2016 Spring/Summer View from the Highlands

View from the Highlands42 Years Protecting the World’s Oldest Mountains

2016 Spring Issue

Falls on Justice Creek Photo by Witt Langstaff, Jr.

Conserving Mountains • Farms • Streams • Habitat

Board of TrusteesNancy Edgerton, President Asheville, NCJack Hamilton, Vice-President Asheville, NCJay Leutze, Secretary Minneapolis, NC Laura McCue, Treasurer Asheville, NCMilton “Buddy” Tignor, Jr., At-Large Asheville, NCCourtney Blossman Asheville, NCPatty Cunningham-Woolf Asheville, NCLyman “Greg” Gregory, III Asheville, NCJim Houser Charlotte, NCAnne Kilgore Kingsport, TNBill Lowndes Asheville, NCRick Manske Asheville, NCRobbie McLucas Asheville, NCJeff Needham Kingsport, TNKathy Singleton Kingsport, TNMary Bruce Woody Asheville, NC

Office34 Wall Street, Suite 502, Asheville, NC 28801-2710

828.253.0095 • FAX [email protected]

StaffCarl Silverstein Executive Director Kristy Urquhart Associate Director Michelle Pugliese Land Protection DirectorWilliam Hamilton Farmland Program DirectorHanni Muerdter Stewardship & Conservation Planning DirectorMarquette Crockett Roan Stewardship DirectorSarah Sheeran Stewardship AssociateCheryl Fowler Membership DirectorLisa Fancher Finance Compliance DirectorAngela Shepherd Communications Director Pauline Heyne Donor Relations ManagerChris Link Community Farm & Food Program Associate

Spencer Scheidt AmeriCorps Stewardship & Volunteer Associate Jesse Wood AmeriCorps Stewardship & Volunteer Associate Haley Smith AmeriCorps Conservation Education & Volunteer Associate Teagan Dolan AmeriCorps Land Protection & Education Associate

Map: SAHC Focus Areas. Over the past 42 years, we have protected over 69,000 acres across ten counties in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Appalachian Trail Countryside

Highlands of

Roan

Black Mountains

Balsam Mountains

French Broad River

ValleySmoky

Mountains

Thank You!Annual Giving Success

Thank you all for helping us surpass our year-end giving goal, raising more than $160,000 for land and water conservation in the mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina! Thanks to YOU, we can continue this important work.

In addition, we raised almost $1,500 from the Mountain Xpress Give!Local campaign, which launched last year to provide regional incentives for donors to give to nonprofit organizations across Western NC. We are pleased to have been chosen as one of the benefitting organizations for this inaugural year.

Hike at Upper Catawba Falls Photo by Craig Thompson

This season is all about growing, and in this issue of the View we focus on farming and agriculture. Check out our accomplishments at SAHC’s Community Farm over the past five years (pg. 5-7). We have put together a full schedule of farm workshops for 2016, and invite you to participate in these hands-on educational opportunities. Read about our Corporate Partner Meadows Family Farm (pg. 21), which generously donated labor and materials to help improve infrastructure at the farm.

We recently helped add public land to the Cold Mountain Game Lands (pg. 4).

Our Spring and Summer calendar is filling up with hikes and events, and we hope you will be able to join us! Our annual Appalachian Spring member celebration (pg. 17) will be held at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville on May 19, and our June Jamboree day of hikes in the Highlands of Roan will be June 11 (pg. 14-16).

On page 23, we announce our new organizational strategic plan for 2016-2020.

And THANK YOU for helping us surpass our Annual Giving goal for 2015! Your generosity makes all this work possible.

Carl Silverstein Executive Director

Letter from the

Director

Highlights:• Land Protection Update (4)

• Our Community Farm (5-7)

• Tilson Homeplace Work Day (8)

• Saw-whet Owls (9)

• Salamanders (10)

• Conservation Field Journal: Trail Magic (11-12)

• Upcoming Volunteer Days in the Highlands of Roan (13)

• June Jamboree (14-16)

• Appalachian Spring (17)

• Outreach & Events (18-19)

• Partnership in the Business Community (20-21)

• Members’ Corner (22-23)

We have stories and upcoming event announcements to share between printed issues of the View from the Highlands. For recent updates, visit us regularly at Appalachian.org, sign up for our e-View (monthly e-mailed newsletter), or follow us on Facebook.

Do you have a photo or story to share? We love to hear from our members. Contact us at [email protected].

The mission of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee for the benefit of present and future generations. We achieve this by forging and maintaining long-term conservation relationships with private landowners and public agencies, owning and managing land and encouraging healthy local communities. V i e w f r o m t h e H i g h l a n d s | 3

L a n d P r o t e c t i o n U P D AT E S

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Cold Mountain Game LandsWe assisted the NC Wildlife Resources Commission in purchasing a 64-acre tract adjoining the Cold Mountain Game Lands near Lake Logan.

Balsam Mountains Focus Area

The forested tract, formerly owned by the Caldwell family, adjoins the Cold Mountain Game Lands and Significant Natural Heritage Areas, ranging in elevation from 3,400 - 4,000 feet. It was purchased by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NC WRC) for addition to the Cold Mountain Game Lands. Ownership by the state agency will help reduce land fragmentation and ensure that this area is protected and properly managed. Timber on the property includes large yellow poplar, oak, and black cherry

trees, and common wildlife species found on the tract include grouse, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, black bear, various songbirds, salamanders, and small mammals.Protection of this tract was made possible through the partnership of SAHC and

NC WRC. We assisted in the purchase by raising 25% of the purchase price through private philanthropic gifts. The property will be open to the public for recreational opportunities, including hunting, hiking, bird-watching, and photography.

New land protection project

Other Protected Lands (SAHC & NC DENR) Pisgah National Forest

Caldwell Tract

Cold Mountain Game Lands

Lake

Loga

n

Shining Rock Wildnerness

Balsam Mountains Focus Area

Mature forest on the tract creates excellent wildlife habitat.

SAHC and NC WRC staff visit the property.

