Floating season is coming upon us and your friends at the Buffalo National River Partnership thought it would be a perfect time to provide a refresher course on the do’s and don’ts to having a safe and enjoyable float trip on the Buffalo.

Faron Usrey, former Resource Manager for Buffalo National River and current science professor at North Arkansas College will be providing an educational program on floating basics in preparation to canoe or kayak the Buffalo River. Faron’s interest in canoeing has taken him to many beautiful places and Lower Buffalo River Wilderness and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota are his favorite canoe destinations. His educational program will cover topics such as basic regulation and rules while floating on Buffalo River, steps for planning your float trip, basic safety precautions, what floating checklist items to consider for a day or overnight trip, and some floating basics.

To increase accessibility to this presentation, the public may also attend virtually. Should you be interested in watching this presentation online, please email Rodney Arnold and he will send you the link. He may be contacted at rodney.arnold@northark.edu. Admission is free to the public.

The mission of the Buffalo National River Partners (BNRP) organization is to support the goals and purposes of the Buffalo National River. By providing financial resources, advocacy, technical assistance and volunteers to the park, our organization assists in the purpose to preserve the unique and cultural features, educate visitors, and improve facilities of Buffalo National River.

Following the eclipse, the Buffalo National River unfortunately expects that there will be a need for volunteers to pick up after some of the visitors. Once the BNR team identifies the area of greatest need in the Lower District, they will communicate that location to us and we will notify volunteers accordingly. We plan to disburse volunteers to clean up whatever trash may have been left behind. If you would like to help clean up, please sign up here.

Feather Smith, Ethnobiology Manager for the Cherokee Nation, will be our featured speaker on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. This educational program will focus on the cultural and medicinal relevance of plants and animals utilized within the customs and practices of the Cherokee Nation. Currently, seventy-six of these plants used are harvested annually within the confines of the Buffalo National River.

Today, the Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States with more than 450,000 tribal citizens worldwide. More than 141,000 Cherokee Nation citizens reside within the tribe’s reservation boundaries in northeastern Oklahoma. The Cherokee Nation is committed to protecting its inherent sovereignty, preserving and promoting Cherokee culture, language and values, and improving the quality of life for the next seven generations of Cherokee Nation citizens. One of their programs facilitating the Cherokee Nation culture and improving the quality of life for its citizens is its Seed Bank program. The Seed Bank is a plant and culture preservation program that provides seeds to tribal citizens who are interested in growing traditional Cherokee crops. Feather Smith is the Ethnobiology Manager for the Cherokee Nation and also oversees its Seed Bank program. Her presentation will also feature the importance and functions of its Seed Bank program.

In 2022, the Buffalo National River and the Cherokee Nation executed a plan so that members of the tribe’s Medicine Keepers could formally harvest certain plants from designated sites within the park area. The Medicine Keepers are a group of elder, Cherokee language speakers who work to preserve the Cherokee’s cultural heritage. Wild indigo and wild onion are just a few plants harvested annually from the Buffalo National River. Ms. Smith’s presentation will briefly highlight how some of these plants are incorporated into the customs and medicinal practices for the Medicine Keepers.

To increase accessibility to this presentation, the public may also attend virtually. Should you be interested in watching this presentation online, please email Rodney Arnold and he will send you the link. He may be contacted at rodney.arnold@northark.edu. Admission is free to the public.

The mission of the Buffalo National River Partners (BNRP) organization is to support the goals and purposes of the Buffalo National River. By providing financial resources, advocacy, technical assistance and volunteers to the park, our organization assists in the purpose to preserve the unique and cultural features, educate visitors, and improve facilities of Buffalo National River.

What to bring: work gloves, loppers, hedge trimmers, small shovels, hand saws, mattock, leaf rake, water for the day.

Food:  BNRP will provide a simple hotdog cookout at the Cedar Glade picnic area after the workday.  We'll grill hotdogs, bagged chips, and S'mores. Please bring your own drink.

