Fran Alexander

Columnist

Recent stories by Fran Alexander

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Some degraded prairie land being revived in Northwest Arkansas "... European newcomers saw the land as an enemy to be vanquished. The Indians saw the prairie and forests as a benefactor, and they practiced a benign tenancy of both."-- James Krohe Jr.If ... September 26, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Rogers couple’s actions save historic prairie lands to give portal into what used to be "Money wasn't as important to her as flowers."-- Mary Ann Hoppe, daughter of Anna Mae SearlesRelationships between people and land can be complicated and wrought with drama, and, as in m... September 5, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Arkansas 112 project creates concerns for Greathouse Spring Roads shrouded by tree canopies, rock houses and spring-fed creeks of wading depth are some of my favorite things. All three merge into one special short stretch of Arkansas 112 that I first caught si... August 15, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Denele Campbell yields to the urge to write, preserving pieces of herself, the Ozarks "Dedicated to the future, that we who live in these hills and valleys will always know what came before us."-- Denele CampbellSharing a foxhole in battle (figuratively speaking) against a mu... July 25, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Before the celebration of independence comes a lot of work "He has to learn the force of air and the pull of wind and the feel of freedom."-- "Hawk, I'm Your Brother" by Byrd BaylorThe drama and trauma involved when inserting human sen... July 4, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Trash disposal challenges reignite mentions of incinerators, but those should be quickly doused Why don't they just burn it?" some folks ask, mistakenly believing fire is the logical answer to trash accumulation, especially when landfills become mountains.The landfill dilemma has long b... June 13, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: A (wrong) way with words … absolutely "Yeah, no, absolutely" is a response I've yet to translate into a logical answer for anything, but I'm trying. I understand that "yeah" means "yes," and the adver... May 23, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Retired naturalist, others dedicate themselves to resuscitating Ozark Chinquapin trees When he was a young boy, Fayetteville mayor Lioneld Jordan and his friends would collect the porcupine-like burrs of the Ozark Chinquapin and hammer the husks with the heels of their shoes to get the ... May 2, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Spring is a good time to devote energy to fight the invasion of non-native plants Invasive species: Any species not indigenous to a region, which becomes established and displaces native species.[LINESPACE]About this time each year, some of my friends start to tease me about my obs... April 11, 2023

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Alliance gears up for renewed battle against Forest Service’s shortsighted management Once upon a time in Arkansas there lived a political cartoonist named George Fisher. Proposals by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for damming (thereby damning) the Buffalo River secured a special pla... March 21, 2023