June Jamboree 2021
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s annual June Jamboree is a celebration of land protection and resource management in the stunning Highlands of Roan. This year, we continue our annual celebration of outdoor recreation and conservation in the Roan Highlands, along with other SAHC focus areas, with a week-long schedule of virtual events as well as a month-long challenge to get involved in citizen-science! Join us for one or all of these events. Can’t make it? All events will be recorded and shared on our YouTube channel.
Straddling the Tennessee and North Carolina border, the tight cluster of peaks and ridges known as the Roan Massif is a showcase of globally significant biological diversity, punctuated by Appalachian grassy balds, rhododendron gardens, high-elevation rock outcrops, southern Appalachian bogs, and rich spruce-fir forests. The Roan’s ecosystems contain one of the richest repositories of temperate zone biodiversity on Earth.
Lunch & Learn: The Ecological and Human History of the Roan Massif’s Grassy Balds
Monday, June 7 at 12 pm
Presented by Travis Knowles
Roan Mountain’s grassy balds have delighted hikers for decades. They also represent a long, enduring mystery for ecologists and biogeographers. What explains their presence and persistence in this landscape and why are they so special?
This presentation will address what we know about these fabled grasslands’ history, including a summary timeline, as well as remaining uncertainties. We’ll examine these unique ecosystems in the context of protecting this landscape for the future. Join us for this FREE virtual event to learn more about the history of the Roan balds and have an opportunity to interact with a Roan expert.
Register for Zoom Presentation
Three-part Video Tour of the Roan Highlands
Tuesday, June 8 via YouTube
Presented by Marquette Crockett and Travis Bordley
Join Roan Stewardship Director Marquette Crockett and Roan Seasonal Ecologist Travis Bordley for a virtual journey through the Highlands of Roan, highlighting Golden-winged Warbler Habitat Management, Spruce-fir Habitat, and High Elevation Streams.
In this 3-segment video tour, you will discover what makes these Roan habitats unique and learn about interesting species that live here. Find out about active stewardship efforts, in which Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy works to manage or restore habitat. SAHC’s Roan Stewardship program manages and restores globally significant resources, working alongside many partners across the region. The Roan Highlands are one of the most biodiverse locations in our nation, and conservation of these irreplaceable resources is an ongoing process. SAHC serves as a leader in continued stewardship of these habitats in the face of climate change and other ecological threats. So, come take a tour with us and enjoy footage filmed on-the-ground during annual bird surveys, tree planting projects, and more!
Link to join Roan Highlands Video Tour premiere via YouTube – TBA
Lunch & Learn: 7500 acres in the Highlands of Roan, Now What?
Wednesday, June 9 at 12 pm
SAHC is thrilled to accept a generous donation of 7,500 acres in the Highlands of Roan in 2022, but what does it take to make that happen? Hear from our leadership team at SAHC to learn more about how this incredible project came to be and what steps SAHC is taking to ensure this remarkable landscape will be managed and protected for generations to come.
Register for Zoom Presentation
June Jamboree Social via Zoom
Thursday, June 10 at 5:30 pm
Join us for this engaging and informative social hour where you will have the opportunity to hear updates about our program work. We will announce the 2020 Stan Murray Volunteer of the Year and recognize our Board of Trustees leaders. You won’t want to miss this fun virtual program filled with stunning photos and compelling stories.
Register for Zoom Social and Presentations
Virtual Hike Video Premiere
Friday, June 11 via YouTube
Join us AmeriCorps member Shaylyn “Sarge” Sargent for an informative virtual hike to learn more about biodiversity in our region and appreciate how SAHC’s conservation efforts help protect the mountains you love. More details TBA.
Link to join virtual hike premiere via YouTube – TBA
iNaturalist Scavenger Hunt Challenge
All month long!
Participating in citizen-science is a great way to get engaged with conservation. This month, we challenge all our members, volunteers, and your friends to participate in SAHC’s iNaturalist Scavenger Hunt and record as many observations as you can!
Ever wondered about what plants or animals fill your yard? Populate your nearby favorite trail? Or what that vibrant mushroom you found is? Join SAHC’s ongoing scavenger hunt to learn about and discover with your friends, family, and your community all the wonderful creatures that inhabit our mountains. Interact with SAHC staff and other hunters to help identify plants and animals, learn new fun facts, and explore beautiful photos.
If you have never used iNaturalist before, iNaturalist is a great place to identify plants and animals with the help of the internet and the surrounding community. You can learn about what the names of plants and animals are in your area and much more. Explore the great outdoors and find plants, animals, fungi, insects, etc. and take pictures of them. Once you have your pictures, you can upload them to the mobile iNaturalist app, or from your computer on the iNaturalist website.
Location: 
Location: 
A fresh take on our annual Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge hike, this option offers some of the most spectacular scenery along the Appalachian Trail, as well as a chance to summit two Southern Sixers — Roan High Knob and Grassy Ridge. This 7.5-mile hike will begin near the Rhododendron Gardens at the site of the old Cloudland Hotel and descend along the AT through high-elevation spruce-fir forests to Carvers Gap. From the Gap, the hike will climb up through forests and open balds to Grassy Ridge, the highest point near the AT at 6,189 feet elevation. From here, hikers can enjoy a natural, unobstructed 360-degree view of the Roan Highlands, blooming rhododendron, flame azalea, and so much more. The hike will finish downhill at Roaring Creek Road, from which participants can continue on to the June Jamboree Social at our Elk Hollow Preserve.
The Rhododendron Gardens on top of the Roan will be blazing with color this time of year. Participants will stroll approx. 1 mile across gentle terrain with stunning views of the Roan landscape. On this leisurely walk, participants will learn about a number of SAHC’s land protection projects that can be viewed from the gardens. This family-friendly offering is designed to provide people of all abilities with an opportunity to get outside and enjoy some of the properties that SAHC has diligently worked to protect over the last four decades.
Join former SAHC Field Ecologist Chris Coxen for an early morning birding experience beginning at SAHC’s Grassy Ridge Cabin, AKA “The Bird House.” This property features excellent forest edge habitat for Golden Winged Warblers and other neo-tropical migratory bird species. Birders will then make their way up toward the ridgeline at Grassy Gap, all the way observing birds in a variety of habitats. Round trip hike distance will be approx. 1.5 miles. 
Join Chelsey Bishop of Breathe Yoga Center for a calming, stress-relieving yoga class surrounded by nature on SAHC-protected land. She will lead the group as we gradually stretch and strengthen with an emphasis on building awareness of the breath and the body. Students of all levels will enjoy a soothing, relaxing, and restorative experience. After yoga, hikers will have the option of doing a short hike to a nearby waterfall on the property (for a round-trip of 1.5 miles), or may join our social gathering at the newly completed Elk Hollow Camping Platform for light refreshments and festivities.
Join SAHC for a special visit to Cutler Falls in the Yellow Mountain State Natural Area.
This year’s 7.5-mile Challenge Hike will begin around Big Horse Creek, climbing over 1500 feet in the first few miles, as hikers wind through shaded terrain along a forest service road and ultimately emerge onto the open bald below the summit of Hump Mountain. Hikers will lunch near Hump Mountain, taking in the spectacular views of the Roaring Creek Valley and much of SAHC’s land protection work in the Roan. The hike will then continue across open terrain to Little Hump before descending down to the Overmountain Victory Trail, which we will follow to Roaring Creek Road and on to the festivities at the June Jamboree Social!
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the June Jamboree this summer! As we prepare to bid adieu to our Project Conserve AmeriCorps Conservation Education and Volunteer Associate, Kana Miller, we’d like to share her account from the day:
