ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE EXPEDITION!

I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual statewide gathering,  of the Arkansas Master Naturalists (www.arkansasmasternaturalists.org).  It was held at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, atop Petit Jean Mountain, near Morrilton, Arkansas.  Since the word "rock", is a part of this famous family name, it seems appropriate that many of the directional signs of the property, are carved on massive rock slabs.  Sometimes one hears a phrase that portrays the concept that a plan has not been finalized ---the phrase is, "nothing is carved in stone yet", but that IS NOT the situation at the Rockefeller Institute! These words are definitely CARVED IN STONE!

This lovely terraced water feature at the entrance to the lobby of the facility, provides the soothing sound of running water as you walk by it in the daytime.  And on the warm nights when our group was outside, there was a very loud symphony of frog "voices", proclaiming "the call of the wild"!

 After I checked in, I took the time to drive around the property, to acquaint myself with all the institute had to offer.  This covered bridge is a throwback to "horse and buggy days", when bridges had to be covered, because the sight of rushing water, or the height of the bridge, would startle the horse/mule/farm animal, preventing it from traveling over the bridge.

As I exited the covered bridge, I could not resist using it as a "photo frame", for the wooden barn that was located on an old farm site.  I was especially intrigued by the use of lumber cut on the diagonal, to make the barn doors.  It had to be a talented carpenter, that could craft such large doors so precisely, that they form a chevron, when the doors are closed!   My father used that same technique, in making garage doors for a house he built in Arkansas, in the 1940's. 

Adjacent to the barn, is a heritage garden, that seemed to be thriving, and perhaps can be used by the talented chefs in the facilities' food service departments.  This Heritage Farm Area pays tribute to the Westphal family that was here from around 1900 to 1953, (when Winthrop Rockefeller arrived and the development of Winrock Farms began.)  The Westphal family was part of a Lutheran community of German descent on the mountain who developed productive, diversified farmsteads, providing the produce, milk, and meat they needed from their gardens and livestock.  

Just as the produce grown here can be used to feed guests at the institute, so these magnificent magnolia blooms, found throughout the property, were used as centerpieces of each of the tables in the dining room. 

The former residences of the Rockefellers are not accessible to regular guests at the institute, and as you would expect, the location for the residences had the best views of the Arkansas River Valley, hundreds of feet below the mountain.  However, there is one location that does have a view of the valley, and it is located behind the lodging facility called "The Studio". 

I am no structural engineer, but I was surprised that these concrete steps at the studio, had no visible support for the landing in the middle!

            In Arkansas, pine trees are sometimes grown as a cash crop, the way some states grow fields of corn.  However, I speculate that this carefully laid out pine arboretum, is purely for decorative purposes!

The Institute has several small lakes, and one of them is open to the public, with a lovely shaded patio beside it.

The guests are also welcome to use the complementary canoes, kayaks, and paddles adjacent to the lake.

I could not resist the urge to pull a kayak down to the water, and hop inside, to get a photo for the Facebook page, called "Look At The Front of My Kayak".   How else am I going to remember the date and location of this occasion??

The Institute also provides complementary bicycles to guests, and my Master Naturalist friend, Diane, took one out for a spin!

The Institute also has a Fitness Center, that is not only open to their guests, but also to residents of Petit Jean Mountain.  I was especially pleased to see the glass wall beside the stairs.  If someone is wanting to improve their fitness, stair climbing is a good place to start!  (And buildings designed with fitness in mind, benefit from stairwells with glass walls or big windows!) When I first started working at hospitals, back in the 1970's, I made a vow that as long as I could walk, I would always take the stairs, instead of the elevator.  Then later, when I retired,  I made the decision that anytime I needed to use the toilet, I would make myself walk up my stairs, to the toilet on the second floor, instead of lazily plopping down on the first floor toilet.  This is one of my many "quirks", that has been physically beneficial to me! 

The fitness center also has a weight lifting room, and another large room with treadmills.

When I saw the sign that said "Squash" that was positioned above a tiny little door, my first thought, was of the vegetable.  But then I remembered scenes on television of people playing a game unfamiliar to me, also called squash, so I crawled through the little door.  Voila!  My first time to be on a squash court!  In the future, I may be seeing more squash games on television, because it is scheduled to be in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles!

After finishing my tour around the property, I located the housing unit I was assigned to, which was called "The Orchard".  Not surprisingly, it was adjacent to a small orchard of fruit trees.  Besides the guest rooms, it had a common area, complete with with television, blankets, and table games.  There was also a full kitchen, laundry room, dining room, enclosed patio, and covered parking for the guests!

