Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Conservation Day Remembers Past, Looks To Future
The Compton Gardens and Conference Center in Bentonville will celebrate its mission of environmental stewardship today as it hosts Compton Conservation Day from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
“The goal is to connect the public with what we want to do in this little garden,” says Jeannie McIntire, awareness and engagement officer at the organization. “And make sure everyone is aware of all of the different ways they can interact with us, as well as making them aware of all of the other nonprofits that are keeping Arkansas full of green spaces.”
McIntire says that Compton Gardens is one of only two privately funded public parks in the area. The Gardens and Center are named after their original owner, noted Arkansas environmentalist Neil Compton, who founded what is now known as the Ozark Society in 1962 in order to fight two proposed dams on the Buffalo River. He was successful in that initiative and later led the charge to have the Buffalo designated the first national river in 1972. McIntire says that a tribute to Dr. Compton will be part of the celebration today.
Also on the schedule: a full day of family-friendly activities that includes music, rock painting, a beekeeper’s presentation, a bike safety demonstration by Phat Tire and free ice cream from Spark Cafe. Area nonprofits like The Ozark Society, the Environmental Education Association, Arkansas Master Naturalists, Ozark Natural Science Center, the Ozark Society Foundation, the Buffalo River Foundation, the NWA Land Trust and the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance will be on hand to distribute information on how to get more involved in environmental preservation projects.
“We want the Compton Gardens and Conference Center to be a living, breathing, meaningful part of the community,” says McIntire, who notes that the organization’s acreage is increasing from 6.5 to 10 acres. She also says that there are some other exciting advancements announced soon. “We’re the gateway to downtown Bentonville, and people tend to just walk through and not realize we’re here. I would like to see this place alive with people.”