Bowditch Bottoms Livestake Planting – with NC Wildlife Federation
HUGE thank you to the volunteers who came out with our North Carolina Wildlife Federation partners in early March 2026 to improve habitat and water quality on SAHC’s Bowditch Bottoms Preserve!
SAHC’s Bowditch Bottoms Preserve 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. Volunteers planted livestakes along Ayles Creek in areas left bare and susceptible to invasive plant species following Helene. They used a variety of native species in an effort to control erosion and enhance habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.
“Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation are gearing up for another great year at Bowditch Bottoms in Yancey County,” says Luke Bennett, NCWF Conservation Coordinator. “We focused our effort today on planting livestakes along Ayles Creek with species including buttonbush, viburnum, elderberry, and ninebark. In under three hours, we planted nearly a thousand livestakes! These new plants will help control erosion, shade the creek, improve water quality, outcompete invasive plant species, and serve as critical habitat for wildlife.”
In 2025, SAHC and NCWF joined together in managing invasive plants species on our Bowditch Bottoms Preserve through a series of volunteer work days. We’re thrilled to continue this partnership in land restoration and management.Be sure to follow our upcoming events and subscribe to our email newsletter for future volunteer work days!
