Benton County Convenience Center

November 7th, Benton County will open its first convenience center which will take the place of the countywide annual cleanup days. Residents can dispose of household items normally not picked up by the garbage man. The convenience center will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday except on holiday weekends. The first convenience center is expected to open November 7th behind the Benton County Road Department on Highway 102 in Bentonville. Access to the facility will be on Melissa Drive off Southwest I Street. This center will cost around $10,000 to open, the funds are coming from the county Environmental Department budget. Not having the annual fall cleanup day, which costs $18,000 a year will offset the cost of building the new center. Use of the convenience center will be free to all county residents through the end of 2009. After that time, the county will decide if it will be necessary to charge residents to dispose of household waste. "We really want it to be a service to the community and not any kind of profit making venture," says Chris Glass County Administrator. Residents can dispose of: mattresses, computers and couches. It is still undecided whether it will accept tires or hazardous wastes. Should the initial convenience center prove successful, the county will ope additional locations. (paraphrased from an article in the October 3rd Benton County Daily Record article by Tabatha Hunter.)

Green Day...all month long!

Saturday, October 3rd through October 31st is the Great Arkansas Clean Up! In the spring there were almost 250 people who came together and picked up litter. This fall to try to get more groups to participate, they are encouraging groups participating to clean up areas around their own churchs, neighborhoods and places of employment to make it more group friendly. Some ideas are:

• Remove weeds and brush


• Plant trees and flowers


• Clean gutters


• Pick up trash


• Rake leaves


• Trim trees


• Paint

I would like to put together a team to spend a day working somewhere in our area. If you know of a person or place that A Little Hope can help with some, please let me know! When I have a location and a date I'll let you know so you can join me!!

The 3rd Annual NWA Emergency Preparedness Fair will take place Saturday, September 12th, 2009 from 10 am to 3 pm hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1101 McCollum Dr. in Bentonville. Drop in with your family any time.
FREE lunch will be provided for all attendees
FREE 72-Hour Starter Kits will be given to the first 1,000 families in attendance and there will be drawings for door prizes.
60+ Booths will provide information on Creating 72-hour kits, Electrical Outages and Safety, Document Preservation, Personal and Child Safety, Emotional Support and Help Information, Establishing Economic Stability, Job Search Information, Basic Food and Water Storage, and much more.
Over 100 experts will be present to teach about a range of emergency preparedness topics.
The American Red Cross will host a walk in blood drive during the Fair and on Fri Sept 11th from 2 pm to 7 pm.
Channel 40/29 and KNWA weather teams will talk about preparing for severe weather conditions.
Family activities at the Fair will include the Bentonville Fire Department Smokehouse, a Kids Corner with preparedness- focused activities, bounce houses, a bike and skate ramp show by Mojo, visits from Dora the Explorer and McGruff the Crime Dog, and much more.

More information about the Fair is available at http://www.nwapreparednessfair.com/. Pass this invitation along and invite your friends to come join the fun!

What not to recycle...

Recycling is the way to go unless it is one of the following:

• Aerosol cans: Sure, they're metal. But since spray cans also contain propellants and chemicals, most municipal systems treat them as hazardous material.
• Brightly dyed paper: Strong paper dyes work just like that red sock in your white laundry.
• Ceramics and pottery: This includes things such as coffee mugs. You may be able to use these in the garden.
• Diapers: It is not commercially feasible to reclaim the paper and plastic in disposable diapers.
• Hazardous waste: This includes household chemicals, motor oil, antifreeze, and other liquid coolants. Motor oil is recyclable, but it is usually handled separately from household items. Find out how your community handles hazardous materials before you need those services.
• Household glass: Window panes, mirrors, light bulbs, and tableware are impractical to recycle. Bottles and jars are usually fine. Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) are recyclable, but contain a small amount of mercury and shouldn't be treated as common household bulbs. For ideas on how to handle them, see Five Ways to Dispose of Old CFLs.
• Juice boxes and other coated cardboard drink containers. Some manufacturers have begun producing recyclable containers. These will be specially marked. The rest are not suitable for reprocessing.
• Medical waste: Syringes, tubing, scalpels, and other biohazards should be disposed as such.
• Napkins and paper towels: Discouraged because of what they may have absorbed. Consider composting.
• Plastic bags and plastic wrap: If possible, clean and reuse the bags. Make sure neither gets into the environment.
• Plastic-coated boxes, plastic food boxes, or plastic without recycling marks: Dispose safely.
• Plastic screw-on tops: Dispose separately from recyclable plastic bottles. Remember that smaller caps are a choking hazard.
• Styrofoam: See if your community has a special facility for this.
• Tires: Many states require separate disposal of tires (and collect a fee at the point of sale for that purpose).
• Tyvek shipping envelopes: These are the kind used by the post office and overnight delivery companies.
• Wet paper: In general, recyclers take a pass on paper items which have been exposed to water. The fibers may be damaged, and there are contamination risks.