Directions: This short .4 mile loop is located two miles down Erbie Campground Rd. You'll park on the right at the Cedar Glade Picnic area. There is a lot of thick brush and (small) invasive hedge along the trail, especially close to the pond areas. There is a fallen tree across the trail that can be moved by several  people. Although the trail itself is short, there is plenty of clean-up to do. 

Google map link:   https://maps.app.goo.gl/tW75bfMTnoNLHC8b6

Please sign up and if you would like to join us for this event and write a message that you are signing up for the Ponds Trail work day.

The name of this trail is Sod Collier to Visitor Center trail. The trail is approximately 1.4 miles and considered moderate. There are several places along the bluff where caution should be taken. The trail starts at the Sod Collier Homestead and finishes at the Visitor Center. If there are enough volunteers, we'll do trail clean-up and Visitor Center work. Some things folks can do at the Visitor Center would include simple tasks such as: assisting Park personnel with organizing the Visitor Center, cleaning the Visitor Center, removing leaves and debris from the garden  areas in front of the Visitor Center and more. 

What to bring: work gloves, loppers, hedge trimmers and other useful tools, food and water for the day.

Directions: The parking lot at Sod Collier Homestead is 1.3 miles down the Tyler Bend Road on the left. GPS coordinates: 35.981122782432365, -92.76376717476032

Please sign up and let us know you want to do this event! 

You can request a zoom link by emailing Rodney Arnold, rodney.arnold@northark.edu.

Kevin Middleton, a  former BNR Park Ranger and long-time outdoor enthusiast will be our featured speaker on Hiking in the Ozarks.  Kevin is highly regarded for his knowledge and experience of hiking the Ozarks and the trails surrounding the Buffalo National River. His presentation will outline basic hiking knowledge along with some of the do’s and don’ts to hiking in the beautiful Ozarks. He will also feature some of his favorite hiking trails throughout northern Arkansas that are family friendly and enjoyable this time of year.

The warm sunshine on your face, the sound of the wind rushing through the trees overhead, and the soft earthy feel of the trail under your boots. Not only are these experiences enjoyable to have, but they’re good for you, too! Hiking is proven to have many health benefits, ranging from physical exercise you get when out on the trail, to emotional or mental relief that comes from being in nature. Being in nature can also boost your mood and improve your mental health. Spending quality time in the great outdoors reduces stress, calms anxiety, and can lead to a lower risk of depression. Hiking with a partner, or even in a group, can improve the strength and health of your relationships. Because hiking ranges in difficulty from an extremely challenging climb to a casual way of spending time outside, it’s a great way to strengthen the friendships and bonds you have with your companions. With families soon getting together during the holiday season, hiking is the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with family, get a good workout and improve your mental health! 

Please make plans to join us on the evening of Tuesday, December 12 @ 6:30 p.m. To increase accessibility to this presentation, the public may also attend virtually. Should you be interested in watching this presentation online, please email Rodney Arnold and he will send you the link. He may be contacted at rodney.arnold@northark.edu. Admission is free to the public. 

The mission of the Buffalo National River Partners organization is to support the goals and purposes of the Buffalo National River. By providing financial resources, advocacy, technical assistance and volunteers to the park, our organization assists in the purpose to preserve the unique and cultural features, educae visitors and improve Buffalo National River facilities. 

Regularly scheduled meeting of BNRP board of directors.

Dr. Caven Clark, retired Cultural Resource Management Specialist for the National Park Service, will highlight the archeology of plants native to the Ozarks and the Buffalo National River. Dr. Clark will further illuminate how the science and art of recovering, identifying, and interpreting the significance of various historical plant species to our native Ozarks and the Buffalo.

Archaeology is more often associated with the discovery of tombs, temples, and palaces than with plants. Yet small and fragile plant remains can be every bit as valuable, if not more so, than large, permanent structures in providing information about human life in the past. During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, archaeology fell under the broad umbrella of natural sciences, and by the start of the twentieth century, botanists, geologists, and zoologists were working with archaeologists to research a shared interest in the past. It
is only in the last 50 years, however, that archaeologists have truly realized the wealth of knowledge that can be gained from a careful collection and study of ancient botanical remains.

