On a Thursday evening in September, I joined 20 neighbors, local farmers, landowners, for a pasture walk led by Buncombe Co. Cooperative Extension on SAHC’s 100+ acre community farm in Alexander, NC. Meghan Baker, Ethan Henderson, and Noah Henson took us all on an informative stroll to discuss management strategies and how to keep pastures […]
High above the Catawba Falls, headwater streams coalesce and cascade down the mountainsides, with pristine rivulets merging together to form the rushing river waters. Now, more of these source streams have been permanently protected. In July 2019, SAHC purchased 101 acres at High Rock Acres in McDowell County, adding to a contiguous network of protected […]
Trout and AT hikers can rejoice – another piece of the Roan has been permanently protected! We purchased 62 acres at Doll Branch in the Highlands of Roan this summer, protecting exceptional habitat and scenic mountain views in Carter County, TN. The land adjoins Cherokee National Forest and is less than ½ mile from the […]
We are actively seeking 1 – 2 dedicated and committed volunteers who could come into the SAHC Office for a few hours every 2 – 3 weeks to help organize and coordinate our SAHC Merchandise. SAHC merchandise helps spread the word about our conservation work, and proceeds from sales support ongoing land and water conservation […]
What is a SAHC Ambassador? A SAHC Ambassador is a volunteer who represents SAHC at public and tabling events. A tabling event is a planned occasion where volunteers greet the public, engage them in our cause, and ask them to take further action (i.e. providing an email address, becoming a member, etc). Event tabling is […]
Just beyond the rush of traffic on Interstate 40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina line, steep hillsides and forested knolls shelter a vibrant community of wildlife. We recently purchased 187 acres in this part of Haywood County near the Pigeon River to protect a corridor for wildlife grazing and movement. Encircled by the Pisgah National Forest […]
Recently at the Education Center at our Community Farm, preparations have been underway for the development of a new industrial-grade kitchen. For the past three years, Community Farm Manager Chris Link has been guiding the transformation of space once used for dog kennels into an valuable resource. We have created a value-added kitchen with Energy […]
Students from Mars Hill University and Warren Wilson College joined us this spring for a Golden-winged Warbler habitat management workday and camping trip along the Appalachian Trail in the Highlands of Roan. The energetic volunteers cleared downed tree limbs and lopped saplings to create ideal breeding ground for this threatened species of neo-tropical migratory songbirds.
Grassland birds are in trouble. As the grassland habitat needed for nesting and rearing their young continues to disappear, birds such as the Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Dickcissel, and Bobolink found here in the Southeast are declining in numbers. So what can we do to help? Well, the good news is that the agricultural grasslands […]
Around the corner from SAHC’s Community Farm and other conserved farms in Alexander, community members are working to preserve an historic African-American church and cemetery. In conjunction with our “It’s Your Backyard” event in April, outdoor recreation ambassador Daniel White (The Blackalachian) led a bike ride from the Community Farm to the church, raising awareness […]
