Arkansas Post

By: Kristina Beckham

Headed back into Arkansas one last time for the year we make our way into Arkansas Post, five and a half hours into the southeast corner of the state. While visiting the park in Gillett, Arkansas, we were on the constant hunt for Alligators while driving into and walking around the park. 

Our trip to Post consisted of backpack spraying two hundred and twenty acres while searching for privet and hardy orange. An interesting thing that we literally ran into were the amount of ticks in this park. While walking through just one pass we would collect about one hundred sea ticks crawling over our boots and making their way up our pants. All six of us have never seen so many sea ticks in one place until we went to this park. The tick problem was so bad that even the local deer have a problem fighting them off. Kirby McCallie, the park’s national resource manager, told us all a lovely story of how there have been multiple does that have died from the amount of ticks that they have had attached to them. 

On top of their growing tick problem they also have a problem with their raccoons, they have such a low amount of food to scavenge for that they will kill the turtles. So when the turtles come onto land to lay their eggs the raccoons would get them on their backs and devourer them (as seen in the photo below).

Below feel free to learn about one of my other crewmates Gabe Hernandez and his experience thus far at this park and working for the National Park Service.

Again here is a complete listing of what is going on at Arkansas Post National Memorial feel free to follow the link below: https://www.nps.gov/arpo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

Also here are free entry days into the National Parks as shown in the link below, make sure to take advantage of these days before it’s too late: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

GABE HERNANDEZ:

• What is your favorite part about working at Arkansas Post?
  • Post was exciting because every morning we would pass large pools of swampy waters searching for alligators.
• Why did you join the Conservation Corp?
  • I joined to get some field experience under my belt and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
• What is your favorite park that you have worked at thus far? And why?
  • Thus far Buffalo National River has been my favorite park to travel to. If you want to experience the Ozark’s beauty, this is the place to be.

Till next time,

    -KB