Way

nesv

ille W

ater

shed

Crawford Creek

Our assistance in helping NC WRC acquire this tract for the Cold Mountain Game Lands is part of ongoing conservation efforts in our Balsam Mountains Focus Area. The Balsam Mountains contain some of the most recognized public lands in the Southern Appalachians, including the Shining Rock Wilderness, Cold Mountain Game Lands and Mount Pisgah. They are a biodiversity hotspot and critical wildlife corridor between the Nantahala National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, characterized by fertile cove forests, rich species diversity, and hardwood forests.

Since 1999, we have protected nearly 11,000 acres in this area.

We hold conservation easements on more than 800 acres on Crawford Creek on the east side of Cold Mountain adjoining the Shining Rock Wilderness and the 8,000-acre Waynesville watershed (co-held with the Conservation Trust for NC).

SAHC is committed for the long haul to protecting more tracts in this iconic location.

SAHC’s Land Protection in the Cold Mountain Area

Waynesville Watershed

O u r C O M M U N I T Y FA R M

V i e w f r o m t h e H i g h l a n d s | 5

Our Community FarmThe SAHC Community Farm is an integral part of our Farmland Conservation Program and Farmland Access Service. Donated to us in 2010, the property provides a joint model for environmental sustainability and productive agriculture. Here’s how the myriad aspects of the farm fit into our overall conservation work:

Provide Capital to Farmers through

Agricultural Conservation

Easement Projects

Community Farm & Food Project: Access to Land, Livelihood & Learning

Land ProtectionConservation Easements

Land AcquisitionLands Program Farmland ProgramProtect wild lands Protect working

farms & forests

Work with Partners to Create Farm

Ownership and Leasing

Opportunities

Farmland Access Service

• Provide land to initiate or expand agricultural businesses

• Support local communities• Boost local food production• Ensure long-term productive use

of farmland

• Beginning Farmer Incubator Program• Farmer Education Workshop Series• Educational Discovery Trail• Stream Restoration and Mitigation Bank• Shortleaf Pine Reforestation


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Second Spring Farm: Sign Up for CSAs now!They are now accepting sign-ups for 2016 Spring-Fall CSAs. Pickups start in May. This year, refrigerated pickup is being offered 7 days a week at the French Broad Food Co-op. For details, or to sign up for a CSA share, visit secondspringfarm.com

Farmer Incubator ProgramCurrently we have two operations successfully producing on the farm Second Spring Farm is gearing up for spring and summer production, and Sparrow Hill Farm plans to carry eight calf/cow pairs on the farm through 2016. Later this year we will be accepting applications to add one more farmer enterprise that compliments the program and land. Grant SupportWe are very grateful to the Community Foundation of WNC for awarding us a $30,000 grant to continue our Farmer Incubator Program.Education CenterRenovations on an existing structure on the property are steadily progressing. The space will be used for future educational workshops, community events, and eventually a value-added professional grade kitchen. These renovations to date have been made possible through credit sales from our stream restoration and mitigation banking project. The credits were earned through our restoration and improvement of 3,355 linear feet of stream on the farm, in the French Broad River watershed. Initial investment for the stream restoration was made possible by a generous philanthropic donor, with the intent that capital generated from credits be used for infrastructure improvements on the Community Farm and farmland conservation. The approval and release of stream mitigation credits is being overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers over a period of seven years. SAHC is one of only a few land trusts in the nation to accomplish this kind of stream restoration and mitigation banking project.

Community Farm: Updates and New Improvements

Upcoming Workshops:• Two-wheel “Walk Behind”

Tractor Demo & Maintenance April 17

• Protecting your Biggest Asset: Your Body May 22

• Pasture Walk: Invasive Plant ID, Control and Removal June 9

• Irrigation Design at the Small Farm Scale July 7

• Black Soldier Fly Digester Design: Part 2, Closing the Loop July 24

• Cattle Talk 2: Handling and the Bud Box System August 25

• Forage Management August TBA

• Farm Safety: Tractors, Skin Cancer, Pesticides & Sprayer Calibrations September 8

• Holistic Grazing Plan Process and Creating a Livestock Farmer Network September TBA

• Mobile Walk-in Cooler Design/Build 1 October 9

• Mobile Walk-in Cooler Design/Build 2 October 23

• Farm Planning: Base Mapping, Site Analysis, and Schematic Design November 13

For more info, to register for a workshop, or to be added to the Community Farm workshop e-mail list, contact [email protected].

(Workshops offered in conjunction with our partners at the Organic Growers School, WNCFarmlink, Buncombe County Ag Extension, Warren Wilson College, and others)

The Education Center will provide space for future workshops and events



The two primary goals of extending winter production are to protect crops from frost or heat damage, and speed the growth of crops for quicker maturity and higher quality.Season extension techniques vary greatly in level of complexity. They can be as simple as selecting an early maturing, cold hardy, or heat-tolerant variety; planting a windbreak; or irrigating crops to reduce crop damage from heat or cold — or, as complex as year-round production in a heated greenhouse.Selection of crop varieties that mature over a range of dates allows a farmer to harvest a crop over an extended period. Heat tolerant varieties can be grown during warm months, and cold tolerant varieties during cold months, to stretch out the proportion of the year in which a crop can be marketed. Conducting on-farm variety trials is a good way to identify varieties that perform well in a particular region and when grown under a farm’s unique suite of practices.The use of plastic in horticultural crop production has increased dramatically in the past decade, greatly extending the possibilities for year-round production. Plastic film mulches, row covers, shade cloths, low tunnels, and high tunnels/hoop houses help to protect crops from the weather.

High tunnels are metal frames covered in plastic sheeting. They function similarly to greenhouses, but are generally unheated and in most cases do not have exhaust fans. Temperature is regulated by raising and lowering protective coverings, so management can be labor intensive. Many high tunnels are constructed so they can be moved from one location to another, to permit crop rotation and soil management.The fully heated greenhouse allows crops to be grown year-round, even through sub-zero winters. Irrigation is applied to crops to prevent damage due to high or low temperatures, and fans move air to prevent accumulation of cold air near the ground, protecting blossoms and crops from cold damage.

