Kerr Nature Center

My An Arkie's Faith column from the March 27, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

After a few days of rain, overcast skies, and drizzle, I awoke to sunshine and a beautiful blue sky. As I sat on my deck and looked out over the grass that was turning green and my dogwood tree in bloom, my phone buzzed with the notification of a text. 

I read the text from my cousin, “Do you want to go Jeeping.” “Sure,” I answered.

My cousin picked me up in his Jeep, and we headed out for an adventure. We decided to drive the Talimena Scenic Byway and, on our way back to Mena, drive down Polk Road 100. The views from Talimena Drive were spectacular, and the clear skies and low humidity combined for excellent visibility.

As we drove the Oklahoma portion of the drive, we entered the Winding Stair National Recreation Area. Shortly after, we came to the Kerr Nature Center. We pulled into the center and parked. It had been a long time since I had been there. But memories flooded my mind as I looked out over the flowering trees and the center's impressive pavilion.

When my kids were young, the Kerr Arboretum, as it was known then, was one of their favorite places to go. Many weekends, we would drive to the Arboretum and spend an afternoon hiking the trails. The trails were easy for the kids and just under a mile long. 

We got out of the Jeep and walked towards the pavilion. Barricades prevented us from entering. When we looked up inside, we saw rotted support beams. It made me sad to see how the building had deteriorated. 

The nature center is named for Robert S. Kerr. Kerr was the most influential politician in Oklahoma for many years. He was the first governor of Oklahoma to be born in the state. He was a three-term Senator and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952. A powerful and influential Senator, he was a close friend of President John F. Kennedy.

In her article, A Wonderful Life: Remembering Robert S. Kerr, Maura McDermott wrote. “Kerr used his political power for conservation. He sponsored bills making these water projects possible, not only in Oklahoma but across the nation. He also co-authored the Pollution Control Act, which provided money for adequate sewage treatment and water pollution research.

For him, conservation equaled national security. How could America compete if she had to feed a growing population on eroding farmland? How could she meet the housing needs of her people if timberland was vanishing or provide pure water to them if rivers were polluted?

In the ‘50s, Kerr had discovered the wild beauty of the Poteau River Valley and the Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma. The ridge tops and south-facing slopes of these mountains were originally heavily forested with shortleaf pine. Hardwoods such as sweetgums, oaks, and maples thrived on moist, northern slopes and along rivers.”

Robert S. Kerr’s love of nature was evident to anyone who knew him. Although he passed away in 1963, I'm sure he would have been pleased when President Ronald Reagan designated Winding Stair National Recreation Area in 1988. The area comprises 26,445 acres and includes numerous campgrounds, an equestrian camp, an eighty-five-acre lake, and many hiking trails.

As my cousin and I walked the trails at Kerr Nature Center, I was captivated by the forest's beauty and stillness. The quiet was broken by the calls of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, who seemed to be answering each other. 

Nature can bring me peace in a way nothing else does, even if it is just sitting on my deck looking at the trees and the creek below my house. One of the reasons I love living in this area is that I can be in the national forest surrounded by nature in just a few minutes and feel that I am many miles from civilization. Or I can be atop a mountain ridge with amazing views stretching for miles.

Spending time in nature has profoundly affected my spiritual life. Something about a towering tree, a colorful wildflower, or a rushing waterfall reminds me that my God is incredible! The more time I spend in God’s wonderful creation, the better I know Him. In Psalms 19:1,2 (NLT), David wrote, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.” Nature can show us God’s beauty, glory, power, presence, and creativity if we pay attention. In Romans 1:20 (NLT), the Bible tells us that “ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

I enjoy studying about God in His book, The Bible, but that isn’t the only way to learn about God. One of my favorite ways to see God is in nature. His creation is for us to enjoy and is a way for God to show us his excellent work. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by the beauty of our world. Every little detail is stunning and serves as a reminder of all God is capable of.

Gentle Reader, I love being outside and awed by God’s creation. In our technologically advanced world, we often relegate God to an accessory that improves our lives. We’ve lost sight of God’s majesty. Looking for God in nature helps us understand his majesty. David wrote of God’s majesty in 1 Chronicles 29:11 (VOICE): “All that is great and powerful and glorious and victorious and majestic is Yours, O Eternal One. Indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to You.”

More than 60 years ago, A.W. Tozer wrote, “With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence.” The next time you are out experiencing God’s majestic creation, whether here in the beautiful Ouachita Mountains or some other place of natural beauty, wrap yourself in the feeling of God’s majesty and presence.