What not to compost....

Composting is a great thing to do but remember there are some things that should NEVER be put in your compost:

Bread products: This includes cakes, pasta, and most baked goods. Put any of these items in your compost pile, and you've rolled out the welcome mat for unwanted pests.

Cooking oil: Smells like food to animal and insect visitors. It can also upset the compost's moisture balance.

Diseased plants: Trash them, instead. You don't want to transfer fungal or bacterial problems to whatever ends up growing in your finished compost.

Heavily coated or printed paper: This is a long list, including magazines, catalogs, printed cards, and most printed or metallic wrapping paper. Foils don't break down, and you don't need a bunch of exotic printing chemicals in your compost.

Human or animal feces: Too much of a health risk. This includes kitty litter. Waste and bedding from non-carnivorous pets should be fine.

Meat products: This includes bones, blood, fish, and animal fats. Another pest magnet.

Milk products: Refrain from composting milk, cheese, yogurt, and cream. While they'll certainly degrade, they are attractive to pests.

Rice: Cooked rice is unusually fertile breeding ground for the kinds of bacteria you don't want in your pile. Raw rice attracts varmints.

Sawdust: So tempting. But unless you know the wood it came from was untreated, stay away.

Stubborn garden plants: Dandelions, ivy, and kudzu are examples of plants or weeds which will probably regard your compost heap as a great place to grow, rather than decompose.

Used personal products: Tampons, diapers, and items soiled in human blood or fluids are a health risk.

Walnuts: These contain juglone, a natural aromatic compound toxic to some plants.

Japanese Beetles

My family planted two new fruit trees this spring, little did we know but Plum trees are a favorite of the Japanese Beetle! They have almost stripped all the leaves off our new tree. We did some research and found a really cool handbook published by the USDA. I'm going to visit with my Extension Agent, Mark and see about distributing information on using Milky Spores in the fall to kill the Japanese Beetle grubs. These are most effective when used as a community. Take a look at the map in the handbook, it is pretty amazing where the beetles are located and how many millions of dollars they are costing our country! (If the link doesn't work for you, let me know and I can e-mail you the .pdf file.)

Alzheimers's Memory Walk

Hello everyone! Each year, their is a fundraiser walk for Alzheimer's. I have created a group to participate and would love it if you would join me! Our group goal is to reach $500 and every little bit helps! My group is in memory of my Great-Aunt Jo who recently passed away with complications due to Alzheimer's. Here is a link to my team page-you can select join my team or you can make a donation. Every dollar helps!

Cloverbud Day Camp

Hey everyone! Yesterday was our Cloverbud Day camp and it was a lot of fun! The kids learned about composting, they planted flowers, learned how to identify a Redbud, Red Oak, White Oak and Elm, made bottle rockets and made their own recycled capes. It was a lot of fun and it was awesome to see the kids taking an interest in everything we had! I had a lot of fun and the kids seemed to learn a lot!

Fourth of July 'Green' Tips

Just a few tips for enjoying our Independence Day this weekend!

• Instead of adding waste to our landfills and purchasing a bunch of paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils, why not use your own dishes. Instead of paper napkins try using cloth ones since they can be washed and used again and again. It may mean more cleaning up time for you but it will do the environment a big favor. And if you must buy throw away plates and cups make sure they are biodegradable.


• Forget pouring a half a bottle of lighter fluid all over your coals which subsequently gets cooked into the food. Use a chimney starter. They are inexpensive and beats using toxic lighter fluid any day.