Community Farm Workshop: Season Extension Basics

Creating Hoop house StructuresSecond Spring Market Garden put up 15 hoop houses for winter production. They embedded steel rebar into the ground for support to hold arches of PVC pipe. Heavy duty carabiner clips are anchored at the base, through which sturdy twine can be run and pulled taut to keep the covering and hoop house structure in place.

Pros and Cons of Season ExtensionBenefits• Higher productivity and

income• Retention of or gain in

customers• Higher prices at times of

the year when other local growers do not have produce

• Extended or year-round employment for skilled employees

• Higher yields• Less pest pressure• Better quality

Disadvantages include:• No break in the work

schedule• Increased management

demands• Higher production costs• Plastic disposal problems• Increased risk of crop

failure if techniques are unsuccessful

Workshop participants tour a greenhouses on our Community Farm.

More than 40 participants attended our most recent farm workshop. They ranged from farmers who work land owned by their family for generations, to young and intrepid growers who recently moved into the area. Ages and experience levels varied greatly — from small home gardeners to apprentices launching their own operations — all interested in learning more about season extension.

Casara of Second Spring Farm demonstrates winter growing techniques to workshop participants.

Tilson Homeplace Work DayLandowner Ileanna Grams-Moog recently teamed up with Bill Whipple and the Nutty Buddy Collective (left) to put a portion of her property into creative agricultural use — a multi-layered forest of native nut and fruit trees.

Planting native nut trees at Big Briar Cove.

Partnerships in Education & Stewardship

C o n s e r v at i o n I N A C T I O N

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Landowner Perspective: by Ileanna Grams-Moog“My late husband, Robert A. Moog, had purchased this tract in 1978, and the conservation easement in 2013 realized our dream to permanently protect it. About five acres of mowed land were left open to agricultural use, but I had no plans for it.

Then Bill Whipple told me about an idea I found so exciting that I invited him to come see if it would work at Big Briar Cove.

Bill’s idea? Connect landless horticulturists with landowners who aren’t using part of their land, and trade food for the landowner in return for the use of land to plant and harvest. His concept is to plant nut trees in a planned food forest with layers of nut trees, fruit trees, shrubs, berries and ground-growing food or medicinal plants.

Because I am very concerned about the disruption of native ecosystems by imported invasive plants, I stipulated that this pilot project would use only locally native species, or those known not to pose a threat to them. Bill and a group of young and enthusiastic partners formed the Nutty Buddy Collective and began planting trees in the spring of 2014. I am watching the growth of the project with excitement.”

For more info, visit NuttyBuddyCollective.com

The benefits of working with these student volunteers extended far beyond the impressive mountains of trash pulled out of waterways and forests. Through our partnership, the students glimpsed some of the challenges of managing natural resources — in this case, hundreds of acres bordered by a public road.

During the workday, volunteers tackled heaps of trash and debris that for decades had been dumped from cars on the public route encircling the 377-acre cove. Illegally-dumped debris had accumulated in gullies and on hillsides of this secluded corner in Unicoi County, which features the historic homestead of US House Representative and majority leader John Q. Tilson.

Landowners and caretakers Ken and Lotta Murray have been steadily reducing these debris piles for years, but the situation required a concerted effort to make a big impact.

By the end of the day, our trash-removal efforts overflowed a dumpster-trailer, a second trailer bed, and a truck bed. Our team of ten removed a total of 1,300 pounds of assorted trash and debris from the conservation easement property, along with a number of tires — including one from a Model-T Ford.

Impressed by their impact, the students began talking about organizing other cleanups on campus and in the region. It is empowering to tackle a problem with such a visible result, and that empowerment is contagious!

Conservation doesn’t end with recording a land protection document. Stewardship of protected lands extends in perpetuity, and sometimes requires remediation of past problems for a property. Dedicated East TN State Univ. students responded to our call for a “Service Saturday” in February, helping clean up debris from illicit dumping on a protected, historic TN property.

SAHC stewardship volunteers, ETSU students, and landowners Ken and Lotta Murray removed an impressive amount of debris, despite the cold, damp weather of the workday.

Saw-whet Owl Photo Credit: Kameron Perensovich/Flickr Creative Commons

Like so many other “northern” species, Saw-whet Owls are only able to survive in these areas by using the highest elevation habitats — northern hardwoods and spruce-fir forests. They depend on these dense forests for winter survival, but will use grassy balds and other openings for hunting (primarily deer mice). One of the greatest threats to Saw-whet Owls in our region is habitat loss.

The smallest owl species in the eastern United States, Saw-whet Owls only

reach 7 to 8 inches tall, including the tail. The Saw-whet has a distinctive call from which it gets its name — it emits a cry that sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone. These tiny owls are very secretive, so their population trends are hard to track. The Saw-whet Owl has a huge attitude for such a small bird — very curious and not intimidated by people, they have even been known to

fly down and perch overhead at a campfire!

We are very proud to have protected tens of thousands of acres of Saw-whet Owl habitat. Our Highlands of Roan focus area is a stronghold for these owls. Many of our fee simple properties, including Grassy

Ridge and the newly acquired Broad Branch tract, and tracts that have transferred to our partners, such as Rocky Fork and parts of the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area, provide Saw-whet habitat. The owls are also known to live in the upper reaches of the Black Mountains, in our Big Tom Wilson Conservation Easement near Mt. Mitchell.

Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett has heard the distinctive call of the Northern Saw-whet Owl at Carvers Gap, a popular access point for the Appalachian Trail in the Highlands of Roan.

Northern Saw-whet OwlWhooooo is this?

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a native species that is mainly a permanent resident in the northern and western sections of the United States. However, there are two main “disjunct” Appalachian populations of Saw-whet Owls, occurring in the Central and Southern Appalachians.



Juvenile Saw-whet Owls

Saw-whet Owl Habitat

SAHC-protected lands

Maps: Saw-whet Owl Habitat protected by SAHC

Highlands of Roan Black Mountains

Mt. Mitchell

in the Highlands of Roan and Black Mountains

Red-spotted newt, photo by Witt Langstaff, Jr.

More than 70 species can be found in the Appalachian mountains, including many “endemic” species that are ONLY found here. Roughly 50 salamander species can be found right here in Western North Carolina / East Tennessee. The diversity of shapes, sizes, colors, and habits exhibited by these secretive critters has often been compared to song birds or wildflowers for showiness, and their ecological impacts are nearly immeasurable.

Unfortunately, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources lists 47% of the world’s salamanders as threatened or endangered due to factors including habitat loss, climate change, and emerging diseases. This makes the conservation of Appalachian salamanders, and the lands where they live, more important than ever.

There are many families of salamanders found in the mountains,

including mole salamanders who live underground most of their lives, aquatic families that include mudpuppies and hellbenders, and the newts — represented by one lone species, the red-spotted newt.

The salamander family that by far exceeds all others for diversity is Family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders. Members of the lungless salamander family “breathe” through their moist skin and mouths. Other than that, the family exhibits so much diversity that it’s hard to describe. Members range from tiny bronze Pygmy salamanders, coming in at a max of 1.5 inches long to the showy Yonahlossee salamander that may reach 9 inches or more. The family also includes the slightly drab colored “dusky” salamanders, whom you will typically find along or in streams, and the colorful “woodland” salamanders, whom live and breed in leaf litter and under rocks and logs.

Salamanders


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Cool Customers

Did you know the Appalachian region has more salamander species than any other place on the planet?

Redback Salamander with eggs

Springtime is a wonderful time to look for salamanders! You can easily find these amphibians crossing roads and trails on rainy nights or by gently turning over rocks and logs during the day.

It’s best to simply observe salamanders without catching them. However, if you must handle them, please make sure that your hands and temporary containers are clean — salamanders are very sensitive to the salts, soaps, and chemicals found on our hands.

If turning over rocks or logs, be sure to gently replace them and allow the salamander to crawl back under (they are someone’s home, after all).

Salamander Spotting

Longtail Salamander, photo by Ryan Hagerty

Spotted Salamander, photo by Ken Sturm

Juvenile Slimy Salamander, Photo by Kent Mason

ConservationField JournalOn the Roan with Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett

V i e w f r o m t h e H i g h l a n d s | 1 1

A few months ago, I had a field meeting with colleagues at Carvers Gap, and, arriving early, I decided to walk around the Trail. Near the end of my loop, I started seeing trash — a plastic bag here, a juice bottle there. It continued to increase until I stumbled onto the “motherlode,” a cooler that had been left by a well-meaning person who wanted to leave “trail magic” for Appalachian Trail through-hikers. Long empty of any edible contents, it was now packed with trash, chewed up by mammals and swimming in icy cold, smelly, snowy sludge. I can assure you that as I hauled it out, there was nothing magical about it... except for the fact that it smelled like a nasty potion! As I tried to drain enough water out of the mess to form it into a stable trash heap, I began to ponder: “What exactly is trail magic?” Admittedly, I’ve never through-hiked the AT, but I’ve done enough

backpacking to appreciate a soft pillow or that long-awaited beer or chocolate at the end of a hard trip. When I think of magic on the Roan, however, I think of the sun cutting through the fog on Big Hump, the glittering spider webs that decorate the sides of the trail, even the feeling of a storm approaching.

Cooler & trash by the Trail

Unattended Coolers and Trail Magic ?

Unattended coolers can cause unintended consequences.

In short, I think of all the beautiful, strange

and constant reminders from the mountain

that although we are only tiny creatures, we

are a part of an eternal natural magic.

The official definition of Trail

Magic is “an unexpected act of kindness, a

quintessential part of the Appalachian Trail experience for many long-distance hikers”. So, Trail

Magic = Love mixed with a bit of Kismet. I can definitely get behind that! But as weeks went by,

something still desperately bugged me about that cooler.

Our stinky friend came up again when I saw a recent Facebook post by the Appalachian

Trail Conservancy about unattended coolers and trail magic — love it or hate it? In reply, I posted a

pic of the cooler with the brisk comment ‘Unattended food caches are terrible for wildlife and trash

up the trail - not the experience I want!’ I was astounded at how many likes and comments my

picture received. Apparently, a LOT of other people feel the same way!

My summary from all of those comments is this: True trail magic has to be done out of

love, but also with a sense of place and responsibility. You have to be willing to do crazy things

like pack out your garbage and someone else’s, and to know that things like trail maintenance and

habitat work also provide magic. In short, true trail magic requires you to be responsible for the

consequences of your actions on the places we all love.

Views from the AT, Highlands of Roan

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy offers suggestions about incorporating Leave No Trace

practices to help those providing trail magic to have the most positive impact on hikers,

the Trail, its plants and wildlife, and the volunteers who maintain it.

For more info, visit www.appalachiantrail.com

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We will meet at the Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area parking area at 10 am and will spend the day cutting brush and weeds and putting up new trail signs and markers.

Seven miles of public trails cross the Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area, including a certified section of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail — and these trails need some love! As part of National Trails Day, we are calling for volunteers to help finish some infrastructure trail improvements — including

trimming around the new hiker stiles and installing signage — as well as general trail maintenance in the Cove. We will work for approximately 4 hours, with a break for lunch. Come for all day, or just a part!

Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes and bring rain gear, sunscreen, lunch, and water. We will provide hand tools, work gloves, and any other safety equipment.

Please RSVP to Marquette Crockett at [email protected] by May 31st.

It’s spring time again! And as beautiful native wildflowers sprout up toward the sun, invasive species are tagging right along. Plucking out the pesky invaders when they’re young and tender isn’t hard work, but it does take a lot of hands!

This year, SAHC is partnering with Roan Mountain State Park, to remove garlic mustard from the park and heavily trafficked highways around Carver’s Gap and SAHC properties in the Highlands of Roan.

Come join us! We will meet at Roan Mountain State Park at 10 am. Volunteers will be briefed, divided into groups, and dispersed across the Park and along public roadsides to pull garlic mustard.