 In an effort to increase accessibility to this presentation, the public may also attend virtually through Zoom. Should you be interested in watching this presentation from the comfort of your home, please email Rodney Arnold, rodney.arnold@northark.edu for a link to join. 

Admission is free to the public.

First Thursday is a vibrant, free monthly arts and culture festival brought to you by Experience Fayetteville. Each event features live music, a robust vendor market, community activations, group bike rides, and different activities based on a theme. Stop by the BNRP tent to learn more about us!

Experience Fayetteville | First Thursday | Summer Soiree

Buffalo Point

Depending on the water level, the cleanup will be a nine mile float between Dillard’s Ferry and Rush.  In the event of low water, Casey Johannsen, head interpretive park ranger at Buffalo Point, will have on land cleanup activities for us on this National Public Lands Day. 

An outfitter will provide a limited number of canoes or folks may bring their own. It is important to contact Barry Martindale at 4barrymartindale@gmail.com to register. Barry will let you know if the river clean up becomes a land clean up.  See you on the river!

We'll let you know what BNRP has accomplished in the last year, including our vision of what lies ahead. A park employee will present a talk about the general processes a national park has to go through to do work on historic buildings. And, ANSTAFF Bank will provide our meal! Please sign up here for this event by Sept. 7. We'd love for you to bring a guest who is interested in becoming a BNRP member. The person with the most guests will earn a $100 gift certificate to a local outfitter.

Fred Berry Center Directions

Volunteers will meet at 10 am at the pavilion at Lost Valley Trail to pull and bag stilt grass, an invasive species of grass that smothers the native wild flowers, which have historically been prolific and beautiful along this trail. Stilt grass is easy to pull. Volunteers will need the following:

• Work gloves

• Personal water bottle for hydration

• Bug spray

• Clothing and shoes appropriate for work

At arrival, those participating will fill out required national park service volunteer paperwork, and then listen to a short explanation of the project and the process before pulling. This is an easy project and was well attended last year. Hope to see you there!

Learn More About Stilt Grass

Please sign up to let us know you are coming and thanks! Sign Up

Please remember to log your hours afterwards. Log Hours

First Thursday is a vibrant, free monthly arts and culture festival brought to you by Experience Fayetteville. Each event features live music, a robust vendor market, community activations, group bike rides, and different activities based on a theme. Stop by the BNRP tent to learn more about us!

Experience Fayetteville | First Thursday | Summer Soiree

During this clean-up day, the fence replacement project that we started last year will hopefully get finished and we will tackle cleaning up the undergrowth in the cemetery.  Volunteers should bring gloves, loppers, sun screen, water, snacks and a weed eater if they can. Meet at the Woolum parking lot to travel to Nars Cemetery.  

Please contact Cassie Branstetter,  Cassie_Branstetter@nps.gov if you are interested in participating and for more information.

During this clean-up day, the fence replacement project that we started last year will hopefully get finished and we will tackle cleaning up the undergrowth in the cemetery.  Volunteers should bring gloves, loppers, sun screen, water, snacks and a weed eater if they can. Meet at the Woolum parking lot to travel to Nars Cemetery.  

Please contact Cassie Branstetter,  Cassie_Branstetter@nps.gov if you are interested in participating and for more information.

Crockett’s Canoe Rental will provide ten canoes, (first to sign up gets one!) and we will focus on cleaning the Gilbert to North Maumee section of the river.

This long stretch of the river, 11.8 miles, needs a good trash pick up cleaning.  

We will divide the project into two river sections, with groups focusing on the first and second stretch of the river to ensure we get it all cleaned up.

Please bring your own lunch, drinks, and whatever tools you think we might need. Shovels, grabbers, and lopers are always handy.  We will provide trash bags, gloves, and some snacks.  See you on the river!

Regularly scheduled meeting of BNRP board of directors.

Mr. Windell's presentation will highlight the exciting adventure of caving through the underground of northern Arkansas with a special emphasis on the AEGIS Program, Project Caves: Creative Adventures and Valuable Experiences through Spelunking.

