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Winter wonders
Wonders of Winter Wildlife programs are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area. Activities include trained ornithologists capturing and banding songbirds from 9 to 10:45 a.m., releasing the birds and telling visitors more about them. A talk about saw-whet owls that only visit Arkansas during winter is from 11 to 11:30 a.m. A talk about how wildlife survives winter is 12:30 to 1 p.m. A 0.25-mile hike to learn about black bears is from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. along the ADA-accessible Ozark Plateau Trail.
All activities are free and visitors may come and go as they please. Call the visitor center at (479) 789-5000 for more information.
Duo wins at Beaver Lake
Nick and Mason Sudermann won the Beaver Lake Winter Series bass tournament held Jan. 4 at Beaver Lake. Their tournament limit of five bass weighed 18.06 pounds. Matt Emeterio and Casey Odle were second with five bass at 17.61 pounds. Slade and Jared (no last names listed on results) were third with 16.88 pounds.
Walk explores Fayetteville
Ozark Hill Hikers invites all walkers to join us for a walk Jan. 20 in Fayetteville. Registration is 12:30 to 1 p.m. at Walgreens, 4007 N. Shiloh Drive in Fayetteville. There is a $4 fee for all walkers. There is a short drive to the start at Lake Fayetteville where participants will choose a 5- or 10-kilometer route. The walk follows paved trails around the lake and passes the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.
Membership in the Ozark Hill Hikers is $12 a year prorated $1 for each month remaining in the calendar year. For more information, email bvvohh@gmail.com or call (479) 381-9366.
Hike to a homestead
Hill ‘N Dale Hiking Club will hike Jan. 21 to the Hedges Homestead near the Buffalo National River. The distance is 3.8 miles. Interested hikers may email hillndalehike@gmail.com for more details. Club information is available at bvhikingclub.com.
Cozy cabin retreat
Arkansas State Parks offers a winter 15% discount on all lodging through Feb. 3. The discount is good every day of the week. When booking directly with a park, mention promo code Winter15 to receive the discount. When booking online, add promo code Winter15 to your cart.
Catch a rainbow
Rainbow trout were stocked in December by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in some of the region’s small lakes for winter fishing as part of the statewide Family and Community Fishing Program. This is the only stocking these lakes will receive this winter because of limited trout production at the flood-damaged Jim Hinkle hatchery at Mammoth Spring where the fish are raised.
Stocked lakes include Lake Atalanta in Rogers, Lake Bentonville, Lake Springdale, Murphy Park pond in Springdale, Shaw Family Park pond in Springdale and Van Buren Municipal Pond in Van Buren.
Anglers 16 and older must carry an Arkansas fishing license and Arkansas trout permit. The daily limit is five trout of any size.
Wild goose chase
Chase fun and adventure with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by joining The Natural State Goosechase. Get outside and compete with others through March 31. New
