There is no physical container to find at this location. In order to log this EarthCache, you must answer the questions listed at the end of the cache description from your observations and message or email them to the cache owner. Please do not post answers in your online log.
The grounds of the library have been designed to represent the natural divisions of Arkansas. As you visit the different waypoints, notice the changes in the topography and the different types of plant life.
From the listed coordinates for the cache, take the path to your left, close to the building, and head towards waypoint 1.
Ouachita Mountains
While walking to waypoint 1, explore the representation of the Ouachita Mountains. You have permission to leave the pavement to explore the area.
The Ouachitas are an unusual mountain region in the United States because they run east and west, while most mountain ranges run north and south. One of the things the Ouachitas are noted for is their quartz crystal deposits, which were formed during the Ouachita orogeny. An orogeny is a process in which a section of the earth crust is folded and deformed by side compression to form a mountain range. During this time, folded rock cracked, which allowed fluids from inside the Earth to fill the cracks and form quartz veins. Notice the white quartz crystal on the ground in this area close to waypoint 1. There also is a rock that is very different in size and color from crystal quartz. You will need to describe this rock for the answer to question 1.
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Walk to waypoint 2 and view the representation of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, also known as the Delta. This is a distinctive natural region because of its flat surface, which is very different from the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. The physical features of the alluvial plain are created by the flow of large streams and rivers, like the Mississippi, Arkansas and White rivers. In Arkansas, the area is about 250 miles in length from north to south and runs along the eastern side of the state. From the bridge, notice the flow of water into the alluvial plain to gather information for question 2.
Walk to waypoint 3 to see a wetland. Alluvial means stream deposited and alluvial material covers almost the entire Delta region. Sometimes the soil in an alluvial plain is extremely dense and poorly drained and becomes a wetland. A wetland is an area where the presence of water controls the environment of the area, as well as the plants and animals. Many wetlands have been drained over the years so that the land could be used for agriculture. The importance of these wetlands is now better understood and their preservation and restoration are encouraged.
Rain Garden
Walk to waypoint 4 to view a rain garden. A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses. It is located in a landscape to receive runoff from hard surfaces such as a roof, a sidewalk, a driveway, or in the case of the CLLC, a parking lot. Rain gardens slow down the rush of water from these hard surfaces, hold the water for a short period of time and allow it to naturally infiltrate into the ground.
A rain garden can be thought of as a water quality system because it filters the runoff and recharges the groundwater. Instead of water from the parking lot flowing into storm drains and eventually ending up in our freshwater supply, plants, mulch and soil in the rain garden break up the pollutants and make them inert. Part of the parking lot directly behind you is actually a permeable surface that carries the water via a pipe underground to the rain garden. There is an additional permeable surface in the parking lot to the northeast. A rain garden also conserves municipal water resources by reducing the need for irrigation.
Erosion is a type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind. A rain garden helps prevent erosion of rock and soil in a few different ways. The depression in the garden holds water in place, instead of letting the water wash away the soil and rock. The root balls of the trees and plants help keep the soil in place and the trees and plants also help prevent the wind from blowing soil away.
In order to log this EarthCache, you must email or message the cache owner with answers to the following questions within 1 week of entering your online log.
1. At waypoint 1, describe the rock you see that looks very different from the white quartz crystal in the area. You can estimate its size, or compare it to the size of something like a baseball, doghouse, car, etc. Also describe the colors you see in the rock.
2. At waypoint 2, describe the flow of water, if any, into the wetland during your visit. Was it a trickle, a steady flow, a small creek or gushing water? What direction is the water flowing, i.e, north-south, east-west?
3. At waypoint 4, do you see any signs of erosion in and around the rain garden? If so, describe the erosion you see in your own words.
This EarthCache is placed with permission and assistance from Angela, an environmental educator with the library. We hope you enjoyed your time at the CLLC and thank you for visiting our EarthCache.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouachita_Mountains
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=444
http://www.raingardennetwork.com/raingardenis.htm