Create a legacy that lasts beyond your lifetime
Anyone who recreates outdoors or backpacks can tell you that when they plan ahead they are more likely to accomplish their goal and have a good time while doing it. […]
Funding for the Future – Supporting Careers in Conservation
We are deeply grateful to SAHC member Bob Detjen for making a heroically generous contribution this year to help us catalyze more opportunities for young people to develop conservation- related jobs and careers in the southern Appalachians.
“SAHC is using this gift strategically to recruit additional AmeriCorps members and interns from other places to Asheville to begin their conservation careers, and to realign existing staff to train and supervise them,” says Executive Director Carl Silverstein. “Bob’s visionary insight and remarkable generosity is increasing our capacity to offer young people opportunities to work with SAHC and link them with potential job paths in conservation-related fields.” Read more
Joel Adams – 1% for the Planet
Joel and Marla Adams have been long-time members and generous supporters of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and other conservation endeavors. Joel served as board chair of The Nature Conservancy in NC, and is particularly proud of initiating efforts to protect Panthertown Valley.
“I’ve been involved in land conservation since the 1970s,” shares Joel. “It’s in my blood.”
This year, Joel expanded that passion and support with his business partner Bray Creech at Joel Adams and Associates — Raymond James Financial Services, Asheville. We are very grateful to the firm for supporting our efforts through 1% for the Planet and joining the distinguished list of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Corporate Partners!
“Contributing to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy through 1% for the Planet is one way we demonstrate our commitment to the community and people we serve,” says Bray Creech, MBA, CPA, CFP®. Supporting conservation of critical land and water resources in the region is a reflection of the firm’s values, which focus on people and community. They say:
“We hope the first thing you notice when we welcome you to our office in Asheville is how un-office-like it feels. More like a mountain getaway or a friend’s cozy cottage. It’s a reflection of who we are and how we conduct our business. We want to hear your stories, learn about your family, listen to your ideas, understand your values. Only then, backed by the resources of Raymond James Financial Services, will we feel ready to craft an investment strategy for you. Your legacy is not just a net total at the bottom of a column. It’s the lifetime of difficult choices that you make, the paths you take, the ideals you model. Nothing could be more singular, more personal. And we think it should be treated that way.”
To find out more, visit JoelAdamsAsheville.com
Montreat Wilderness Hike 2018
In 2018 the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 123 acres including the western flank and summit of Brushy Knob, one of the Seven Sisters near Black Mountain, NC. To celebrate the acquisition of this valuable conservation land we led an educational hike along the outer rim of the Montreat Wilderness. Participants learned about SAHC’s role in conservation in the Black Mountains and were able to see the new acquisition firsthand. The hike consisted of 3,000′ of elevation gain over 8.5 miles! The following is one participant’s reflection on the outing…
Read more
In Remembrance: Bob Harvey
Robert Marsh Harvey passed away on Friday, June 8 this year. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mabel Marie Stout Harvey, and many loving family members. After serving as a radio technician in San Diego, CA during World War II, Bob returned to civilian life and a career in radio and television. For many years he was devoted to service and advocacy for SAHC — clearing trails, “bashing” briars on the mountain balds, leading hikes and creating an informational tailgate display at Carvers Gap. Read more
Donor Perspective: Tom & Dawn Alligood
As a former real estate professional in Charlotte, Tom understands that you have to save land when you can.
He remembers his first visit to the Roan area, around Thanksgiving of 1978, when he and a friend backpacked the Appalachian Trail from the Cloudland Hotel site at Carvers Gap to Hampton, TN.
“It was my second backpacking trip ever,” he recalls. It was a physically challenging hike, but they created memories that would last a lifetime. Tom gained a love for Roan that would stay with him. He married Dawn in 1982 on Beech Mountain, overlooking the Roan and places SAHC had protected.
“What we love most about SAHC is how nimble the organization is, purchasing properties that come up for development and then helping to incorporate the land into public forests to be protected forever,” he says.
Tom has gone on lots of backpacking trips, attended June Jamboree hikes and has brought hundreds of people on the Roan over the past four decades. He and Dawn are also Legacy Society members, having included SAHC
in their will.
Thank you, Tom and Dawn, for sharing your love of the Roan!
Why We Give
We’d like to extend a special ‘thank you’ to the Barnhardt family, who have been passionate supporters of SAHC for years and who graciously shared this message about why they support local land and water conservation.
“To whom much is given, much is expected. Luke 12:48
We have tried to raise our children with this bible verse in mind. God has gifted all of us with a beautiful world, including our treasured Appalachian Highlands. We raised our 3 children hoping to inspire a love of nature and the outdoors. Every summer we hiked trails in the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains, traveled to waterfalls for swimming and sliding, and camped along mountain rivers where we went tubing, biking, fishing, and rock hopping. Read more
Ken and Lotta Murray: From DC to the AT, to the hills of TN
Ken and Lotta Murray have transitioned from the hustle-and-bustle of Washington, DC, to the quiet coves of mountainous East Tennessee, carving out an idyllic home and garden on a tract where Ken’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 160 years ago. Introduced to SAHC while managing one of our conservation easement properties, they have become committed philanthropic leaders and engaged members, frequently exploring the Southern Appalachians through our guided group hikes.
Ken Murray became acquainted with SAHC when his mother, Katharine Tilson Murray, had the foresight to permanently protect the family homeplace with a conservation easement in 1999. Since retiring to the land in Unicoi County, where he often vacationed as child, Ken and his wife Lotta have become passionate supporters of SAHC, joining our Gray’s Lily Leadership Circle and frequently participating in guided outings on our other protected tracts. Read more
Benefitting SAHC through 1% for the Planet
We are extremely grateful to all our business and individual supporters for making local conservation possible. This year, SAHC benefited directly from 1% for the Planet, a global program that creates win-win-win situations for businesses, non-profits, and communities.
When he learned that SAHC was a direct beneficiary of 1% for the Planet, it was an easy decision for SAHC member and volunteer Robbie McLucas to join thousands of like-minded individuals and businesses who effect change by pledging to give one percent of their yearly incomes to environmental organizations. Read more
