On April 28 at Chimney Rock State Park, over 200 Conserving Carolina supporters came together for a day of appreciation for area land lovers.

The afternoon began with the guided Protect and Conserve Walk along the Hickory Nut Falls Trail in Chimney Rock State Park. Volunteers from Conserving Carolina led five groups, with a total of over 120 participants, on guided walks, pointing out unique plants and spring wildflowers.

The culminating event of the day was the Land Lovers Picnic, a celebration of volunteers and landowners from 2017, which was sponsored by Chimney Rock Management LLC, Platt Architecture and Witherspoon Platt and Associates.

The social hour contained bluegrass music by Pretty Little Goat. Lynn Killian, development director, kicked off the program for the evening, and Ericka Berg and Max Howes recognized 25 volunteers who served over 70 hours each for Conserving Carolina in 2017.

Each volunteer was given a personalized certificate and a homemade native wildflower seed packet. Area volunteers who were recognized were Ford Smith, Dibbit Lamb, and Liz Dicey.

A special award, The Ladyslipper Award, was presented to area resident Carol Newton for her “amazing help fundraising and event planning,” largely for her leadership in the Little White Oak Mountain project.

Rebekah Robinson, Assistant Director for Programs, and Tom Fanslow, land protection director, acknowledged the 19 landowners who completed conservation projects with Conserving Carolina in 2017.  They received plaques acknowledging their committment to land conservation in our beautiful region.

From this area, Babs and Bob Strickland, Sharon and Fred Tesche, Robert and Deborah Bundy, Elizabeth Cummings and Benny Cox, and the Naturaland Trust were recognized.

Tom Fanslow and Executive Director, Kieran Roe, then presented the Lela McBride award to Harry Joe Thomas Jr. and the Nancy Lyda family for their conservation contributions of Youngblood Farms Preserve and Bearwallow Mountain, respectively. The program concluded with a short presentation on the Hickory Nut Gorge Trail Plans and Progress by Kieran Roe.

For more information, go to conservingcarolina.org.

– Submitted by Carol Bartol