimated… |
Guest Contributor |
08/31/10 |
| Paper Wasps Punish Peers for Misrepresenting Their Might |
Falsely advertising one’s fighting ability might seem like a good strategy for a wimp who wants to come off as a toughie, but in paper wasp societies, such deception is discouraged through punishment, experiments at the University of Michigan suggest. The research, by evolutionary biologists Elizabeth Tibbetts and Amanda Izzo,… |
Guest Contributor |
08/20/10 |
| Protect Yourself Against Ticks That Carry Lyme Disease |
Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors. University of Illinois graduate student Jennifer Rydzewski conducted a four-year survey of black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks), their… |
Guest Contributor |
08/17/10 |
| Eleven Point Committee Accepting Project Proposals |
Eleven Point Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is accepting project proposals that would enhance forest ecosystems or restore and improve land health and water quality on Mark Twain National Forest and near-by Oregon, Ripley, and Shannon counties lands. Eleven Point RAC will hold a meeting on September 9, 2010 at 6:30… |
Guest Contributor |
08/12/10 |
| Artificial Bee Eye Gives Insight Into Insects’ Visual World |
Despite their tiny brains, bees have remarkable navigation capabilities based on their vision. Now scientists have recreated a light-weight imaging system mimicking a honeybee’s field of view, which could change the way we build mobile robots and small flying vehicles. New research published last Friday in IOP Publishing’s Bioinspiration &… |
Guest Contributor |
08/10/10 |
| Researchers Study Benefits of White Button Mushrooms |
Mushrooms are among the many foods thought to play an important role in keeping the immune system healthy. Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have conducted an animal-model and cell-culture study showing that white button mushrooms enhanced the activity of critical cells in the body’s immune system. In the United… |
Guest Contributor |
08/03/10 |
| Missouri Route 66 Fan Creates Free Directory for Historic Businesses |
Carolyn Hasenfratz, a fan of historic Route 66 and a member of the Route 66 Association of Missouri (http://www.missouri66.org) and Friends of the Mother Road (http://www.friendsofthemotheroad.org/), began a web site in 2002 called John’s Modern Cabins News (http://www.jmcnews.com). The original purpose of the site was to get the word out… |
Guest Contributor |
07/30/10 |
| Migrating Birds Can’t Control Themselves |
During the Spring and Fall migratory seasons, sparrows become significantly less capable of resisting temptation. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience investigated impulse control and sleep in White-crowned Sparrows during migratory and non-migratory seasons. During migratory periods, the birds slept very little and became more impulsive, but… |
Guest Contributor |
07/29/10 |
| The Healing Effects of Forests |
“Many people,” says Dr. Eeva Karjalainen, of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla, “feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know that there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature.” Forests – and other natural, green settings – can… |
Guest Contributor |
07/29/10 |
| Fly-Tying Clinic in October |
The CADDIS Fly Fishing Club is hosting a fly-tying clinic October 9th,10:00AM at Lake Dardanelle State Park. Join the CADDIS fly tyers and learn techniques for tying flies, and you can also try your hand at tying. The CADDIS fly fishing club is located in Russellville. For more information about… |
Guest Contributor |
07/29/10 |
| Discovered: Audubon’s First Bird Engraving |
In 1824, three years before he began to publish his famous “double elephant folio” The Birds of America, John James Audubon (1785-1851), the eminent artist of American birds and animals, created a drawing of a running grouse for use in the design for a New Jersey bank note. Although the… |
Guest Contributor |
07/29/10 |
| Interest High in Providing Assistance for Migrating Birds |
Missouri landowners have shown vast interest in participating in the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI), says J.R. Flores, state conservationist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Because so many applications have already been received, Flores said NRCS will rank applications on July 23, which is a week before the… |
Guest Contributor |
07/22/10 |
| Research Links Pool Disinfectants to Health Problems |
Splashing around in a swimming pool on a hot summer day may not be as safe as you think. A recent University of Illinois study links the application of disinfectants in recreational pools to previously published adverse health outcomes such as asthma and bladder cancer. Each year, 339 million visits… |
Guest Contributor |
07/22/10 |
| Fireflies Blink in Synch to Send a Uniform Message |
For decades, scientists have speculated about why some fireflies exhibit synchronous flashing, in which large groups produce rhythmic, repeated flashes in unison – sometimes lighting up a whole forest at once. Now, the first experiments on the function of this phenomenon suggest that synchronous flashing preserves female fireflies’ recognition of… |
Guest Contributor |
07/13/10 |
| How to Comfortably Equip Yourself for a Summer Hike |
Before setting out on an expedition by foot, there are some preliminary measures that will help ensure the hike is safe and comfortable. It is important to become get familiar with the equipment you will take on your hike, said Mike Klumpp, associate professor 4-H Youth Development with the Arkansas… |
Guest Contributor |
07/13/10 |
| Aircraft Capable of Producing Mysterious Clouds and Precipitation |
As turboprop and jet aircraft climb or descend under certain atmospheric conditions, they can inadvertently seed mid-level clouds and cause narrow bands of snow or rain to develop and fall to the ground, new research finds. Through this seeding process, they leave behind odd-shaped holes or channels in the clouds,… |
Guest Contributor |
06/15/10 |
| Cargill Makes Presentation to Ozark Natural Science Center |
Cargill, Inc. will present a fleet of eight canoes manufactured in Arkansas by Buffalo Canoes of Jasper to the Ozark Natural Science Center on Thursday, June 10 at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. The Cargill Water Matters Mini-Grant Program administered by The Conservation Fund along with the… |
Guest Contributor |
06/09/10 |
| Eleven Point Committee Accepting Project Proposals |
Eleven Point Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is accepting project proposals that would enhance forest ecosystems or restore and improve land health and water quality on Mark Twain National Forest and near-by Oregon, Ripley, and Shannon counties lands. Eleven Point RAC will hold its first meeting on June 17, 2010 at… |
Guest Contributor |
06/07/10 |
| Wilson’s Creek Offers Fee-Free Weekends This Summer |
America’s Best Idea, the National Parks, gets even better this summer with two fee-free weekends at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees*. “National parks preserve our heritage, promote recreational experiences, and provide places of quiet refuge,” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis. “Most people live… |
Guest Contributor |
06/02/10 |
| Saving the Bats |
Kathryn Womack’s graduate studies at the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources into the habitats of bats is quickly going from an academic pursuit to one that may play a role in saving the nocturnal creatures from an epidemic. In April, a deadly and still mysterious disease that has… |
Guest Contributor |
06/02/10 |
| ARS Poultry Farm Gains Organic Certification |
Organic certification has been given to a poultry research facility operated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Fayetteville, Ark. It’s one of the first such facilities for poultry research in the United States. Scientists at the ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit started developing the agency’s Organic… |
Guest Contributor |
05/13/10 |
| Fragmented Forests Result in More Snakes, Fewer Birds |
About half of all bird nests don’t survive due to predators, particularly in fragmented forest areas, but why? University of Illinois researchers monitored both the prey and predator to find an answer. “Rat snakes accounted for a high percentage of cases of nest predation,” said U of I researcher Patrick… |
Guest Contributor |
05/07/10 |
| Giving Mother Nature a Hand |
Small farmers depend upon nature for pollination, but sometimes nature needs a little help. That’s where Dr. Yong Park, assistant professor and entomologist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), comes in. Dr. Park works with honeybees and the focus of his work is community outreach. UAPB has… |
Guest Contributor |
05/04/10 |
| Survey Reports Latest Honey Bee Losses |
Losses of managed honey bee colonies nationwide totaled 33.8 percent from all causes from October 2009 to April 2010, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Beekeepers identified starvation, poor weather, and weak colonies going into winter as the… |
Guest Contributor |
05/04/10 |
| Why Are Allergies Increasing? |
Allergies have become a widespread in developed countries: hay fever, eczema, hives and asthma are all increasingly prevalent. The reason? Excessive cleanliness is to blame according to Dr. Guy Delespesse, a professor at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine. Allergies can be caused by family history, air pollution, processed… |