Be sure to bring clothes and sturdy shoes you can work in, lunch, water, and a bag to carry personal items. We will provide work gloves.

To sign up to volunteer, or if you have any questions, please contact Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett at [email protected].

Spring Cleaning at Hampton Creek Cove/National Trails Day Volunteer OpportunityDate: Saturday, June 4 | Time: 10 am to 3 pm

Garlic Mustard Pull at Roan Mtn State ParkDate: Saturday, April 16 | Time: 10 am to 3 pm

What is Garlic Mustard?A pervasive invasive plant species spread easily by tiny seeds which cling to hikers, wildlife, and tire tread.

Garlic mustard poses a severe threat to native plants and animals. It out-competes native plants by aggressively monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Although sometimes used for human consumption, wildlife tend to bypass the pungent foliage, leaving it to proliferate while putting additional strain on native plant populations.

Upcoming Volunteer Work Days:

Please join us for our annual day of free, guided adventures and social fellowship in the beautiful Highlands of Roan. We offer five group outings with choices for all age and ability levels. Descriptions, details and start times for each are provided on the following pages. Hikes are rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most difficult. Upon registration, you will receive additional information, including directions to the departure location. Be sure to bring: sturdy hiking shoes, camera, water, lunch, sunscreen, and appropriate clothing for your hike. The weather may be sunny, rainy, windy or cool.

We hope you can join us in the Highlands!

Date: Saturday, June 11th

June Jamboree!

June Jamboree Schedule#1 Carver’s Gap to Grassy Ridge Hike (9 am)#2 Roll ‘n’ Stroll (11 am) #3 Riding the Roan (9:30 am) #4 Yoga in the Roan with Kris Moon (11 am)#5 Challenge Hike (9 am)

Social: Big Rock Creek property (drop by between 1-4 pm)

Free Guided Hikes and Outings in the Highlands of Roan

J u n e J A M B O R E E

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From Johnson City, TN:Follow I-26 E/US-23 S; Take Exit 32 for TN 173 toward Unicoi Rd.; Turn left on State Hwy 173; Turn right onto Unicoi Dr; Turn left onto TN-107 E (10 mi); Continue onto NC-226 S; Turn left onto Hughes Gap Rd (2.4 mi); Turn left at 114 Abby Road and you’ve arrived.

From Asheville, NC:Take US-19N/US-23N/I-26 West to exit 9 Burnsville/Spruce Pine (36.7 mi); Turn right onto 19E headed north (17.7 mi); Turn left onto 197N (11.1mi); Turn right onto NC -226 (6.9 mi); Go past elementary school and turn right onto Hughes Gap Rd (2.4 mi); Turn left at 114 Abby Road and you’ve arrived.

Social Gathering

Join us on our recently protected property at Big Rock Creek (formerly TrailRidge Mountain Camp and Camp Pleiades) to enjoy fellowship with friends and family and learn about our recent conservation initiatives. Light refreshments and beverages provided. Location of the property and directions below:

Big Rock Creek Property, 114 Abby Rd., Bakersville, NC

Hike #3 — Ride the Roan: Scenic 37 mile Road Bike LoopLocation: Big Rock Creek | Start Time: 9:30 am | Est. End Time: ~ 2:00 pm Leader: Michelle Pugliese | Difficulty: Strenuous (10+); Experience Required

Join Land Protection Director, Michelle Pugliese on this 37 mile ride through scenic mountain terrain. The ride will begin and end at our Big Rock Creek property. In the first 5 miles tackle a strenuous climb along SR226, crossing the AT followed by a rewarding decent through Cherokee NF. Riders will enjoy the rolling

TN countryside, including a pedal along the scenic Doe River and through Roan Mt. State Park. One more climb up to the AT at Hughes Gap and then down to the Social for cold beverages and fellowship. Ride will include a lunch break and one other brief stop along the way. Elevation gain: ~4,700 ft. • Unsupported ride • Experienced bikers only



Hike #2 — Roll ‘n’ Stroll Location: Rhododendron Gardens | Start Time: 11:00 am | Est. End Time: 1:00 pm Leader: Carl Silverstein | Difficulty: Easy (2)

The Rhododendron Gardens on top of the Roan will be blazing with color this time of year. Executive Director Carl Silverstein will lead hikers across gentle terrain with stunning views of the Roan landscape. On this leisurely stroll, hikers will learn about a number of SAHC’s land protection projects that can be viewed from the gardens as we walk along. This family-friendly hike is designed to provide people of all hiking abilities with an opportunity to get outside and enjoy some of the property that SAHC has diligently protected over the last four decades.

*This trail is paved and wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Hike #1 — Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge Location: Carvers Gap | Start Time: 9:00 am | Est. End Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm Leader: Marquette Crockett and Chris Coxen | Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous (7-8)

Join Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett and former SAHC Field Ecologist Chris Coxen for this classic and rewarding hike atop the highest elevation balds in the Highland of Roan, widely considered among the most spectacular scenery along the Appalachian Trail. Grassy Ridge is the highest point near the AT, reaching 6,189 feet in elevation. Enjoy a natural, unobstructed 360-degree view, blooming rhododendron, flame azalea, and so much more. Easier Hike Option: hike out to Round Bald or Jane Bald, to enjoy the flowers and expansive views.

I realize that the June Jamboree event is free for all participants, but I would like to make a donation to help offset the cost of the event. Please RSVP for planning purposes.

RESERVATIONS — June Jamboree ( June 11) in the Highlands of RoanRegister online at Appalachian.org or mail this completed form to: SAHC, 34 Wall St., Suite 502, Asheville, NC, 28801

Optional Donation Enclosed: $________

(For planning purposes, please include names of all participants)

Hike #: ________ Name:

Phone: Email:

Total # Attending the after-hike social: _________

Hike #: ________ Name:

Phone: Email:

Kids:


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For questions or assistance with registration, contact Haley Smith at [email protected].

