A student writing a proposal in a UALR grant writing class has helped Audubon Arkansas secure $100,000 from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to construct a mile-long trail  behind the Audubon center in southeast Little Rock.

Samantha Scheiman of Plymouth, Wisc., a graduate student in rhetoric and writing, decided to work with Audubon Arkansas on the grant writing assignment that could double as a semester project.

“I decided to work with Audubon Arkansas to craft a grant proposal that also doubled as my semester project,” said Scheiman, whose husband is the bird conservation director at Audubon.  “Since Audubon staff members were already juggling numerous grant proposals, I was designated the manager of this trail grant proposal – a rather daunting task considering I had never written a proposal before.”

The proposal was complex, requiring text, maps, letters of support, photos, examples of signage and other details.

“This grant proposal was a highly collaborative effort between me and the Audubon Arkansas staff,” Scheiman said. “This was a wonderful chance for me to experience a grant proposal’s creation from start to finish with a satisfying end result: funding.”

Ellen Moorehead Fennell, executive director of Audubon Arkansas, said she and her staff were grateful for Scheiman’s commitment to seeing the task to the end.

“Samantha was perhaps most helpful in keeping our team on task and on time with her scheduling of critical deadlines,” Fennell said. “Her help was essential in securing this grant.”

The one-mile trail will feature kiosks, benches, a boardwalk and other amenities. The grant also allocated funds to make sure the trail was ADA accessible.

“The trail will allow visitors to traverse a beautiful example of oak savanna habitat and enjoy the site’s birds, butterflies and other wildlife,” Scheiman said. “The kiosks will showcase wildlife species along the trail and highlight where they can be seen as well as why they are vital to healthy ecosystems.”

Schieman’s writing skills go beyond grant writing. Two essays she wrote recently were accepted for publication in the 2012 edition of Birds and People, a literary journal featuring observations about the relationship between humans and birds.

“Having seen more than 900 bird species, I sensed an obligation to share the magical allure of birds with others so they too can see how birds are integral to humanity’s well-being and survival” she said. “Birds worldwide are declining at an alarming rate due to habitat fragmentation, toxic pollutants, climate change and other factors.”

To learn more about UALR’s Department of Rhetoric and Writing, call department Chair George H. Jensen or call 501-569-3160.