Mr. Windel will also discuss the AEGIS Program, Project CAVES. Project CAVES is a seven-day/six-night summer residential program that provides an authentic immersion in science outside of the classroom for gifted high-school students.  This program provides a unique life-changing experience involving in-depth curriculum and strategies that high ability science students need.  Activities will center on investigative studies in the areas of cave ecosystems, karst geology, bat populations, and hydrogeology.

North Arkansas College - South Campus Room M143 

Regularly scheduled meeting of BNRP board of directors.

Steel Creek (tentative)

The annual upper river cleanup will target a section of the river for cleanup. An outfitter will provide a limited number of canoes or folks may bring their own. It is important to contact Aletha at 2502erbie@gmail.com to register for this cleanup. See you on the river!

Come join us for an evening of local craft beers, delicious snacks and great music - just $15 per person - all proceeds go to help the Buffalo National River Partners!

Regularly scheduled meeting of BNRP board of directors.

Meeting Room Changed To Room M101/M102

What a great way to spend GroundHog Day!  We need 6 to 8 volunteers to clean up this small cemetery by clipping, raking and weed eating brush.   Volunteers will also assist BNR maintenance personnel with fence repair.   All clippers, rakes and other equipment will be furnished by NPS.  Please bring a sack lunch, drinks, folding chair, gloves, hat, sunglasses, and wear sturdy shoes/boots.   (Harrison-area volunteers can carpool from the NPS Headquarters office in Harrison.   Meet at 9:15 am with proper notice to the event coordinator.)

Email our event coordinator at millsev12@gmail.com  to sign up as a volunteer and/or carpool to the site.

Driving directions from Harrison:  Head south on Hwy 65 to St. Joe; turn left on South Woolum Rd and proceed until the pavement ends. Continue on gravel and take the next left on Brewer Rd (CR 229).  Stay on Brewer Road all the way to Lawrence Cemetery.   (Note: Brewer Rd makes a slight right turn after you have been on it a while (that is CR 232) but still shows to be Brewer Rd.)  When you see a NPS pickup parked near the cemetery, you are there!

Volunteer opportunities are back!

The Partners are looking for volunteers to work stations in the Boxley Valley area this Fall!  ​Stations will be set up along the Boxley Valley to assist visitors, Information, visual aids, safety vests, and tents will be provided. This will be an opportunity to help visitors get the most out of their experience and for you to share your own knowledge about Buffalo National River!  Please recruit your friends and share on your social media to help us fill these spots.  We will need ​four to six volunteers at each of the four different stations.  Volunteers will meet at the Lost Valley parking lot at 8:00 am to be assigned to your work location.​ Volunteers should bring snacks, drinks and folding chairs. For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

Thanks for all you do as volunteers!

Station locations:

Hwy 43 pullout across from Lost Valley road entrance

Ponca low water bridge

Lost Valley Trailhead

Boxley Mill

Sign Up Here

Volunteer times are Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm each weekend in October.

Please remember to log your hours afterwards. Log Hours

This fall is sure to be another doozy. It would be tremendous to have two volunteers per duty location (see below) per weekend day in October to best serve park visitors. We suspect that our busiest weekends will be October 15 and 22, so those dates are the top priority volunteer slots to fill.

As a reminder, here are the primary volunteer duties at each location:

• Lost Valley: parking/traffic control, radio communications, providing trail maps and area information, keeping count of visitor contacts (using a clicker)

• Elk Viewing Area: elk education, distributing park information (Junior Ranger books, river maps, Leave No Trace cards, hunting guidebooks), helping visitors with wayfinding and suggesting outdoor activities in the area, keeping count of visitor contacts

• Boxley Mill: welcoming guests, providing information/answering questions about the mill, giving guided tours, distributing park information, keeping count of visitor contacts.

Tours start at 11 am, 12 pm and 2 pm.

Travel back in time in Boxley Valley Historic District to tour one of the earliest examples of industry in the Buffalo River Valley! The historic Boxley Grist Mill was constructed in 1869 to serve a growing agricultural community. The mill, which was fully operational until 1951, is preserved through a partnership between the Gorgas Science Foundation and the National Park Service.

