This is an ongoing  project that has progressed through several phases. The first phase was to remove invasive species of plants along both sides of the creek bed, including Bush Honeysuckle and Chinese Privet, among others. The second phase was the removal of the turf grass. After all of the turfgrass was removed, the area was seeded with native prairie grasses and wildflowers. Gradually, as the plants grow, spread and reseed themselves, we will be left with a low-maintenance meadow. We are also planning on planting more trees and shrubs along the creek, extending the “green zone” by about 30 feet.

In addition to the botanical changes, we have also installed several bluebird houses and we are looking at potentially adding bat boxes and martin houses as well. There is also a walking path so that residents can access and view the area. There are plans to extend the walking path so that it continues down to and along Covenant Creek.

There are numerous financial and environmental benefits which were considered before undertaking this project.

1. Restoring this area to a meadow means that the POA will no longer need to pay for the mowing of this area. Mowing of all shared green-spaces in Har-Ber Meadows is the largest ongoing annual expense for the POA.
2. Native grasses, plants, and shrubs have deep root systems and do a better job of preventing erosion and filtering runoff water which helps keep the local watershed clean.
3. By increasing the native plant populations, we are providing food and shelter for native birds, pollinator insects and other wildlife that need more than turf grass to survive. 
4. The walking trail through the native meadow is a unique amenity that other communities can’t offer. It provides residents with an opportunity to connect with nature, right here in our own neighborhood! 

We have been consulting with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership and the NWA Master Naturalists and we are confident that we have a good plan in place that will be a beautiful addition to Har-Ber Meadows.

In 2019, we discovered that one of the concrete stormwater outlets in Covenant Creek had become detached from the underground concrete piping. These concrete stormwater outlets are part of the system that channels rainwater from our streets into Covenant Creek which flows into Brush Creek, and ultimately into the Illinois River. The soil supporting the stormwater outlet had eroded away due to the volume and speed of the water flowing through the creek.

Subsequent visits revealed the same type of erosion occurring under and around the other concrete stormwater outlets as well. It was also apparent that the stream’s banks were being washed away threatening the stability of nearby trees. 

The City of Springdale and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) were contacted but offered no help. At the time, a private contractor estimated the cost of stabilizing the concrete storm sewer outlets with rip rap rock at a cost of somewhere around $15,000.

Around this same time, the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP) and the Walton Family Foundation introduced the Blue Cities, Blue Neighborhoods program, where one neighborhood from each city in Northwest Arkansas would be chosen to showcase “Best Management Practices” (BMP) to stop or slow erosion in the Illinois River Watershed, improve stormwater filtration, and increase biodiversity along the creek. Har-Ber Meadows applied for and was chosen to be the neighborhood in Springdale to showcase BMP. The grant from the Walton Family Foundation would provide 75% of the cost of executing this plan and HBM would pay 25%. The total cost of the entire program was $44,000. Har-Ber Meadows was only responsible for $11,000 (which was less than the previously quoted cost of only fixing the stormwater outlets).

The project included shoring up the concrete water outlets with rip rap, removal of built up sediment and planting over 800 native trees along the entire length of the creek to create a riparian zone. HBM’s responsibility is to manage the riparian zone according to the plan provided by IRWP.

The trees are the most visible aspect of this project. They play several roles. Their roots help to control erosion by absorbing water as well as slowing the flow. In addition to the water benefits, there will be an increase in biodiversity since hundreds of native trees were planted. This will ultimately lead to an increase in food for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. All of this is occurring right in the middle of our neighborhood for all of us to enjoy. Anyone who used to spend any time down around the creek will still be able to do so. With these improvements, more of us will have an incentive to walk through and appreciate the space.

In April of 2024, the trees were planted and white tree protectors were installed around each planting. As the trees began to push out their first buds and leaves, the white tree protectors were trimmed to maximize the leaves' exposure to sunlight. At that time, the mortality rate of the trees was extremely low – less than 5%. The areas around the trees were designated to be “no-mow” zones so that the trees would have a chance to establish themselves. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, mowing and string trimming around the trees began. This activity severely increased the mortality rate of the trees. The string trimming “girdled” many of the trees causing them to die. During the following months we experienced a mortality rate of around 12% per month. As of late summer, only around 400 trees still survive.

The vision for this area is to establish a Riparian Zone along the creek. This includes increasing the tree population which will provide an improved habitat for wildlife. Additionally, a walking path will be mowed through the zone so that residents can experience this natural area up close. The additional trees, shaded walking path and increased biodiversity will help to make this a more inviting place to explore.

The Har-Ber Meadows Landscape Committee, with permission from the Board, has erected two small enclosures on the east side of Founders Park. The purpose of these enclosures is to allow the aging oaks in the park to reseed themselves while protecting the small native Post Oak saplings growing within them. The mature oaks currently growing in the park are all roughly the same age and we’ve lost several of them in the past decade. Having younger trees mixed in with the older trees will ensure that another generation of Post Oaks will live on when these older trees are gone. This method of letting trees grow where the birds/squirrels have planted them is much less expensive than buying large trees and paying someone to plant them. Furthermore, Post Oaks, like many oak species, are not readily available at most nurseries due to their long tap roots which make transplanting them very difficult and usually not successful. Please do not disturb these areas.

In many areas in North America oak trees are the top “Keystone Plant”. “Keystone Plants” are the plants that support the most species of wildlife such as birds and pollinator insects, making them one of the most beneficial trees that can be planted.

The mature trees throughout Founders Park provide lots of shaded areas that many residents enjoy during the hot summer months. One of the challenges that comes with having so many trees in a park is that the turf grasses beneath them struggle to find enough light, water, and nutrients to grow. This has resulted in numerous dirt patches under many of the trees. In addition to being ugly, dirt patches allow the topsoil to be washed away and in some cases, cover the sidewalks.

Reestablishing grass cover in these areas would require lots of seeding, watering, fertilizing, ongoing maintenance, and monitoring. All of those things come with a cost.

As an alternative, the Landscape committee is exploring the possibility of using native Violets as a groundcover for these troublesome areas. Wild Violets can already be found growing in shaded areas along Covenant Creek. They don’t require fertilizer and they can be mowed regularly. As long as they aren’t sprayed with herbicides, they are resilient plants that could potentially be a lower-cost ground cover option, compared to turf grass.

The Landscape Committee identified a location in Founders Park that already had a small number of Violets trying to establish themselves. This area has been marked as a no mow, no spray zone so that the groundskeeping crew won’t disturb them. If these violets flourish in this test area, they might prove to be a viable alternative ground cover for other barren areas in Founders Park.

Wild native violets have the added benefit of being the host plant of the State Butterfly of Arkansas – the Diana Fritillary. These butterflies lay their eggs in the fallen leaves where they overwinter. In the springtime, the eggs hatch and the caterpillars feed on the leaves of the Violets. Violets are also one of the first blooming flowers of spring.