Hike #5 — Challenge Hike: Cloudland Hotel Site to Big Rock Creek Start Location: Cloudland Hotel Site | Start Time: 9:00 am | Est. End Time: 3:00 pm Leader: Hanni Muerdter and Haley Smith | Difficulty: Very strenuous (10+)

This 9 mile hike will begin on the AT at the site of the Historical Cloudland Hotel near the Rhododendron Gardens. We will follow the AT steeply downhill for over 3 miles, descending to an elevation of 4,140 feet at Hughes Gap. We will then climb about 2 miles to the top of the ridge and see views of the Tennessee side of Roan. After hiking on the ridgeline, we will travel off-trail through National Forest land down to our Big Rock Creek property, where we will finish the day descending a mile along steeply graded trails before finding ourselves in the midst of the afternoon’s festivities. Hikers should expect some very steep sections and a chance to see a variety of wildflowers, rhododendron, and other blooms.

Hike #4 — Yoga in the Roan with Kris Moon Location: Little Cove Creek | Start Time: 11:00 am | Est. End Time: 1:00 pm Leader: Kris Moon | Difficulty: Easy (1-2)

Join yogi Kris Moon for an uplifting breath-and alignment-based yoga class in a beautiful meadow by a stream at our Little Cove Creek property in the Roan. We’ll start with warm up poses, and include a comprehensive sequence of postures, breath work, and meditation. This session is open to all levels. Afterward, enjoy lunch and admire the seasonal wildflowers.No prior yoga experience is required, but please bring a blanket, yoga mat, and wear comfortable, stretchy clothes.

Join us in celebrating 42 years of conservation in our community! Because of you — our dedicated members, volunteers, and community supporters — we can continue protecting the special places we all love. Enjoy an evening in the meadow of celebration and merriment. Food catered by the Green Opportunities Kitchen-Ready Program.

Date: Thursday, May 19 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pmWhere: The Meadow at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, NC

The Board recommends the nomination of Popsie Lynch of Fairview, NC; Matt Moses of Erwin, TN; and Stu Ryman of Asheville, NC to be nominated for a first three-year term, and Jim Houser of Charlotte, NC; Anne Kilgore of Kingsport, TN ; and Jay Leutze of Minneapolis, NC be nominated to a second three-year term. The nominees are active members of the Conservancy who have generously agreed to devote their time and talents on its behalf. Proxy: I hereby appoint Nancy Edgerton or Carl Silverstein as proxies to vote, on my behalf as indicated below, at the Annual Membership Event of The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to be held on May 19, 2016. I also give my proxy authority to act on other business (if any) that may come before the meeting.

Nominees to the Board of Trustees:q Vote for all nominees listed above, except withhold vote from the following nominees (if any) q Vote against

Signature: ____________________________________Date: ______________

Proxy Form: Annual Membership Meeting of the Southern Appalachian Highlands ConservancyAs part of the event, the membership will elect nominees to the Board of Trustees. This is a proxy form. Please sign and return the proxy if you cannot attend the event.

E v e n t s & O U T R E A C H

Appalachian Spring Member Celebration

To become an event sponsor or donate raffle items, contact Cheryl Fowler at [email protected] or 828.253.0095 ext 209.Tickets are available for purchase at Appalachian.org, or fill out the order form below.

Tickets #

Payment Enclosed. Please make payable to SAHC. Do not mail cash. Mail forms to SAHC at 34 Wall Street, Suite 502, Asheville, NC, 28801.

Total $

Address:Charge my Credit Card Name: Card #:

Phone: E-mail:Exp. DateSec. Code

Name(s) for guest list:

We are very grateful for the support of our event sponsors:


Event Ticket Price includes: Heavy appetizers, 1 drink ticket, music and fellowship.Purchase your tickets early to save! Early bird prices (thru April 30): $25 for SAHC members/ $30 non-members In advance (after April 30): $30 members/$35 non-members. At the door: $40 for everyone.

Outdoor event area at Highland Brewing Company

The Screaming J’s Band

“For Love of Beer & Mountains” Early’s Hoppy Wheat Release Friday, April 15Garlic Mustard Pull at Roan Mountain State Park Saturday, April 16Popper Memorial Hike Saturday, April 30Yoga on the Mountain Saturday, May 7“For Love of Beer & Mountains” Partnership Saw-Whet Hike Saturday, May 8Pedal to Protect Farmland Saturday, May 14Appalachian Spring Membership Celebration Thursday, May 19“For Love of Beer & Mountains” Partnership Early’s Mtn Hike Saturday, May 28Live at Aloft! Sunday, May 29Land Trust Day/National Trails Day Saturday, June 4Community Farm Outing Saturday, June 4Trail Work Volunteer Day at HCC Saturday, June 4June Jamboree Saturday, June 11

Check Appalachian.org for more!

C alendarUpcoming Hikes and Events

Join us to celebrate the release of a brand new seasonal brew named after Early’s Mountain! This mountain stands at the gateway to the Sandy Mush Community, where SAHC has helped protect over 10,000 acres. Highland Brewing Company will donate $1 from each pint sold to SAHC, to support land and water conservation. FREE, live music begins at 7:00 pm. This public event is family-friendly.

Early’s Hoppy Wheat Release PartyDate: Friday, April 15 | Time: 4:00 -9:00 pm Where: Highland Brewing Company, Asheville, NC

“For Love of Beer & Mountains” Partnership Events

Highland Brewing Company partners with SAHC to support conservation efforts and heighten awareness of the unique and fragile natural treasures of the Southern Appalachians. Highland donates a portion of sales from each seasonal release party and works with us to co-lead partnership hikes.

Saw-whet Hike Date: Sunday, May 8 | Time: 10:00 am | Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous (6-7) Where: Big Bald Banding Station, Mars Hill, NC Cost: Free, registration required


This hike is a 3+ mile loop on a 500-acre working farm that SAHC protected with a conservation easement in 2009. Learn about conservation easements as a tool for protecting farmland, Bee Branch Farm family history, and Sandy Mush lore. We will make a small climb at the halfway point to gain panoramic views of the valley and enjoy our picnic lunch.