• If you plan on having a personal fireworks display, make sure you have a water source near where you plan to launch the fireworks. Ensure that your launch pad is a safe distance from houses & trees; never hold or fire from your hands. Family and friends should stand back at least 10 feet. Most importantly, clean up when you are finished. Account for all fireworks you have set off-you don't want un-popped fireworks winding up in a child's hands and causing an injury.

Thank you!

A big thank you to Amy Wilson and Beaver Water District for donating 40 water bottles to the Benton County 4-H Cloverbud Camp! It is going to be very exciting! Earlier today we got to go to the Beaver Water District to pick up the water bottles and they have a beautiful new building and are devloping lots of neat new things to do to help you learn about how the water gets to your faucet! Click here to go to the Beaver Water District website and look around! Also make sure you take the Water Quiz! =D It was a lot of fun!

Conservation Camp

Hey everyone! I got back from camp after having a lot of fun and learning a lot! I learned how to identify several diffrent kinds of trees that I didn't know before. I learned that there are 7 eco-regions in Arkansas, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River Valley Plains, Boston Mountains, Gulf Costal Plains, Mississippi Delta, Ouachita Mountains and Crawley's Ridge! (Eco-regions are just the 7 different areas of Arkansas.) I have learned the names of 28 of the 75 counties in Arkansas, I also learned about stream bank stablization and edible plants! White oak, papaw, Green Briar, Poke, White Clovers and Day lillies are ALL edible! But asiatic lillies and poison ivy berries can kill you...however, fried day lillies are REALLY good! So are persimmion cinnamon rolls and acorn pancakes!

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about protecting our environment, make sure they apply for Youth Conservation Workshop 2010 next spring! Just contact your county conservation office-if you need help finding where yours is located, let me know! I learned a lot and made some neat new friends! I hope I get to go again next year!

Coming Soon...

I have found some really neat things happening during the rest of June!!


World Peace Garden
The World Peace Garden located in Fayetteville is always welcoming voulenteers to help with the garden! For more information call 479-444-6072 or e-mail Get_Involved@WorldPeaceWetlandPrairie.com


Camp Beaver Lake!
Registration now open! Camp Beaver Lake begins June 29th for children who have completed Kindergarden thru 11th grades.


Third Thursday Garden Walk
Thursday, June 18th at 6:00 pm is the Third Thursday Garden Walk at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. The walk in conversational and leisurly. The topics will vary each month as to what is in bloom. Iced tea and lemonade will be provided. Tickets are $10 for members $15 non-members.


Firefly Festival!
Sunday, June 21. 6:00-11:00 pm. Discover the garden as the evening unfurls. A giant pupper parade, art bicycles, hands on crafting, the blooming of the mystifying Evening Primrose and much more. Food and drinks are avalible and costumes are welcome! Admission is $6 per person or $20 per family.

Clip those coupons!!

Our overseas military families are limited to doing their shopping for groceries and household items at the Commissaries and Post Exchanges on base, where prices are much more expensive than you will find in our stores in the U.S. Both the Commissaries and Post Exchanges allow the use of manufacturer's coupons past their expiration date. In other words, the commissaries has until six months past the expiration date to get the coupon to the manufacturer. So a coupon with the expiration date of January 31st can be used overseas until almost July 31st. Our military families who are stationed overseas do not have easy access to the Sunday newspapers like we do here, so they are very appreciative of any coupons that are sent their way.

Most manufacturer's coupons can be used. There are of course exceptions, such as products that are sold only in certain geographical locations in the U.S. For instance, milk coupons for your local dairy brand are not sold on an overseas base, and so would not be used.

**Coupons for products such as vitamins, joint supplements, hair colorings and cosmetics are not in high demand.

**Coupons for baby products, including diapers, baby wipes, formula, and skincare items are in very high demand.

**Coupons that are to used at a specific store (such as those found in a weekly sales flyer) cannot be used overseas.

Coupons should be cut from the paper, without messing up the expiration date. If you will place your cut coupons in a baggie, it will help keep them from getting ragged in the collection box. Your coupons will be collected and sent to a family stationed overseas who will in turn share the coupons with their friends and at the support centers.

