Native Plant Collaborative Series – History of the Steven Foster Glade at Lake Leatherwood

Please join Steve Dickey, Parks and Recreation Volunteer Project Manager, to learn about the History of the Steven Foster Glade at Lake Leatherwood in this event free and open to the public.

The Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission has embarked on a project to restore the dolomite glades at Lake Leatherwood City Park with the first glade to be restored is the Steven Foster Educational Glade located along the Foster Trail.

A dolomite glade is an open area with a shallow layer of soil covering dolomite limestone bedrock. Often the bedrock is exposed and visible at the surface. Glades are typically hotter and drier environments than the surrounding forest due to their exposure to the sun caused by a relative lack of trees. They are often found on the western and southwestern slopes of the Ozark Mountain and hills and were kept open by periodic fires believed to be caused by natural weather events, Native Americans and early settlers. The semi-arid open areas gave rise to unique animal and plant species, some of which are now found within the glade habitat. The team at Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation is committed to glade restoration from invasive species threatening to take over these areas. Find out what work has been done and what’s in store in the future.

This program continues the series of free educational programs and workshops offered at the Eureka Springs Community Center and produced by the Eureka Springs Parks & Recreation, the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists, the Carroll County Master Gardeners, Eureka Springs Native Plant Collaborative and Wild Ones – Ozark Chapter. These great groups have formed a collaborative to propagate native plants for use in Eureka Springs parks and to share their knowledge with the rest of us.