What: Livestake Volunteer Planting Workday

Where: SAHC’s Bowditch Bottoms Preserve, near Burnsville, NC

When: Friday, March 6 from 9 am to 12 pm

Join the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for a livestaking workday at SAHC’s Bowditch Bottoms in Yancey County.

Bowditch Bottoms contains a mosaic of habitat types including mixed hardwood forest, open field, natural wetland, and a riparian area that buffers over a half mile of Ayles Creek within the South Toe River Watershed.

Livestaking is a restoration technique where dormant stem cuttings from trees and shrubs are planted directly into the ground. These cuttings root and grow into new plants. Join us as we plant livestakes along Ayles Creek in areas left bare and susceptible to invasive plant species following Helene. We will plant a variety of native species including ninebark, silky willow, elderberry, and more in an effort to control erosion and enhance habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

This work day is a continuation of our partnership with NCWF; we joined together in managing invasive plants species through a series of volunteer work days on this preserves in 2025. Please help us continue the momentum as we repair and restore the stream corridor!

This event is free and open to the public.