Guest Contributor |
04/14/10 |
| Household Detergents, Shampoos May Form Harmful Substance in Waste Water |
Scientists are reporting evidence that certain ingredients in shampoo, detergents and other household cleaning agents may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant in water supplies that receive water from sewage treatment plants. The study sheds new light on possible environmental sources of this… |
Guest Contributor |
04/08/10 |
| Nanoparticles in Sunscreens Could be Toxic if Accidentally Eaten |
Scientists are reporting that particle size affects the toxicity of zinc oxide, a material widely used in sunscreens. Particles smaller than 100 nanometers are slightly more toxic to colon cells than conventional zinc oxide. Solid zinc oxide was more toxic than equivalent amounts of soluble zinc, and direct particle to… |
Guest Contributor |
04/08/10 |
| Longer-Lasting Flowers: Fresh Ideas |
Tomorrow’s fragrant bouquets and colorful potted plants might last longer, thanks to floriculture research by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist Cai-Zhong Jiang. His investigations might help boost the vase life of favorite cut flowers and shelf life of prized potted plants. Jiang is with the ARS Crops Pathology and… |
Guest Contributor |
04/06/10 |
| Songbirds May Hold Key for Vocal Learning |
Whether you’re a songbird or a human, there’s a lot we can learn from our elders when learning vocalization. A research team uncovered the genome of the zebra finch, which may one day help people who suffer from speech impairments, learning disabilities and problems with forming social connections. Wesley Warren… |
Guest Contributor |
04/01/10 |
| Popular Nanoparticle Causes Toxicity in Fish, Study Shows |
A nanoparticle growing in popularity as a bactericidal agent has been shown to be toxic to fish, according to a Purdue University study. Tested on fathead minnows – an organism often used to test the effects of toxicity on aquatic life—nanosilver suspended in solution proved toxic and even lethal to… |
Guest Contributor |
03/04/10 |
| Fish Can Recognize a Face Based on UV Pattern Alone |
Two species of damselfish may look identical—not to mention drab—to the human eye. But that’s because, in comparison to the fish, all of us are essentially colorblind. A new study published online on February 25th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, reveals that the fish can easily tell one… |
Guest Contributor |
03/02/10 |
| Plotting and Treachery in Ant Royal Families |
Social insects - ants in particular - are usually thought of as selfless entities willing to sacrifice everything for their comrades. However, new research suggests that ant queens are also prepared to compromise the welfare of the entire colony in order to retain the throne. A team from the University… |
Guest Contributor |
03/02/10 |
| Tree-Dwelling Mammals Climb to the Heights of Longevity |
The squirrels littering your lawn with acorns as they bound overhead will live to plague your yard longer than the ones that aerate it with their burrows, according to a University of Illinois study. Scientists know from previous studies that flying birds and bats live longer than earthbound animals of… |
Guest Contributor |
02/25/10 |
| Youth Conservation Corps Seeks Applicants for Summer Jobs |
Are you a young man or woman, 15-18 years of age, interested in a summer job? Mark Twain National Forest is seeking interested youth to apply for summer employment under the Youth Conservation Corps program (YCC). Applications will be accepted through April 15, 2010. Youth Conservation Corps program enrollees will… |
Guest Contributor |
02/23/10 |
| Farmers’ Markets Offer Different Strokes for Different Folks |
Farmers’ markets are not created equal. Some sell only fresh produce while others offer entertainment and a wide variety of vendors. And each market’s unique personality attracts some people while repelling others. A University of Illinois study revealed that based on what they offer, farmers’ markets self-select people who are… |
Guest Contributor |
02/23/10 |
| Crickets ‘Forewarn’ Unborn Babies About Spiders |
Just because cricket moms abandon their eggs before they hatch doesn’t mean they don’t pass wisdom along to their babies. New research in the American Naturalist shows that crickets can warn their unborn babies about potential predator threats. Researchers Jonathan Storm of the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg… |
Guest Contributor |
02/18/10 |
| Chickens ‘One-Up’ Humans in Ability to See Color |
