Tell us about your organization:
The Peel Compton Foundation's strength lies in its appeal to the nature-lovers, bike enthusiasts and ecological supporters who value the "green" message of the late environmentalist Dr. Neil Compton and those who feel a tug at their roots in the historical character of The Peel Mansion & Heritage Gardens. Our organization, which is a little over 25 years old, serves our diverse community in a variety of ways.
Christmas at the Mansion
Who: The Peel Compton Foundation
What: Food, wine, music among Christmas decor
When: 6-9 p.m. Dec. 6
Where: The Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens in Bentonville
Tickets: $75
Attire: Cocktail
Information: (479) 273-3636 or peelcompton.org
The Peel Mansion is a historical landmark built in 1875. It was home to one of Bentonville's earliest families and continues to educate the community in its rich traditions. We offer educational programming for children, including events like School Days and partnering with the Bentonville Public Library for a monthly story time. Visitors can tour, attend events, shop our cabin store, and even rent event space. We expect to host more than 8,000 visitors this year.
Compton Gardens is the former home of Dr. Neil Compton, and it showcases our commitment to environmental stewardship. The exhibit room highlights Dr. Compton's life work as a physician, curator of native plants, photographer of the Ozarks, author and hero of the Buffalo River. In 2019, two more Champion trees were designated at Compton Gardens, making a total of five. The Arkansas Forestry Commission declared our Pagoda Dogwood and Bitternut as the largest of their kind in Arkansas. They join the top rankings with our Yellowwood, Beech and Chinese Chestnut. We've added Mountain Bike trails to Compton Garden that connect the All-American Trail to other trail systems in Northwest Arkansas. Every month, thousands of people walk the trails around the home and garden.
We are a very proud organization with an amazing staff and Board of Directors. We could not be happier to serve our community in Northwest Arkansas.
• Mission: Providing access to recreation and rich traditions in the natural beauty of Northwest Arkansas.
• Services provided: Educational programming, events for the community, guided and self-guided tours of the gardens and homes, rentals for weddings, parties, meetings, volunteer opportunities.
• Service area: Northwest Arkansas
How is your organization's mission unique? Our mission is to help make Northwest Arkansas an even better place to live, explore, and enjoy. We want to introduce everyone to our beautiful spaces and gardens located close to downtown Bentonville. We strive to provide opportunities to connect to the history and natural beauty and all that Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
Why do you work for a nonprofit organization? Do you have a personal connection to the mission? If so, what is it? I spent over 30 years working for Walmart and when I retired from my corporate job, my goal was to give back to my community and help shape where I live. The Peel Compton Foundation has given me a wonderful opportunity to be a steward for the organization.
What part of your job fills the most of your time? Connecting with people; I love it! It is fun to introduce new people to our mission and reintroduce our friends to the ever-evolving Peel Compton Foundation. We continue to invest in our gardens and homes and our team takes pride in serving all in the community.
What have you learned on the job that you didn't expect? I'm having so much fun! While there is a lot of work to do, everyone at the Peel Compton Foundation has a great time. We are all making a meaningful impact in our community!
Are there volunteer opportunities in your organization? What are they? We have a variety of volunteer opportunities including master gardening, tour guides, event volunteers, etc.
What upcoming fundraisers and/or other events does your organization have planned? Our largest fundraiser of the year will be "Christmas at the Mansion" hosted at the Peel Mansion on Dec. 6. It will be a very magical evening with fantastic food, wine in every room, and live music throughout. The mansion will be decorated in all its Christmas wonderment as we join together as friends of The Peel Compton Foundation. We assure guests will leave with a full belly, a smile on their face, and most importantly -- an unforgettable experience. We are so grateful to have Charles and Sue Redfield as our honorary chairmen. We welcome all from the community to join us for this unique event hosted at one of the most enchanting places in Northwest Arkansas. Tickets can be purchased at peelcompton.org.
NAN Profiles on 11/10/2019