A couple of members of the coalition and city staff went out on the Arkansas River this morning and saw many geese around the islands between Burns Parks and Riverview Park.  Found one goose on a nest with 4-5 goslings and and egg or two ready to hatch, but did not find any other nests in the area.

Photos from today's adventure have been added to the photo album.

The North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing starting at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, May 21, 2012, at the North Little Rock Community Center, 2700 Willow Street, North Little Rock, AR 72114.

The purpose of the public hearing will be to get public input concerning Parks and Recreation needs for the City of North Little Rock. If you have recreational or park needs, or requests you want to address, please call the Parks and Recreation Administration Office at 501-791-8538 by Thursday, May 17, 2012 to be placed on the agenda to speak.

Ideally, each person or organization should bring a written summary that lists requests in priority order with cost estimates.

Ethnic minorities, elderly and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend.

Parks and Recreartion staff found about 20 nests on a few of the island near Cooks Landing. About 14 nests had eggs and the rest of the nests were either old or the eggs had already hatched.  Staff addled 65 eggs as part of the city's goose management program.  There are still a few places along the river that may contain nesting locations that still need to be searched.  Thank you to the NLR Fire Department for providing a boat to gain access the islands.

More photos...

A ribbon cutting will be held in Burns Park at the Dog Park for a new Little Free Library on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

Persons can visit the library, take a book, and replace it with another - all free of charge and without being a library patron. All books used in the library are donated and recycled to the public.

Work has begun on a project to improve and beautify two areas in front of North Heights Recreation Center (4801 Allen Street). Funds for the project were acquired through a "Greening of Arkansas" grant from the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show.

Hershey's Track & Field Program was created over 30 years ago to promote youth Physical fitness and provivde fun learning experiences for children 9 to 14 years old. Youth track & field is a great way to get kids started in a physical fitness program.

9 to 14 year old boys and girls are invited to compete in the running of the 2012 Hershey's Track & Field Games local meets. The local meets will be held at the following North Little Rock Recreation Centers at 3:30 p.m. North Heights on May 2nd, Sherman Park on May 9th and Glenview on May,16th. Winners in the NLRPR local meets will advance to the state meet on Saturday, June 16th at the Jacksonville Football/ Track Field. State meet winners do not automatically advance to the North American Final. They are entered into a regional pool and become eligible for selection to a Regional Team which will travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania to compete in the North American Final, held on Saturday, August 4, 2012.

There will not be an April 2012 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting

On Saturday, April 7, 2012 Burns Park will host it's Annual Easter Egg Hunt.The Egg Hunt will be held at Pavilion # 10 in Burns Park. The Hunt will start at 9:30 am and end at 11:30 am. Registration starts at 9:00 am. The Egg Hunt is for children ages 1-9. The hunt is divided into 3 age groups 1-3,4-6,7-9 and a hunt for special needs children. There will be various games, activities, prize drawings for registered participants and photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny. For more infromation call (501) 753-7307

Come and Explore the North Trails.

Whether you choose to Walk, Run, Bike, Skate, Horseback Ride, or just Stroll through the numerous trails in North Little Rock, you will be able to check out various wildlife, plants and scenic views along the way.  These trails offer many opportunities to view wildlife such as birds, deer,  squirrels, rabbits, butterflies, fish, and even snakes.  A wide variety of native plants and wildflowers are also abundant along the trails.  Scenic views can be observed from Emerald Park atop the river bluffs, the Big Dam Bridge, and almost anywhere along the trails.

Pick up a map today at any one of our community centers, city hall, or visitor center.  You can even download a copy or view an online map here.

The proposed Parks and Recreation Ordinances were before the NLR City Council last night.  There were two amendments to the ordinances.  The City Council approved the amendments and went on to approve the overall Parks and Recreation Ordinance.

A copy of the new ordinance may be donwloaded from the City Clerk's Web Page. (link opens in new window or tab).

Compete against your peers with your baseball skills (pitching, hitting and running).

This competition is free and open to youth ages 7-14. Boys and girls will compete together in four age groups (8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14).

Glenview Recreation Center; March 29, 2012

North Heights Recreation Center; April 5, 2012

Sherman Park Recreation Center; April 11, 2012

Starting Times are 3:30 pm at each Recreation Center

The North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing starting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at the North Little Rock Community Center, 2700 Willow Street, North Little Rock AR 72114.

The purpose of the public hearing will be to receive comments regarding adoption of revised City Municipal Codes concerning the North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department.

Ethnic minorities, elderly and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend.

View the two parts (PDF format): Wording and Maps

May 2012 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Agenda

9 to 14 year old boys and girls from are invited to compete on May 2nd at North Heights Recreation, May 9th at Sherman Park Recreation Center and May 16th at Glenview Recreation Center for the running of the Hershey’s Track & Field Games. The Games begin at 3:30 p.m. at each of the Recreation Centers.

Winners in the NLRPR meets will advance to the state meet on Saturday, June 16th in Jacksonville, Ar. State meet winners do not automatically advance to the North American Final. They are entered into a regional pool and become eligible for selection to a Regional Team which will travel to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to compete in the North American Final, held Saturday, August 4, 2012. All regional winners will qualify for the North American Final Meet.

Events will include the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, 1600 meter run, 4 x 100 meter relay, standing long jump, and softball throw.

The Hershey's Track & Field Games has involved millions of youngsters from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada. It is sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association, USA Track & Field, Athletics Canada and by The Hershey Company.

The state sponsor of this program is Arkansas Recreation and Park Association and North Little Rock Parks and Recreation. The local sponsor of this program is North Little Rock Parks and Recreation.

Hershey’s Track & Field Games is designed to encourage physical fitness among youth and emphasize participation and sportsmanship.

If your 9-14 year old is interested in competing, please visit our HTF page for more details and to download a registration form.