Summer Memories at the Crater
 
By Waymon Cox
 
  Greetings from the Crater!  With the summer season behind us, I'd like to take a look back with a few photos taken by participants in this year's Photography in the Park workshop, held on July 10.  Of all of the pictures taken that day, these were among the most colorful, unique, and captivating.  They offer just a small glimpse of great experiences to be had at Crater of Diamonds State Park!
 
John Cothren, Murfreesboro, AR
 
Yvonne Fellers, Texarkana, TX
 
Judy Hockaday, Nashville, AR
 
Lyndsay Hockaday, Nashville, AR
 
Lin Johnston, Texarkana, TX
 
Ben Jones, Mineral Springs, AR
 
Kathy Jones, Mineral Springs, AR
 
Jenna Thomas, Benton, AR
 
  With fall coming soon, there are plenty more photos to be made as leaves turn beautiful hues of red, orange, yellow, and brown.  Perhaps a love of photography and diamonds will bring you to the Crater!
 

 
Volunteers help beautify Crater of Diamonds during Great Crater Cleanup
 
By Waymon Cox

Volunteers help clean up the Crater during the annual Great Crater Cleanup.
 
  Last Saturday, the park hosted its third annual Great Crater Cleanup, in conjunction with the kickoff of this year’s Great Arkansas Cleanup.  Despite cloudy weather, 32 volunteers helped remove more than 110 pounds of trash and recyclables from the search area in only two hours!

  The Crater offered free Great Arkansas Cleanup t-shirts and ice cream to all volunteers in appreciation of their support, and participants also had the opportunity to search for diamonds for free after the event.  In addition, the park rewarded volunteers who picked up the most trash by weight with free tickets to the diamond search area and Diamond Springs Water Park for the 2011 summer season!

  Kids, adults, individuals, and families all volunteered, including scouts from Boy Scout Troop 53 of Dierks, Arkansas, who booked 18 total hours in community service!  10-year-old volunteer Matt Terry picked up 12.3 pounds of trash and recyclables, winning tickets in the children’s category, while Robert Thompson of Texarkana won the adult division, with 17.75 pounds of trash.

  This year’s successful cleanup event serves as a reminder that there’s never a bad time to help local communities and parks.  Any organized groups interested in volunteering and earning community service hours at the Crater of Diamonds should call the park at 870-285-3116 and speak with a park interpreter.  We will provide tools if you will provide hands and hearts!
 
Volunteers Matt Terry and Robert Thompson pose with tickets won at the Great Crater Cleanup.

Search area last plowed:  August 4, 2010

Most recent significant rain:  September 10, 2010

Diamond finds for September 6 - 11, 2010 (100 points = 1carat):

September 6 - Austin Hood, Sheridan, AR, 78 pt. white

September 8 - Myra Boykin & Beth Gilbertson, Pensacola, FL, 3 pt. white, 6 pt. white

September 10 - Beth Chapla & Barbara Drukenbrod, South Bend, IL, and Murfreesboro, TN, 26 pt. white, 50 pt. white

September 11 - Stephen Carter, Hot Springs, AR, 8 pt. white; Ella Bell, Murfreesboro, AR, 3 pt. brown

Crater of Diamonds Home Page
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
Email: craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com
Phone: (870) 285-3113

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