**Please do not bring coupons that have been expired more than two months past their expiration date. I will collect coupons from drop boxes on the first of each month.

I will have a drop box at the Benton County Extension Office or you can make arrangements to get them to me in person. After July 1, scroll to the bottom of my blogspot for dollar amount collected.

This is an on going project-I will be doing collections every month so keep clipping those coupons!

~Anna

Compost Facility

If you are looking for a place to dump extra yard waste look no further! There is a composting facility here in Bentonville! It’s located at 2000 NW A street. All you need is a utility bill and a picture ID to drop of grass clippings and leaves, but limbs and brush ONLY will be accepted from anyone without an ID. And it’s free!

Camp!!

Hey all! I am going to the Youth Conservation Workshop at Camp Ida next week! I leave Sunday and will be back the following Sunday. There is a super busy schedule, and lots of workshops dedicated to nature!! I am really looking forward to this awesome oppurtunity! I love camp! ♥ I look forward to sharing all I learn with you!!

Clean the Streets Days

Every Spring and Fall, the City of Bentonville works in cooperation with Keep Arkansas Beautiful to sponsor a city-wide litter pick up day. These are usually held on a Saturday morning from 8 until noon. This is a great community service project for youth groups, businesses, and neighborhood groups. The next Clean up date is scheduled for Saturday, May 30th.

I am putting together a team to work. If you would like to help, please e-mail so I can let you know where exactly we will be meeting!!

It's raining...TREES!!

Thank you all for subscribing to my e-newsletter! We had a lot of fun passing out trees at the NWA Green Expo on Saturday! On Friday when we went to pick up the trees they gave us 400 extra trees!! We had 1,100! We ended up giving away 500 so we still have 600 trees. I will be at the Farmers Market on Saturday so if you haven’t gotten a tree come and get one! ~~Anna

Today's environmental tip: Make it a full load! Run your dishwasher only when it's full. Don't pre-rinse dishes - tests show pre-rinsing doesn't improve dishwasher cleaning, and you'll save as much as 20 gallons of water per load. When you buy a new dishwasher, look for one that saves water. Water-efficient models use only about only about 4 gallons per wash.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/tips-water.htm

A Little Hope star of the week goes to...
The Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce-the first NWA Green Expo was a huge success! They had the latest eco-friendly living, exhibitors and workshops! The 2009 Expo was a lot of fun and I look forward to next year! Thank you Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce for donating funds and booth space to A Little Hope so we could give away 500 trees!!

For your calendar...

Greening of the Garden @ Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

Thursday, May 14th at 6:00 pm
The 14th Annual Greening of the Garden. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of spring at our signature event. This casual event includes dinner, cash bar, silent & live auction, live music by Mo Brothers and dancing! Tickets $50/$60 day of event Tickets now on sale to members, and general ticket sales begin April 20th.

3rd Annual War Eagle Appreciation Day
Saturday, May 16th at 9:00 am

The 3rd Annual War Eagle Appreciation Day, which will be held Saturday, May 16th, at Withrow Springs State Park, located about five miles north of Huntsville off of Highway 23. Headquarters for War Eagle Appreciation Day is Crossbow Pavilion at the park. Admission is free. Organizers suggest members of the public bring their own lawn chairs. Activities include a family friendly educational float on the War Eagle, with canoes launching from 9 to 11 a.m. Those wishing to participate may bring their own canoes. The 5-mile float will begin at the Hwy. 412 bridge (across from Ma and Pa’s Bent & Dent) and end at Withrow Springs State Park. Shuttle service for canoeists will be available from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The public is invited to join festivities at Crossbow Pavilion, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., where there will be a cookout, sponsored by Arvest Bank of Huntsville, for the first 400 people. In addition, there will be live music and educational exhibits focusing on topics such as water quality, history of the area, environmental issues, agriculture, and safety. For additional information, contact the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce at 479-738-6000 or chamber@madisoncounty.net or Withrow Springs State Park at 479-559-2593.