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have peered deep into the eye of the chicken and found a masterpiece of biological design. Scientists mapped five types of light receptors in the chicken’s eye. They discovered the receptors were laid out in interwoven mosaics that maximized the… |
Guest Contributor |
02/18/10 |
| Americans Favor Conservation, But Few Practice It |
Most Americans like the idea of conservation, but few practice it in their everyday lives, according to the results of a national survey released today by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities. A majority of Americans say that it is “very important” or “somewhat important” to turn off unneeded… |
Guest Contributor |
02/18/10 |
| Study Finds Long-Distance Migration Shapes Butterfly Wings |
A University of Georgia study has found that monarch butterflies that migrate long distances have evolved significantly larger and more elongated wings than their stationary cousins, differences that are consistent with traits known to enhance flight ability in other migratory species. As part of a National Science Foundation and UGA-funded… |
Guest Contributor |
02/15/10 |
| Plant Buffers May Limit Spread of Antibiotics in Animal Waste |
Research by scientists at the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry suggests that buffer strips of grasses and other plants can trap and break down veterinary antibiotics in manure fertilizers. Buffer strips have already demonstrated that they can be effective in protecting water quality, controlling erosion and supporting wildlife around… |
Guest Contributor |
02/15/10 |
| Trees Retaliate When Their Fig Wasps Don’t Service Them |
Figs and fig wasps have evolved to help each other out: Fig wasps lay their eggs inside the fruit where the wasp larvae can safely develop, and in return, the wasps pollinate the figs. But what happens when a wasp lays its eggs but fails to pollinate the fig? The… |
Guest Contributor |
02/11/10 |
| RECALL: Summit Treestands Recalls Brackets Due to Fall Hazard |
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Talon Hunting Hang-on Tree Stands and Brackets/Straps Units: About 6,800 Manufacturer: Summit Treestands LLC,… |
Guest Contributor |
02/02/10 |
| Central Arkansas Nature Center Highlights Downtown Little Rock Outdoors |
When looking for locations to explore nature in Arkansas, downtown Little Rock wouldn’t be on the top of most people’s list. In fact, it probably wouldn’t make the list at all. That would be a mistake …a big mistake. Right in the middle of downtown Little Rock’s River Market District… |
Guest Contributor |
01/28/10 |
| Environmental Change Impacts Oklahoma Rivers |
Biodiversity in freshwater systems is impacted as much or more by environmental change than tropical rain forests, according to University of Oklahoma Professor Caryn Vaughn, who serves as director of the Oklahoma Biological Survey. “When we think about species becoming extinct, we don’t necessarily think of the common species in… |
Guest Contributor |
01/28/10 |
| Study Suggests Theory for Insect Colonies as ‘Superorganisms’ |
New A team of researchers including scientists from the University of Florida has shown insect colonies follow some of the same biological “rules” as individuals, a finding that suggests insect societies operate like a single “superorganism” in terms of their physiology and life cycle. For more than a century, biologists… |
Guest Contributor |
01/21/10 |
| Gators Breathe Like Birds |
University of Utah scientists discovered that air flows in one direction as it loops through the lungs of alligators, just as it does in birds. The study suggests this breathing method may have helped the dinosaurs’ ancestors dominate Earth after the planet’s worst mass extinction 251 million years ago. Before… |
Guest Contributor |
01/19/10 |
| As in Humans, Sleep Solidifies a Bird’s Memories |
Sleeping is known to help humans stabilize information and tasks learned during the preceding day. Now, researchers have found that sleep has similar effects upon learning in starlings, a discovery that will open up future research into how the brain learns and preserves information. The research, published Wednesday by The… |
Guest Contributor |
01/14/10 |
| Volunteers Needed to Help Stabilize Two Eleven Pt. Ranger District Historic Structures |
Mark Twain National Forest is looking for ten volunteers, at least 18 yrs of age, to help stabilize two historic structures on Eleven Point Ranger District April 18-24, 2010, including weekends. Falling Spring Mill is a late 19th Century, early 20th century Ozark homestead just northwest of the Irish Wilderness,… |
Guest Contributor |
01/14/10 |
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