My room was very comfortable, and thankfully it included a coffee pot, refrigerator, television, and phone.  I was especially thankful it included a Gideon Bible!  Years ago, when the Institute first became a part of the University of Arkansas system, I went to tour it as a possible location for culinary classes.  At the time, my friend, David G. Davies, was the director of this new addition to U of A.  I mentioned to him that I hoped the lodging rooms would have Gideon Bibles in them, especially since they are provided free of charge to lodging facilities (www.gideons.org).  And a decade later, I find they are indeed, available!

Each participant at the Master Naturalist event received a reusable cloth bag, with the BioBlast logo on it.  I like the way a white space in the shape of Arkansas helps define the letter "B", and that other natural features, such as the letter "S", which is made with a snake!  Kudos to whomever designed it!

Below is a photo of me and several North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists who attended:

Friday evening, there was a social gathering in the main building, complete with delicious hors d'oeuvres.   Since that French word literally means "outside of work", it is an appropriate for a gathering where there was no work to perform, just socializing with our fellow Master Naturalists!

The classroom where I spent Saturday morning was very comfortable and spacious.  Our topic was "Dragonflies and Damselflies", and the presenter brought many preserved specimens for us to examine closely.  Also, kudos to the audio/visual department at the Rockefeller Institute because this is one of the very few conferences I have attended, where there were no "glitches" the speaker had to overcome with the technology involved!

Our lunch was also in the main building, and the round tables facilitated getting acquainted as we unpacked the contents of our box lunches.  It was while we were in the lunch room, that we had our business meeting, with each chapter president giving a report of the activities of their location.

 

There was a giant screen in one end of the room, which periodically displayed images of either the speaker, or the room at large.  The photo below is one I took of the big screen, so our North Central Arkansas Master Naturalist president, Paula C., could see what she looked like, as she was addressing the group. 

I realized I did not want to do any inappropriate gestures (like picking my nose!), as the camera might put it on the big screen!

For the Saturday afternoon classes, I switched to a different class room (that was equally well equipped), and learned about fireflies, lightning bugs, and glow worms.  It was a fascinating presentation, and the presenter encouraged us to record our lightning bug sightings at www.fireflyatlas.org

 

 

After dinner Saturday night, those who wanted to, could go to a "Star Party" on the front lawn.  To help prepare for this event, Sue H. of the North Central Chapter had a table set up, with a table game we could play, to help us learn the names and locations of common constellations.  

I knew the flash on a camera or phone would not be a welcome sight at the star watching party, so I snapped a couple of photos before dark, of presenter Jeff H., as he was getting the telescope set up. Jeff has led multiple night sky programs, and always reminds participants to use red light sources, to keep ones eyes adjusted to the night sky. 

One of the Saturday afternoon programs I attended, was about geology of Arkansas, and we discussed unusual formations in the state.  The next day, those who wanted to, could take a "geology hike" at the adjacent Petit Jean State Park, and observe the very unique "turtle rock" formations near one of the trailheads. ( I took this photo before there was a big group of people scrambling around.)  These are not fossils, rather they are basically concretions--that is, sedimentary mud deposits, that have hardened into rock.  The "turtle shell" pattern of unusual-looking oval shapes, separated by angular cracks of crystallized minerals, was created by the seepage of water over time. 

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, visitors could visit the Legacy Theater, and learn some of the history of the Rockefeller presence in Arkansas.  There are a variety of short videos available on different topics, that one can view at any time of the day or night. 

Near the lobby front desk, is the 3,000 square-foot Legacy Gallery.  It houses a permanent exhibit, titled "Winthrop Rockefeller: a Sphere of Power and Influence Dropped into a River of Need."  The exhibit contains more than 300 restored and enlarged images, making up 180 murals and interpretive panels that tell the story.  I kept looking at the photographs to see if I could see one from when he visited the Boone County Courthouse lawn, because I was present at that event.  I remember it, because a friend of mine, Sara Jo Fendley, was traveling with the campaign to play her banjo at the rallies.  She said what concerned her at present, was not how many people showed up for the rally, rather her stated concern was that she needed to refresh her makeup, as they had been traveling for hours!

The photo on the right was in the Legacy Gallery, and the one on the left can be found on the Internet.  I like it because it shows a Bible verse from Micah 6:8 that is very simple, but incredibly profound.  I first encountered the poignant words as a participant in a healthy living program, called First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com).   It says, "And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."   This same verse was also quoted in the presidential inauguration speech of Jimmy Carter.  This means it is "bipartisan", as it was quoted by both a Republican and a Democrat!

To find out more about this incredible location, visit www.rockefellerinstitute.org .  My expedition to this location gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!! Tricia