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'Call Of The Wild' On BillAug 09, 2011 (Times Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- An outdoor expert who can perform numerous calls to the wild using only his mouth soon will educate and entertain area individuals and families. Ralph Duren, an award-winning, expert caller, will share more than 100 wildlife calls, as well as stories and humor, during the free, all-ages "Call of the Wild: Ralph Duren" program at 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road near the Fort Smith-Barling city line. The event will be a one-of-a-kind, can't-miss activity for any outdoor fan, said Chad Lowe, an education program specialist for the nature center. "Sometimes, Ralph will use a device to make the calls, but most of them, he does only with his mouth; it's amazing and it's something you just can't miss," he said. "One device he uses is an elk bugle, but he can call turkeys, hoot owls and bull frogs." Duren, a Jefferson City, Mo., resident, has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," ABC's "Good Morning America," "CBS This Morning" and numerous hunting shows on the Outdoor Channel, the Sportsmen's Channel, ESPN and Versus. His awards include the 1995 and 2000 Grand National Wild Turkey Gobbling Champion titles and the 1997 World Quail Calling Champion, and he is a 2007 inductee of the Missouri Hunter Education Hall of Fame. The host of his own "Calls of the Wild" segment on MDC's Emmy Award-winning "Missouri Outdoors" weekly TV show, Duren won the Missouri Conservation Federation's Conservation Communicator of the Year Award in 1997. Duren will include some history of the animals during his upcoming presentation, Lowe said. "It's great, because this is an educational event for the family, as well as being something that is entertaining," he said. The father of five children and grandfather of nine is known for reproducing the sounds of the great blue heron, the bluejay, bobwhite, crow, cuckoo, filed sparrow, killdeer, kingfisher, mallard, mourning dove, eastern meadowlark, robin, ruffed grouse, saw-whet owl and a snow goose, among many others. Duren, who also is a choir member, a praise-band drummer and a Sunday School teacher at Memorial Baptist Church in Jefferson City, also can re-create the sound of a whippoorwill perfectly, Lowe said. "We're telling people to get here a little early -- I'd get here at 6:15 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. -- so families can enjoy this, because it will be packed," he said. "Ralph will do an hour or 90 minutes and it's something that everyone will enjoy." The program is one of many free activities, lectures and events offered at the nature center, Lowe said. "With Ralph's event, it's sensational because he does it with his mouth," he said. "You combine that with his facial expressions and his body language, and it's just funny and great. Ralph Duren is someone that everyone should see and hear." Call of the Wild: Ralph Duren When: 7 p.m. Aug. 16 Where: Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road near the Fort Smith-Barling city line Seating is limited. For information, call 452-3993 or visit www.ralphduren.com and www.rivervalleynaturecenter.com. To see more of the Times Record or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.swtimes.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |