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11/04/09--The center is closed today due to high water over Kelley's Slab.
In general, the office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Holidays are an exception. It is a very good idea to call ahead unless you are planning a self-guided visit of the area. The property is gated and there is no vehicle access when the office is closed. Visitors may access walking trails from the parking lot daily from sunrise to sunset.
Click here to check the real time USGS water gauge at Kelley's Slab.
(Slab elevation: 12.3')
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The Fred Berry Conservation Education Center (FBCEC) on Crooked Creek is one of four Arkansas Game and Fish Education Centers. The 421 Ozark acres that comprise FBCEC lie in a 2.75 mile "crook" of Crooked Creek just above Kelley's access. The property, a former dairy farm, is now the site of a joint conservation education project between the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation (AGFF) and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). A very generous donation by retired Yellville-Summit school-teacher and counselor, Fred Berry, set the project in motion in 1999. Donations from Berry, and others, provided the land, education building, pavilion and other improvements. The center was opened and dedicated on June 17, 2005. Berry grew up just up the road. His love for the area and its people inspire more than a monetary involvement. He regularly volunteers to assist with programming and events.
Facility
The education building, pavilion, trails, creek and acres of varied Ozark habitat provide plenty of indoor and outdoor learning areas. The classroom can facilitate groups of up to approximately 40 students, although larger numbers can be seated. It features a wet lab, exhibits and wildlife native to the area as well as an outdoor Ozark native plant garden. The pavilion, which overlooks Crooked Creek and its floodplain, can seat approximately 100 persons and provides an ideal setting for scouts and 4-H or other groups to camp.
Crooked Creek is a free-flowing stream that provides habitat for a diverse range of aquatic, avian and terrestrial species. It has long been renown for smallmouth bass fishing. In recent years, it has been the focus of considerable controversy due to competing views of various interest groups including gravel miners, anglers, canoeists and conservationists. A key goal for FBCEC is to provide interpretive opportunities to students, teachers, landowners and the general public.
FBCEC is a designated Arkansas Watchable Wildlife site. You can read about it in the AGFC's Arkansas Watchable Wildlife Guide. Ninety species of birds have been recorded as well as practically every common Ozark mammal. Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars and cameras.
Two trails are now available. The Creek Bottom Trail, a 2.5 mile loop on the floodplain provides easy access to the creek for fishing or wildlife watching. The Woodland Edge Trail is the newest addition. It is a 1 mile loop that is wheelchair accessible for 0.6 mile. Other trails are being developed. Call for additional trail information (870)449-3484.
Birding and butterfly checklists are available at the on-site education building or on line by clicking below:
Grounds and Trails