A Calmer Season, Not an Idle One

For native plants, winter is a strategic pause. Dormancy allows them to conserve energy, protect their growing points, and strengthen their root systems for the year ahead. The grasses in the meadows at Compton Gardens hold their structure not because we haven’t cut them back, but because those seedheads continue to provide food for finches and sparrows all winter long.

At Osage Park, the wetland plants settle into a quieter phase too, but their root networks remain active, supporting water filtration and stabilizing habitat for wintering birds. Even at Coler, where the forest canopy stands still, the trees are channeling resources belowground, preparing for spring growth.

Nature uses winter to rest—and to get ready.

The Hidden Work of Native Plants

Even in their dormant state, native plants continue to support the ecosystem.

Seedheads become bird feeders.
Coneflowers, asters, and grasses hold seeds through the winter, feeding small birds when insects are scarce.

Leaves become blankets for the forest floor.
Leaf litter shelters overwintering insects, amphibians, and beneficial pollinators. Fireflies, butterflies, and countless soil organisms depend on these layers to survive until spring.

Evergreens offer shelter.
Holly, cedar, and other native evergreens provide windbreaks and cover for wildlife, creating pockets of refuge in colder weather.

This quiet work is essential to the ecological health of Northwest Arkansas — and it’s why our stewardship practices look different in the winter. Sometimes, the most supportive thing we can do for nature is simply to let it rest.

How Wildlife Survives the Season

Winter wildlife is far more active than most people realize.

At Compton Gardens, woodpeckers drum on tree trunks in search of insects overwintering beneath the bark. Chickadees and cardinals fluff their feathers to trap warm air close to their bodies. Squirrels build nests high in the branches and cache food to fuel their winter days.

Osage Park’s wetlands remain lively with ducks, red-winged blackbirds, and great blue herons that rely on open water and steady habitat throughout the colder months. And at Coler, deer, foxes, and small mammals navigate the winter woods, leaving tracks that reveal just how much life persists in the quiet season.

Winter challenges wildlife — but it also showcases their resilience and adaptability.

What You Can Notice on Winter Walks

This time of year offers some of the best opportunities for nature observation. With less foliage, patterns and details emerge that are easy to miss in summer.

Look for:

• Tree silhouettes that reveal branching patterns unique to each species

• Animal tracks in soft soil or frost

• Winter berries on native shrubs

• Subtle meadow textures that catch the low winter light

• Woodpecker calls echoing through bare woods

A slow walk through Osage Park or Compton Gardens in winter becomes a lesson in noticing — and a reminder that beauty isn’t tied to blooming seasons.

Simple Ways to Support Nature at Home This Winter

You don’t need acres of land to make a difference. Small changes in your own yard can support winter wildlife and healthier habitats.

• Leave leaves and plant stems where they are until spring

• Avoid pruning native shrubs too early

• Offer clean, unfrozen water for birds

• Keep seedheads on native plants for natural feeding

• Create small brush piles for winter shelter

These small actions mirror the stewardship we practice on our properties. Together, they help protect the ecosystems that make Northwest Arkansas special.

A Season that Reminds Us to Pause

Winter invites all of us to slow down — just as the landscape does. At the Peel Compton Foundation, we protect spaces where the community can experience this quieter side of nature, learn from it, and reconnect with a pace that’s easy to overlook during the busy months.

As you walk through our parks and gardens this season, we hope you’ll see winter not as nature’s absence, but as its reminder: rest is part of resilience.