This event is sponsored by BNRP as part of the 50th anniversary History Weekend.

Volunteers can report to the Mill at 10:45 to help with visitor information.  For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

LAT/LONG: 35.988080, -93.399640 The parking area is located on Hwy. 43 about 1 mile north of the Hwy. 21/43 intersection. Watch for the program sign at the driveway of a tan-colored stone house.

Volunteer opportunities are back!

The Partners are looking for volunteers to work stations in the Boxley Valley area this Fall!  ​Stations will be set up along the Boxley Valley to assist visitors, Information, visual aids, safety vests, and tents will be provided. This will be an opportunity to help visitors get the most out of their experience and for you to share your own knowledge about Buffalo National River!  Please recruit your friends and share on your social media to help us fill these spots.  We will need ​four to six volunteers at each of the four different stations.  Volunteers will meet at the Lost Valley parking lot at 8:00 am to be assigned to your work location.​ Volunteers should bring snacks, drinks and folding chairs. For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

Thanks for all you do as volunteers!

Station locations:

Hwy 43 pullout across from Lost Valley road entrance

Ponca low water bridge

Lost Valley Trailhead

Boxley Mill

Sign Up Here

Volunteer times are Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm each weekend in October.

Please remember to log your hours afterwards. Log Hours

This fall is sure to be another doozy. It would be tremendous to have two volunteers per duty location (see below) per weekend day in October to best serve park visitors. We suspect that our busiest weekends will be October 15 and 22, so those dates are the top priority volunteer slots to fill.

As a reminder, here are the primary volunteer duties at each location:

• Lost Valley: parking/traffic control, radio communications, providing trail maps and area information, keeping count of visitor contacts (using a clicker)

• Elk Viewing Area: elk education, distributing park information (Junior Ranger books, river maps, Leave No Trace cards, hunting guidebooks), helping visitors with wayfinding and suggesting outdoor activities in the area, keeping count of visitor contacts

• Boxley Mill: welcoming guests, providing information/answering questions about the mill, giving guided tours, distributing park information, keeping count of visitor contacts.

Volunteer opportunities are back!

The Partners are looking for volunteers to work stations in the Boxley Valley area this Fall!  ​Stations will be set up along the Boxley Valley to assist visitors, Information, visual aids, safety vests, and tents will be provided. This will be an opportunity to help visitors get the most out of their experience and for you to share your own knowledge about Buffalo National River!  Please recruit your friends and share on your social media to help us fill these spots.  We will need ​four to six volunteers at each of the four different stations.  Volunteers will meet at the Lost Valley parking lot at 8:00 am to be assigned to your work location.​ Volunteers should bring snacks, drinks and folding chairs. For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

Thanks for all you do as volunteers!

Station locations:

Hwy 43 pullout across from Lost Valley road entrance

Ponca low water bridge

Lost Valley Trailhead

Boxley Mill

Sign Up Here

Volunteer times are Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm each weekend in October.

Please remember to log your hours afterwards. Log Hours

This fall is sure to be another doozy. It would be tremendous to have two volunteers per duty location (see below) per weekend day in October to best serve park visitors. We suspect that our busiest weekends will be October 15 and 22, so those dates are the top priority volunteer slots to fill.

As a reminder, here are the primary volunteer duties at each location:

• Lost Valley: parking/traffic control, radio communications, providing trail maps and area information, keeping count of visitor contacts (using a clicker)

• Elk Viewing Area: elk education, distributing park information (Junior Ranger books, river maps, Leave No Trace cards, hunting guidebooks), helping visitors with wayfinding and suggesting outdoor activities in the area, keeping count of visitor contacts

• Boxley Mill: welcoming guests, providing information/answering questions about the mill, giving guided tours, distributing park information, keeping count of visitor contacts.

Tours start at 11 am, 12 pm and 2 pm.

