The Diamond Lakes Chapter of the Arkansas Master Naturalists will host Wendy Richter at its monthly chapter meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the Garland County Library Auditorium. The public is welcome to attend.
Richter will speak about her book, "Lost Communities of the Upper Ouachita River Valley," which tells of the impact of the construction of Blakely Mountain Dam on portions of Garland and Montgomery counties, when ordinary people living ordinary lives in an ordinary place experience extraordinary circumstances when their homeland is obliterated by the waters of Lake Ouachita.
The Arkansas Master Naturalists is a nonprofit organization that helps connect Arkansans to nature through education and volunteer opportunities. The Diamond Lakes chapter is centered in Hot Springs and includes the entire Diamond Lakes area in its purview, a news release said.
Richter is a native of Garland County and a graduate of Jessieville High School. She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Heritage Studies from Arkansas State University, and an M.A. in Public History and B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Richter currently serves as archivist and professor at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, and oversees the care of the archival records at the university while also teaching Public History courses.
Richter was state historian and director of the Arkansas History Commission (now named the State Archives) in Little Rock from 2005-12 and archivist at OBU from 1990-2005. She served on the Arkansas Historical Association's Board of Trustees; as past president of the Arkansas Women's History Institute; past president of the Garland County Historical Society; charter member of the Academy of Certified Archivists; and is a member of the Society of Southwest Archivists.
She also served as editor of The Record, published annually by the Garland County Historical Society. In addition, Richter has authored, edited and compiled dozen of articles and books on state, regional, and local history.
Visit http://www.wordpress.arkansasmasternaturalists.org and click "How do I join?" for information about the DLAMN program, training course schedule, membership applications, and volunteer opportunities, or contact DLAMN President Dan Smith at [email protected] or 501-282-4230.
Entertainment on 02/04/2018