Bentonville Farmers Market
Saturday, May 16th 7:00-1:00
The Bentonville Farmers Market has been offering fresh, locally grown produce, baked goods and quality handmade crafts for over thirty years. A unique community gathering place, the Market also offers music and theatre performances, cooking and craft demonstrations, and educational programming. The Market is held Saturday from 7:00 am – 1:00 pm on the Downtown Bentonville Square. Think globally and buy fresh locally at the Bentonville Farmer’s Market ***Anna will be giving away trees***

2009 Benton County Spring Clean Up

Saturday, May 16th 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
1206 SW 14th Street http://www.co.benton.ar.us/debris_removal.html

Items accepted: upto 4 rimless tires, household furniture, electronics, appliances, metal and household hazardous waste (paint, automotive fluids, oil, batteries, florescent bulbs, lawn and garden chemicals, cleaning products, pool chemicals, sharps, animal medications, thermometers, etc.)

Fayetteville Bulky Waste Pick Up April 18, 2009
The Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling Division would like to announce that in honor of Earth Day there will be a Spring Bulky Waste Clean up on Saturday, April 18th, 2009 from 7:00 am until 2:00 pm at the following location: Solid Waste and Recycling Facility (1560 S. Happy Hollow Road)



Bentonville City Expo April 21, 2009 5:30-8:00 @ Bentonville Library
Curious about what is happening in Bentonville? Come join us for the City Expo! Mayor Bob McCaslin and City of Bentonville staff will be on hand to detail the City’s newest projects. Additionally, staff members from the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, Bentonville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Downtown Bentonville, Inc. and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be in attendance. City Council members, the City Clerk and various committee and board members will also attend.



Bentonville Earth Day on the Square Wednesday, April 22nd


A program will be presented from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. followed by Community Environmental Booths for Students from 12:15 p.m. until 1:30 p.m.
R. E. Baker Elementary students are presenting their fourth Earth Day on the Square in Downtown Bentonville. The entire student body ranging from kindergarten through 4th grade will enter the Square led by a band. The students will gather to hear from our community leaders who will speak about the importance of Earth Day and will recognize the programs the students have implemented throughout the year. R. E. Baker students have earned state recognition as well as a Governor's Proclamation for their sustainability programs.
Anna will be on hand giving away 500 Northern Red Oak Seedlings!!



Northwest Arkansas Earth Day @ Botanical Garden of the Ozarks
Saturday, April 25th at 10:00am to 2:00pm
FREE admission • Plant Sale featuring native plants, herbs, vegetables + favorites from BGO gardens • Learn from ‘green’ businesses and organizations displays and activities • Music by Shannon Wurst & Bayard Blain of 3 Penny Acre • Natural food vendors • Mayors’ presentations of Green Achiever School Awards

Northwest Arkansas Green Expo May 8-9 at the Benton County Fairgrounds

The Northwest Arkansas Green Expo is a two-day event that focuses on educating, informing and inspiring consumers about ways to make our environment, homes and lives safer, healthier, happier places to live. Learn to be more independent, save energy and save money! Featured vendors and seminars will range from a variety of topics including food & beverage, health & wellness, transportation, energy, green building, environmental education, recycling & conservation, lawn & garden, eco-friendly businesses, plus so much more! NYK Logistics will be providing FREE electronic recycling (limit of 5 pieces per household-see Green Expo website for accepted items). 1,000 visitors will receive a FREE reusable bag.
500 visitors will receive a FREE Northern Red Oak from Anna!!

Hello NWA!

Hello! My name is Anna Hope, I’m 14 and a homeschool student. I got my idea for A Little Hope after the ice storm this spring, I saw hundreds of broken trees, I, too, had lost a Redbud tree last fall due to weather and I was devastated. Seeing all the broken trees inspired me to save up money to buy 1,000 seedlings to give away. I contacted Daniel Hintz with Downtown Bentonville Inc. and Nancy Desler with the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce telling them about my project. Their businesses have generously donated the funds to purchase my trees! So, I have 1,000 trees that I will be passing out April 22nd at the Bentonville Square and May 9th at the NWA Green Expo! They will both be fun events! (See post on upcoming April events for more information)

I will use A Little Hope blog to keep you informed of the environmental events taking place in Northwest Arkansas! I will also have tips and ideas for creating a better "green" lifestyle! If you have an event you would like to see posted, a tip or idea please drop me an e-mail at alittlehope@cox.net. I will be making updates to my blog at least twice a month.