Early’s Mountain HikeDate: Saturday, May 28 | Time: 10:00 am | Difficulty: Moderate (4-5) Where: Bee Branch Farm, Sandy Mush, NC | Cost: Free, registration required

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Join us for the first SAHC and Highland Brewing Co. Saw-whet Saison partnership hike, celebrating Highland’s recent release of the new Saw-whet Saison. Hikers will have a chance to check Saw-whet owl nest boxes at the Big Bald Banding Station with the guidance of folks from Southern Appalachian Raptor Research and then hike to the top of Big Bald and down to Little Bald to enjoy lunch.


Enjoy live music, signature sips, and snacks while taking in spectacular Asheville mountain views on the Air Level at the Aloft Hotel in downtown Asheville. Enjoy music from a local performer and a stunning setting for just a $5 donation at the door, which will go directly to SAHC for local conservation! This public event is pet-friendly.

Sundays Live @Aloft Date: Sunday, May 29 (Memorial Day Weekend) Time: 4:00 to 8:00 pm

For more information or to register for guided hikes & outings, contact our Americorps Outreach Associate Haley Smith at 828.253.0095 ext. 205 or [email protected].

We invite you to join us for a memorial hike to honor and remember our friend Bill Popper and his dedication to preserving the 573-acre property in Yancey County that he loved so much. The Price’s Creek tract has many varieties of wildflowers where we will find May Apple, Blood Root, Lark Spur and much more. We will hike through a Northern Hardwood Forest ecosystem and make our way to a lovely spot on Price’s Creek for lunch.

Popper Memorial Hike Date: Saturday, April 30 | Time: 10:00 am Difficulty: Moderate (4-5) Where:Price’s Creek Tract, Burnsville, NC Cost: Free for SAHC members; $10 for non-members

We will hike to the top of a beautiful high-elevation pasture, lay down a yoga mat, and practice our sun salutations, among many other poses with the leadership of certified yoga teacher Kim Drye. From this location, hikers and yogis alike will experience the beauty of their surroundings and the invigorating calm brought on by practicing yoga. No prior experience is required, but please bring a blanket, yoga mat, and comfortable (stretchy) clothes, as well as sturdy shoes for the hike, water, sunscreen and a pack to carry personal items.

Yoga on the Mountain w/ Kim Drye Date: Saturday, May 7 | Time: 10:00 amDifficulty: Easy to Moderate (2-3) Where: Fairview Farming CommunityCost: Free for SAHC members; $10 for non-members

Take a ride with SAHC! Join Land Protection Director and biking enthusiast Michelle Pugliese for our inaugural road ride, featuring a stopover at the SAHC Community Farm with light refreshments and a peek at our incubator farm operations. The route is approximately 25 miles, with 2 decent climbs--the first being a fun, short and steep climb at mile 5, the second being a longer gradual slog with a few shorter, steeper stretches on the way back. The ride should take approximately 3 hours. Experience Level: Must have experience riding a road bike on city and rural roads alongside vehicular traffic, and be comfortable riding 25 miles.

Pedal to Protect Farmland Date: Saturday, May 14 | Time: 11:00 am Difficulty: 25-mile, moderate ride Where: Begin and End at the Wedge in Asheville; travel to and from SAHC Community Farm Cost: Free for members; $10 for non-members


Pa r t n e r s h i p s i n t h e B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I T Y

Join us for a moderately easy, family-friendly guided tour along the Discovery Trail at the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander. Along the way, you will learn about the various projects under way at the farm, including our Farmer Incubator Program. We will walk through active farming areas, see the successfully restored streams flowing through the property, discuss our shortleaf pine restoration project, and give you a preview of our newly renovated education facility. We will accomplish all of this in plenty of time for you to return to town to shop and enjoy lunch at one of the businesses participating in Land Trust Day.

Optional: You may bring a lunch and blanket or camp chairs and enjoy a picnic on the farm following the hike.

Land Trust Day Outing Date: Saturday, June 4th | Time: 10 am | Difficulty: Easy (2-3) Where: SAHC Communit y Farm, Alexander, NC Cost: Free for SAHC members; $10 for non-members

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Fundraising by Design —Saw-Whet Shirtsby Mtn MerchMtn Merch in Biltmore Village has designed a co-branded SAHC/NCLine Saw-Whet Owl T-shirt, with $5 from the sale of each shirt benefitting our land and water conservation efforts! Mtn Merch is a retail shop specializing in local wares, and we are very grateful for their support.The shirts are available for purchase throughout March, April, and May at the Mtn Merch store, 22 Lodge Street, Asheville, NC 28803. You can also purchase shirts directly from SAHC during our Appalachian Spring celebration on May 19, through our website at Appalachian.org, or by calling our office at 828.253.0095.Check out Mtn. Merch online at: mtnmerch.com

Front Back

Do you know of a local business who might be interested in sponsoring conservation for a day? We are looking for more sponsor participants for Land Trust Day. Contact Cheryl Fowler at 828.253.0095 ext 209 or [email protected] for details.

(check Appalachian.org for future updates)

ART TO WEAR

Shop and Dine to Support Conservation! Date: Saturday, June 4

Join us in celebrating SAHC’s economic impact! Land Trust Day is held each year in conjunction with National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June. Recognizing that their customers deeply value the natural resources and scenic places we preserve, our Land Trust Day business partners donate a percentage of the day’s sales to support SAHC’s land and water conservation efforts.

Your purchase on June 4 will help our work! These local business have already committed to participate in Land Trust Day 2016:

Mt. Mitchell: $25,000+ See your name here!

Waterrock Knob: $15,000+ Highland Brewing Company New Morning Ltd. Salesforce

Roan Mountain: $10,000+ Conservation Advisors of NC Mast General Store

Cold Mountain: $5,000+ Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo Causeway Interactive Eastman Chemical Company Kee Mapping & Surveying Meadows Family Farm

Big Yellow: $2,500+ Addison Farms Vineyards Appalachian Realty Associates Brunk Auctions First Citizens Bank Jubilee! Community Mamacita’s Taqueria

Max Patch: $1,000+ Chef Peter Affatato Altamont Environmental Catawba Brewing Co. Eastman Credit Union Equinox Environmental Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens French Broad River Garden Club Foundation Keith Hargrove Architect PC Lululemon USA, Inc. Navitat Canopy Adventures Network Computer Solutions Roberts & Stevens, Attorneys at Law Samsel Architects Starks Financial Group USA Raft

Corporate Partners & Giving Levels

“We are a family farm dedicated in all that we do to honoring our ancestors,” say the Straders. “Through honest industry and diligent labor, they have made it possible for us to provide for ourselves and our community by simply continuing a way of life that we love.”

