May 13, 2020
Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications
For the safety of participants and animals, the Nature and Science Drive-Thru in Conway scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 10 a.m.-1:20 p.m. is rescheduled for Wednesday, May 20, from 2-6 p.m.
CONWAY — Students may not be able to celebrate the end of the school year like usual this year, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be any celebration at all. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has teamed up with the Conway Chamber of Commerce and some local Little Rock partners to offer a special event from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We’ll have the AGFC Mobile Aquarium, Scales of Justice trailer, Birds of Prey and many other fun things to see lined up for a special event people can view from their cars on the University of Central Arkansas campus,” said J.J. Gladden, the AGFC’s Aquatic Resources Education program coordinator.
Exhibits will be lined up along Bruce Street between Farris Road and Donaghey Avenue, which will be limited to one-way traffic from west to east.
“You start at Farris Road and head back toward the football field to see the exhibits,” Gladden said. “It will probably take about 15 to 20 minutes to see the whole thing, all from the comfort and safety of your car.”
In addition to AGFC exhibits, Arkansas State Parks, the Little Rock District of the Corps of Engineers, The Little Rock Zoo and the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock will all have a presence at the event.
“We know it’s been hard on some of the students, teachers and families and we wanted to put something together to help celebrate our natural resources despite the current challenges,” Gladden said. “Conway Chamber of Commerce jumped at the opportunity to host this as an alternative to their annual Toad Suck Daze celebration that had to be canceled because of COVID-19. Things are coming together quickly and we may have even more participants by the time the event unfolds.”
The event is free, but anyone attending must stay in their cars to keep proper social distancing protocols in place.
“We normally love to have face-to-face interactions with the public, but we have to work so that everyone can enjoy this event without risking unnecessary exposure to participants or exhibitors,” Gladden said. “We’ll have to turn away any walk-up participation, so please keep it in the cars.”
Anyone wanting to learn more about topics covered in the AGFC exhibits will be able to find lots of great information at the AGFC’s virtual nature center, www.agfcnaturecenter.com.