Karen Wynne, meteorologist and environmental reporter for ABC affiliate WLOS-TV channel 13, has been named this years host of PACWalk for Preservation, which will be held May 1 on the Tryon Estates grounds.

We are pleased to have such a conservation-minded celebrity as our PACWalk Mistress of Ceremonies, says PACs Walker. Everyone who participates in PACWalk is invited to meet and greet Karen.

Wynne became acquainted with The Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) while filming a series on conservation about Blue Ridge Forevers initiative to protect 50,000 acres in Western North Carolina. As a member of the Blue Ridge Forever coalition, PAC has been charged with protecting the ecologically-rich Focus Area #17, which stretches from Tryon Peak to White Oak Mountain. This unique area encompass all of natures magnificencemountains, rivers, farmland, forests, and overall greenspace.

Named for its initial preservation efforts of land along The Pacolet River, PAC has continued its conservation efforts along the pristine waterways that wander through this section of the mountains and piedmont. With grants from state funding sources such the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the Natural Heritage Foundation, the Ecosystem Enhancement Program, and landowner-donated conservation easements, PAC owns 10 tracts and holds 19 conservation easements on parts of White Oak Mountain and Tryon Peak; yet, there is much more to connect and protect. In fact, this focus area hosts one of the largest concentrations in the United States of the federally-endangered white irisette.

To read a description and see photos of this Blue Ridge Forever focus area, visit the PAC Website at www.pacolet.org and scroll down to Links to other natural resource websites.

When WLOS-TV aired a special television segment about PACs extensive conservation work in both the focus area and throughout the region, Wynne interviewed PAC Land Protection Specialist Pam Torlina, PAC Executive Director Sally Walker, and conservation landowner Gerald Pack. Some scenes took place in the Pacolet River, where Torlina explained how one can look at the organisms beneath river rocks to tell whether the water is clear and clean. Pack was filmed standing amidst curious horses in a pasture on his farm, where Tryon Peak and White Oak loomed in the background alongside Chocolate Drop Mountain.

PACWalk will be held at Tryon Estates, 617 Laurel Lake Drive in Columbus. Registration opens at 9 a.m. Just let the Tryon Estates gate keeper know that you are with PACWalk, and you will be directed to the parking area. Once you are registered, a shuttle will take you to the scenic lakeside starting area. The official start time is 10 a.m.

A free luncheon will be served to all participants during the Awards Ceremony following the walk, where a special luncheon table will be set aside for Wynne and PACWalk sponsors Natures Storehouse, First Citizens Bank of Tryon, Edward Jones of Columbus and Lynn, Watson Flooring, Pro physical Therapy Health & Fitness, Owens Pharmacy, Mast General Store, Bonnie Brae Veterinary Hospital, and Costco Wholesale of Spartanburg.

To pre-register for the event, contact the PAC office in Tryon at 828-859-5060, or stop by during office hours from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.. You can also register on the day, says Walker, but registering ahead of time can be easier and quicker.

The Pacolet Area Conservancys mission is to protect and conserve the areas natural resources. PAC has helped protect more than 8,000 acres to date. To learn more about the organization visit www.pacolet.org.