“We find great joy in rediscovering the irrefutable agricultural truths that our predecessors learned and knew over 100 years ago. Now, with a granddaughter chasing chickens, we continue to work every day, drawing from the old to grow something new, always with the intention to enhance and preserve our farm for generations to come.”

What started as a small self-sustaining farm back in the 1960’s now encompasses acreage in Guilford and Moore Counties in NC. This ever-evolving agricultural enterprise has produced everything from acres of tobacco hand-tied and cured on-site to organic heirloom tomatoes prized by local chefs, and from row crops of feed corn and soybeans

to grazing pasture land and buckwheat grown to naturally nurture the soil.

“While livestock has always been a part of the farm, we have taken it ‘back to the basics’ by embracing the ‘old’ philosophy of all natural, carefully nurtured, grass fed beef, and cage-free pork, eggs and poultry,” says Dani. “The work is hard and the days are long, but results are delicious and would undoubtedly make Kenneth’s great grandfather extremely proud.”

The Straders have donated over $9,000 in materials and labor to install and repair fencing at our Community Farm. They also provided farm-fresh meats for our Gray’s Lily Leadership reception at the farm last fall.

“I am pleased to see and be a part of a place that gives young people who have a passion and desire for farming a stepping stone,” says Kenneth.

Corporate Partner Profile:Meadows Family Farm

Pa r t n e r s h i p s i n t h e B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I T Y


Meadows Family Farms has been owned, operated, lived on and loved by four generations of the Strader Family. Kenneth and Dani Strader have worked side by side for 35 years and raised four children on the Meadows Family Farm land. They support SAHC at a Corporate Partner level because they appreciate our Community Farm endeavor.

Dani and Kenneth Strader

For more info, visit meadowsfamilyfarms.com

(check Appalachian.org for future updates)

M e m b e r s ’ C O R N E R

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Memorials We share in honoring the memory of those friends who have passed.

In Memory of John B. Lowndes Judy Murray & Tom Gatti

In Memory of Dr. Charles T. McCullough Carolyn Novak & Don Johnson

In Memory of Judith Roach Judy Kelly

In Memory of Lee Wallace Carolyn Novak & Don Johnson

Tributes A tribute gift is a special way to honor someone.

In Honor of Mike Green John & Sarah Green

In Honor of Zellie Earnest Josephine Morrison

Welcome, New Members!Daniel BarronJake & Cynthia BloodNile BowmanLori Kijek

Chris and Katerina NegliaJennifer PowellCatherine ShaneThe Block

Winter Tree Identification Hike in the Rough Creek Watershed, January 2016

To become a member, fill out the enclosed membership form in this newsletter, join online at Appalachian.org, or contact Membership Director Cheryl Fowler at 828.253.0095 ext 209 or [email protected].

Members Enjoy Free Guided Hikes

Planning for the Future2016-2020 Strategic Plan

Improve quality of life for current and future generations by protecting and stewarding places we love and connecting people with them.

Every five years, we update our organization’s strategic plan in order to ensure that we are meeting the challenges of our conservation mission as effectively and efficiently as possible. Last fall, we adopted a new 5-year plan to guide our conservation initiatives and continue our successes through 2020.

Vision:

Strategic Goals:

our financial and organizational strength

and stability in order to achieve excellence in our program goals.

Grow

land and conservation easements SAHC holds,

and convene partnerships to restore and effectively manage the fragile, globally significant ecosystems of the Highlands of Roan.

Steward

people with land, advancing opportunities

for access for farming, outdoor recreation, and outreach regarding SAHC’s conservation mission.

Connect

priority lands that further our mission

of conserving “unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for people to enjoy outdoor recreation.

Protect The process involved obtaining input from staff, volunteers, Trustees, partners, and other community stakeholders over the course of the year. We accomplished the following steps:

• Reviewed and made minor updates to SAHC’s Vision and Mission statements.

• Prepared a Statement of Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practices, and a Statement of Values and Ethics

• Analyzed SAHC’s operating context and situation, taking into consideration external socio-economic and political factors, industry trends, institutional landscape, demographic trends, and internal capacity.

• Updated SAHC’s Goals, emphasizing best approaches to implement the Mission, and any changes that may be needed in personnel, funding, or other aspects of SAHC, and

• Developed strategies for implementing goals

• Affirmed annual performance summary process for evaluating results.

At the December 2015 regular quarterly meeting, the SAHC Board of Trustees officially adopted the plan.

M e m b e r s ’ C O R N E R


Our 2016 - 2020 strategic objectives will help guide our work over the next five years, so we can continue to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDAsheville, NC

Permit No. 460

34 Wall Street, Suite 502Asheville, NC 28801-2710

(828) 253-0095

Return Service RequestedPrinted on Post Consumer Recycled Paper

A p p a l a c h i a n . o r g

Upcoming Hikes & Events!Garlic Mustard Pull at Roan Mtn. Saturday, April 16

Popper Memorial Hike Saturday, April 30

Yoga on the Mountain Saturday, May 7

Appalachian Spring Member Celebration Thursday, May 19

Land Trust Day/National Trails Day Saturday, June 4

June Jamboree Saturday, June 11

See pg 18 for more events. Follow us online for recent updates!

Remember SAHC with a gift of cash or stock. Our Wells Fargo account number is 4205-3519 and the DTC number for transfers is 0141. Your broker can arrange the transfer for you or call our office for assistance at 828.253.0095.

Increase your conservation impact!

Documents

2016 Spring/Summer View from the Highlands