A group of Texarkana, Ark., children got some up-close education about nature and the outdoors Thursday.
Sponsored by Miller County Conservation District, Back to Nature day brought a school bus full of Arkansas-side children to Camp Preston Hunt, a local Boy Scouts camp, for a morning outside, a variety of presentations, souvenir T-shirts and a barbecue lunch.
An Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokesman used a portable, see-through tank full of fish-including a rare albino catfish-to teach about the state's common native species.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Red Dirt Master Gardeners demonstrated the life cycle of plants from seed to harvest, and the Arkansas Forestry Service explained fire prevention and firefighting techniques. The children also got a lesson in ATV safety.
It was the 22nd annual Back to Nature event. Hundreds of children have participated over the years in various locations, organizer Nedra Turney said.