Travel back in time in Boxley Valley Historic District to tour one of the earliest examples of industry in the Buffalo River Valley! The historic Boxley Grist Mill was constructed in 1869 to serve a growing agricultural community. The mill, which was fully operational until 1951, is preserved through a partnership between the Gorgas Science Foundation and the National Park Service.

This event is sponsored by BNRP as part of the 50th anniversary History Weekend.

Volunteers can report to the Mill at 10:45 to help with visitor information.  For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

LAT/LONG: 35.988080, -93.399640 The parking area is located on Hwy. 43 about 1 mile north of the Hwy. 21/43 intersection. Watch for the program sign at the driveway of a tan-colored stone house.

Volunteer opportunities are back!

The Partners are looking for volunteers to work stations in the Boxley Valley area this Fall!  ​Stations will be set up along the Boxley Valley to assist visitors, Information, visual aids, safety vests, and tents will be provided. This will be an opportunity to help visitors get the most out of their experience and for you to share your own knowledge about Buffalo National River!  Please recruit your friends and share on your social media to help us fill these spots.  We will need ​four to six volunteers at each of the four different stations.  Volunteers will meet at the Lost Valley parking lot at 8:00 am to be assigned to your work location.​ Volunteers should bring snacks, drinks and folding chairs. For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

Thanks for all you do as volunteers!

Station locations:

Hwy 43 pullout across from Lost Valley road entrance

Ponca low water bridge

Lost Valley Trailhead

Boxley Mill

Sign Up Here

Volunteer times are Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm each weekend in October.

Please remember to log your hours afterwards. Log Hours

This fall is sure to be another doozy. It would be tremendous to have two volunteers per duty location (see below) per weekend day in October to best serve park visitors. We suspect that our busiest weekends will be October 15 and 22, so those dates are the top priority volunteer slots to fill.

As a reminder, here are the primary volunteer duties at each location:

• Lost Valley: parking/traffic control, radio communications, providing trail maps and area information, keeping count of visitor contacts (using a clicker)

• Elk Viewing Area: elk education, distributing park information (Junior Ranger books, river maps, Leave No Trace cards, hunting guidebooks), helping visitors with wayfinding and suggesting outdoor activities in the area, keeping count of visitor contacts

• Boxley Mill: welcoming guests, providing information/answering questions about the mill, giving guided tours, distributing park information, keeping count of visitor contacts.

Volunteer opportunities are back!

The Partners are looking for volunteers to work stations in the Boxley Valley area this Fall!  ​Stations will be set up along the Boxley Valley to assist visitors, Information, visual aids, safety vests, and tents will be provided. This will be an opportunity to help visitors get the most out of their experience and for you to share your own knowledge about Buffalo National River!  Please recruit your friends and share on your social media to help us fill these spots.  We will need ​four to six volunteers at each of the four different stations.  Volunteers will meet at the Lost Valley parking lot at 8:00 am to be assigned to your work location.​ Volunteers should bring snacks, drinks and folding chairs. For more information, please contact Aletha at aletha_tetterton@nps.gov 

Thanks for all you do as volunteers!

Station locations:

Hwy 43 pullout across from Lost Valley road entrance

Ponca low water bridge

Lost Valley Trailhead

Boxley Mill

Sign Up Here

Volunteer times are Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm each weekend in October.

Please remember to log your hours afterwards. Log Hours

This fall is sure to be another doozy. It would be tremendous to have two volunteers per duty location (see below) per weekend day in October to best serve park visitors. We suspect that our busiest weekends will be October 15 and 22, so those dates are the top priority volunteer slots to fill.

As a reminder, here are the primary volunteer duties at each location:

• Lost Valley: parking/traffic control, radio communications, providing trail maps and area information, keeping count of visitor contacts (using a clicker)

• Elk Viewing Area: elk education, distributing park information (Junior Ranger books, river maps, Leave No Trace cards, hunting guidebooks), helping visitors with wayfinding and suggesting outdoor activities in the area, keeping count of visitor contacts

• Boxley Mill: welcoming guests, providing information/answering questions about the mill, giving guided tours, distributing park information, keeping count of visitor contacts.