Butterfly Garden Gets a Decorative Wall
Soon Diana and Monarch butterflies will lay their eggs on milkweed and violet plants thanks to a collaboration between The Calico Rock Community Foundation, Calico Rock Mayor Greg Hamby, and the North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists (NCAMN). These organizations came together to build a beautiful retaining wall around the newly planted pollinator garden at the green Rodman Street Parking Lot in Calico Rock.
“What could be better to help wild butterflies thrive than planting a pollinator garden at a parking lot that was built to work with nature?” said Steven Mitchell, Chairman of the Foundation Board. “Our group is looking for anything that will improve life in our town. In years to come we picture butterflies in all stages of life using this garden to grow and thrive.”
It’s a win-win situation. Tourists can sit on the beautiful wall, watch pollinator species at work and take a nature break before returning to their busy lives or reliving history on Main Street.
The idea started months ago when the Rodman Street Parking Lot was given to the foundation by Linda Boulton and Mark Tew. While they recognized the need for parking for the growing community, they also wanted to preserve the natural landscape of the community. There was a patch of dirt that didn’t have a use along Rodman Avenue. A Calico Rock Master Naturalist driving by had a bright idea: why not put a pollinator garden in the empty space.
After several conversations with the foundation, it was agreed that NCAMN would manage the planting and care of the garden which were expanded to the area below the parking lot . Several months into the weed killing and planting process it became obvious that the pollinator garden plot was washing downhill. Mayor Hamby was contacted and agreed to supply help in the form of prisoners trained in bricklaying. The foundation paid for the wall and the Master Naturalists stopped losing expensive seed and dirt down the hillside.
Without all three groups working together, the garden wall, which will benefit tourism, prevent erosion, and lessen the need to mow and trim a piece of land that is hard to maintain, would never have come about. Hart’s Cottage Florals and Bistro have allowed the naturalists to use their water until the wild bergamot, milkweeds, spiderworts, violets and other native plants get rooted.
In a few years, the plot, along with others yet to be planted in the Main Street area, will become a nesting place where the endangered Arkansas State Butterflies, the Diana fritillaries, Monarchs, and other butterflies can lay eggs. This not only benefits wildlife and pollination of other plants, but local children can watch the miracle of beautiful bronze and black butterflies unfolding their wings from tiny chrysalises and continue their life cycles.
Good things happened because members of our town wanted to make things better and saw an opportunity.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.