Center blazes trail with its solar array
The Little Rock Audubon Center is to soon become the first 100% renewable-energy-powered nonprofit in the state, according to a Thursday news release.
The National Audubon Society, a nonprofit conservation organization, is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new 35-kilowatt solar array at 11 p.m. Tuesday at the center on Springer Boulevard.
The center has also partnered with Scenic Hill Solar to open a Solar Learning Lab, which will be geared toward K-12 students and nonprofit leaders.
Grant to help save pollinating insects
The Nature Conservancy received a nearly $100,000 grant Monday to conserve monarch butterflies and other insect pollinators in the Natural State.
This was one of $1.7 million in grants that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation gave to conserve insect pollinators in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to a foundation news release. The grants will generate $3.3 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $5 million.
The grant is focused on enhancing monarch butterfly habitats on rights of way and public lands. The nonprofit plans to use the money to restore habitat to attract pollinators through prescribed fires, removing invasive species, and establishing native species in partnership with Arkansas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, communications manager Kim Baker said.
"Improving habitat at our public and private lands in Northwest Arkansas and Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge will help pollinators, like monarchs, have additional places to stop as they migrate each year," Baker said.
In addition to the $99,999 grant, this project has matching funds of $143,500 for a total project amount of $243,499.
Energy efficiency free event's focus
The Central Arkansas Library System is hosting a virtual event about energy efficiency at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
The free event will address "some commonly overlooked facts about energy efficiency in the home," according to the library website.
Host John Fetherston is the Energy Efficiency Arkansas facilitator at the Division of Environmental Quality. Energy Efficiency Arkansas is a state energy office program in partnership with state public investor-owned gas and electric utilities.
More information and registration can be found online at: cals.org/event.