Do you remember the small lot in Tryon, next to IGA and in front of Gillette Woods, where goats used to eat kudzu and other invasive plants? With the goats gone, it is now up to Conserving Carolina and the community to take care of this property as it is now, once again, overgrown with invasive plants. This two-acre lot is owned by the Town of Tryon and is located right in town and in close proximity to Woodland Park. Our goal is to restore the native habitat on this property for community enjoyment, but it will require plenty of work in order for it to be an area used by the community.

Conserving Carolina, which  has a conservation easement on the property, will be running weekly workdays and recruiting the help of volunteers to eradicate the abundance of non-native and invasive plant species and restore the native habitat. Starting on Oct. 12, workdays will be held every Thursday morning, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Those interested in volunteering with Conserving Carolina for the first time, are asked to visit the Conserving Carolina website, conservingcarolina.org/get-involved/, to sign up. Volunteers are also asked to attend a Volunteer Information Session, either at the Southeast office (Columbus) or the Hendersonville office. Volunteer information sessions will be held the second Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. at the Southeast office and twice a month at the Hendersonville office. The information sessions will educate new volunteers about Conserving Carolina’s work and how to get involved and make a difference in the community. To sign up for the upcoming workdays, volunteer information sessions, or to ask any questions, please email Max Howes, Conserving Carolina’s AmeriCorps Project Conserve habitat restoration and volunteer coordinator for the southeast (Polk County) region, at max@conservingcarolina.org. For more information and volunteer opportunities, visit the Conserving Carolina website, conservingcarolina.org.

Conserving Carolina, your local land trust, is dedicated to protecting and stewarding land and water resources vital to our natural heritage and quality of life and to fostering appreciation and understanding of the natural world.

– submitted by Max Howes