Sanctuary Farm & Rest House

04/09/2026

All 75 Arkansas counties are now under high wildfire risk, and more than 65 counties have active burn bans. Persistent drought and extremely dry vegetation mean fires can start easily, spread rapidly, and become difficult to control. As we head into the holiday weekend, we’re asking all Arkansans to stay alert and take steps to reduce wildfire ignition.

Please take these precautions:

- Avoid all outdoor burning. This includes campfires, trash burning, grilling with open flames, and any prescribed or controlled burns.
- Never leave any outdoor flame unattended.
- Use caution when driving or operating equipment near dry vegetation. Avoid driving over tall or dry grass, ensure trailer chains aren’t dragging, and do not drive on flat tires.
- Properly extinguish and dispose of cigarettes—never discard them outdoors.
- Report smoke or fire immediately by calling 1‑800‑468‑8834.

Stay informed by monitoring the Department’s county‑by‑county fire map, reviewing active incidents on the wildfire dashboard, and following our updates on social media.

24/08/2026

Happy to keep the little warriors well-supplied! They went through A LOT of sugar water during the heat wave. Remember to wash feeders frequently to avoid growing mold, too. :)

Hummingbirds.

21/08/2026

Love seeing this flower in the open-canopy woods in the spring.

Happy Friday! Today’s flower Rose Vervain (Glandularia canadensis), also called Rose Verbena, is a fragrant, trailing native wildflower that brightens sunny spaces with clusters of rosy purple blooms.

Found nearly statewide, it thrives in sandy or rocky habitats, like the restored glades of Devil’s Eyebrow Natural Area. Rose Vervain can bloom for several months throughout Arkansas prairies, forest openings or bluffs. The plant’s long bloom period, paired with its vibrant colors, makes it a reliable pollinator favorite, especially for butterflies. Look for its distinct five-petaled clusters of pink to purple flowers from late spring (usually March through June), with the occasional late bloom come late summer to early fall.

📸 All photos by ANHC Staff.

10/08/2026

Lots of fireflies here on the farm! Good info if you want too want to see fireflies: https://www.facebook.com/share/19EkCJ1rUz/

Fireflies or Lightning Bugs, what do YOU call them?

ADULTS
- Only live 2-4 weeks (to reproduce)
- Males & females signal with different light patterns
- 20+ species in Oklahoma
- Species identified by light patterns
Big Dipper (photinus pyralis) common in Oklahoma

LARVAE
- 1-2 years in larval stage (90% of life)
- Habitat: soil, mud, leaf litter
- Diet: snails, slugs, insects & worms

Populations are declining worldwide

What can you do?
- Leave native plants in wet areas
- Don't shred/mow near streams
- Let logs & leaves remain
- Avoid widespread pesticide use
- Limit heavy mulch in garden beds
- Turn off outdoor lights

Help with citizen science projects!
Learn more from xerces.org & firefly.org

Larvae photo: Aaron Goodwin, used and edited under CC BY-NC 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

10/08/2026

One of the nice things about being in the middle of nowhere is dark night skies. This week we should have an excellent view of the Perseid meteor shower! :) You could come stay at our guesthouse next year and enjoy them too, if the weather cooperates.

Astronomers say viewing conditions promising for this year’s shower, and 50 to 100 meteors an hour may be visible

23/07/2026

Another National Moth Week is upon us, and this year we are celebrating one of Arkansas’ most charming native moths, the Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda)! While it is often regarded as one of the cutest moths in North America thanks to their fuzzy appearance and compact size, there is more to this moth than its good looks! Its candy pink and bright yellow colors are eye‑catching, but those colors in nature actually provide surprisingly effective camouflage.

Rosy Maple Moths share a unique, specialized relationship with maple trees. Their coloration blends perfectly with the pink and yellow hues of newly emerging maple leaves, especially the maple seed pods known as samaras. When adult moths rest on branches near clusters of samaras, their color pattern mimics the pods’ shape and tones, helping them stay hidden from predators.

This moth’s caterpillars, known as greenstriped mapleworms, also feed almost exclusively on the leaves of maples, especially red and sugar maple species. Adult Rosy Maple Moths will time their emergence with the growth of maple leaves, ensuring that their caterpillars have exactly what they need to thrive. This close connection makes the Rosy Maple Moth a wonderful example of how native insects and native trees evolve together.

Like many moths, Rosy Maple Moths play an important role in local ecosystems by serving as food for birds and other wildlife. Their presence also helps scientists better understand forest health. When moth diversity is high, it often signals a rich and resilient habitat.

National Moth Week (July 18-26) is the perfect time to slow down and appreciate the moths that flutter through Arkansas on summer nights. Look for Rosy Maple Moths near maple trees in your neighborhood, parks or backyard. You might just spot one! Happy !

📸 Photo courtesy of Jim McCormac in West Virginia, original found at https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/detail/rosy-maple-moth-on-red-maple-fruit/.

20/07/2026

It’s been hot, hot, hot! The alpacas like being hosed off in weather like this. Spook was very unsure when we first got him but now he even drinks out of the formerly terrifying hose. Prince always prances around like a big goofball and flings his tail around. Eclipse (not pictured) who is generally not a fan of humans, even walked up and nibbled my hat to ask for his hose-down today. 🥺💚

We hose off their legs and bellies only, not their backs. Imagine wearing a wet wool sweater in this heat and you’ll understand why. We also have huge fans running right now so most of them plopped in front of the fan after this.

Image: A fluffy fawn-colored alpaca stands in tall vegetation with his back to the camera. A dark grey one with white on his face leans toward the camera and drinks out of a garden hose.

13/07/2026

It’s hot outside! Perfect weather for spinning alpaca fleece *inside*. This is from Eclipse’s yearling fleece this year. He’s a rescue we adopted from a large herd surrender coordinated by Southeast Llama Rescue. His dam unfortunately didn’t make it, but Eclipse is doing well and on schedule to be neutered this fall with his best buddy Snowflake Surprise. Eclipse’s fleece is super soft and fine, which is lovely, but it also means it holds hay bits like velcro!

Image: looking down at black medium-weight yarn on a wooden bobbin on a spinning wheel.

05/07/2026

A few deer habitat tips: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HajqqsGeW/